Colorado College is sending a select delegation to the annual United Nations global climate conference. The course Engaging COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan approaches the COP as ethnographers, considering how governments and civil society organizations from around the world seek to accomplish the goals of the Paris Agreement to curb climate change. Working through the broader Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education, we address issues of youth, indigenous and women’s representation, along with critical approaches to mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage.
“It’s Been a Year and We Are Back Here Suffering:” Where Do We Go from Here?
By Ella Reese-Clauson ’26, International Political Economy | In this longer essay-format post, follow along on the path of my hope at COP29, starting first with some of the more encouraging sessions I went to before digging into the fissures that made that faith vanish. I will bring the reader with me as I witness firsthand some of the conference’s many failures but also highlight a few successes that leave me feeling a sense of faith, no longer in the …
Vietnamese Representatives at COP29
By Abby Le ‘25, Mathematical Economics “Cậu học gì ở Colorado College? “Tớ học Toán Kinh Tế.” “Thôi tớ không nói chuyện với mấy người đấy.” That threw me off a little bit. This playful exchange marked my introduction to Chiến, one of the Vietnamese youths I met at COP29 in Baku. The group included anh Tuấn Anh, anh Toàn, chị Bảo Ngọc, and Chiến. Most of them wore pink Party badges, except Chiến, who had a yellow Observer badge …
A Soundtrack for COP29
By Jamie Harvie, ’25, Anthropology Major It was on Day 5 of COP29 that I began taking solitary walks around the city of Baku. I had been badged the Days 1-3, running around the stadium trying to attend as many events as possible, absorbing as much information as possible, and passing out from exhaustion before 9:00 PM. For Day 4, however, I wasn’t badged. Unfortunately, I spent Day 4 running around Khagani Street and Azadlig Avenue, pre-occupied by a long …
Press Conferences in ‘Karabakh Hall’: How Nations are Legitimizing Narratives of Armed Conflict at COP29
By Jamie Harvie, ’25, Anthropology Each year, the UNFCCC’s Conference of Parties (COP) accrues an international assemblage of world leaders and students, activists and NGOs, government officials and economists, and everyone in between. During this two-week event, these individuals and delegations – all with varying levels of power, capital, and social capital – become actors and audiences. They sit and speak in press conferences and negotiations, walk the mazes of pavilions and exhibits, and listen to the proclamations of presidents …
On Language Barriers and Translation at COP29
By Isabella Childs Michael ’25, Anthropology On Day 2 of COP29, I walked into the Special Event Room called Buta to attend a panel called “Climate change: an opportunity to strengthen the resilience of transboundary river basins” advertised as being in English. The first speaker introduced the panel, but as the next began, I realized I couldn’t follow—he was speaking French. I scanned the room for headphones or translation devices but found none. A man working as a climate policy …
Discovering COP29 Art in Baku
By Jessica Legaard, ‘25, Environmental Studies From the minute we landed, Baku’s distinct aesthetic was striking. Bright, oversized screens at Heydar Aliyev International Airport welcomed us with advertisements for COP29, paired with stunning images of natural landscapes—most of whose exact location is still a mystery to me. Despite the late hour, there was energy in the space that hinted at the vibrancy awaiting us in the city. The journey to this point, however, was no small feat. On Wednesday, November …
CC’s “Badge Boogie” at COPs
Sarah Hautzinger, Professor of Anthropology and Environmental Studies “How many badges did you get?” “Are you badged for next week?” “Does anyone know of an available badge for Thursday?” These are questions anyone encountering COP, or a UN Conference of the Parties gathering, will encounter. For the climate COPs* that I’ve been taking CC delegations to since 2019, to be badged means to hold a credential that provides entry into the “Blue Zone” where negotiations take place—alongside exhibits, pavilions, “Side …
Fossil of the Day: Russia
By Ashley Entwistle, ’26, History-Political Science Every evening at COP, as the UNFCCC agenda came to a close, the Climate Action Network set up a podium in the corridor, where a dinosaur mascot took the microphone. Diplomats, activists, observers, and officials gathered as the Fossil of the Day was announced. The satirical skit has been a fixture of COP for years, calling out countries that have obstructed climate progress during the day’s negotiations––the United States being a frequent recipient. On …
Moving into a dorm room–I mean–exhibit at COP29
By Isabella Childs Michael ’25, Anthropology Walking through the UNFCCC exhibits on Day 2 felt like stepping into a college residential building at the start of the school year, with all the rooms exposed. Rows of identical booths, many waiting to be personalized, laid before me. Each exhibit was furnished with two chairs, a table, lockable cabinets, and a television screen. Unlike the ancient brick aesthetic of college dorms, the exhibit’s design felt more Scandinavian. The exhibits at COP conferences …
Messaging of the US Delegation in Wake of the Election
By Megan O’Brien ’25, Environmental Studies Major The morning we left for Baku the results of the 2024 election were released, naming Donald Trump as the next president of the United States. When Donald Trump was last elected, he pulled the US out of the Paris Agreement on climate, which resulted in no delegation being sent to the COPs during his years in office. He has made the same promise this term—no Paris Agreement for the US. More people than I …
Art and Design at COP29
By Megan O’Brien, ’25, Environmental Studies Major and Studio Art Minor The colors of COP29 have swept the city of Baku, Azerbaijan. We exited the airport at 2:00 am and one of the first things I noticed were the words on the side of the buses declaring “In Solidarity for a Green World.” From signs and posters to buses and stickers, the colors of COP were everywhere. The first image above shows a “brain” sculpture framed by the main color …
The Challenge of Financing a Just Transition
By Jessica Legaard, ’25, Environmental Studies Finances were central to the Conference of Parties (COP) this year in Baku, Azerbaijan. The parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA), agreed to set new climate finance targets for a “New Collective Quantified Goal” (NCGQ). This goal is meant to revise the prior goal of $100 billion. To reach the ambition of lowering emissions, funding is needed from wealthy Global North countries. They need to fulfill their responsibility of providing higher-risk and climate-vulnerable countries …
