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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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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 …
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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 …
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 …
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Bananas, Smiles, and Atomic Bombs: Attitudes toward Nuclear Energy at COP29
By Ella Reese-Clauson '26, International Political Economy | On the first Friday of COP29, I entered the generally professional and sterile Blue Zone to the sight of a small line of business-clad delegates waiting to have their picture taken with a pair of attendees dressed in inflatable polar bear suits. One after another, the delegates excitedly posed with the polar bears, complying obediently when the photographer told them to “say cheese for nuclear energy.” One of the bears’ peers—dressed in a bright blue T-Shirt plastered with pro-nuclear energy slogans—handed out bananas, smiling as he professed that living next to a nuclear power plant for a one year period exposed you to the same amount of radiation as a single banana. His thesis? If we’re not scared of bananas, we shouldn’t be afraid of nuclear energy. The man, a nuclear engineer from the UK, passed me a bruising brown banana that was perhaps not the happy, healthy image he was going for. When I asked him where I could find this report, he told me to look on the website of any power plant. Clearly, their sources were unbiased.
Perusing Pavilions: The Pin-Hunt Mission and More
By Abby Le '25, Mathematical Economics On my first day as a badge-holder, I planned to explore the venue, learn the layout, and prepare for the busy days ahead. The Blue Zone, the event’s epicenter, was split into formal meeting rooms and vibrant pavilions showcasing climate initiatives. I’d heard from CC alumni about the energy …
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The Green Zone of COP29: A Glorified, Greenwashed Trade Show
By Havalin Haskell, '26, Environmental Studies Let's just say it most definitely is "dedicated to advancing the COP29 Presidency's vision and priorities for climate action.” On Thursday, Megan and I ventured to the Green Zone, which is open to civil society/the general public, because we weren’t badged for the Blue Zone. What is the Green …
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