Entries by YEE

COP27 Reflections – Eva

There are many things that are wrong with COPs

The most privileged people in the world gather to discuss, not change the status quo in a very artificial setting. I was approached by one of the organisers to answer the question “How will COP help with solving climate change?” And the truth is, I really cannot see how. What is the purpose of the Green Zone other than take a selfie #blessed? This massive event has nothing to do with change, nor climate.
 
This is what I wrote down on my first day of COP27 after visiting the Green Zone.

After spending the week at the conference, hearing some great speeches, seeing some great work from experts, and observing many protests, I might hesitantly agree that it is actually our best shot at doing anything about the climate crisis on the global scale. By saying this, I am however not trying to excuse the greenwashing, the inaction, the obvious business interests, the propaganda of the organisers. I merely want to acknowledge that the scale on which we need to agree to act is massive, not to mention that everybody comes with the “what can we get from this” mindset which makes the agreement that more difficult.

There are many things that are wrong with COPs and which should be improved. However,  we, the civil society, should not give up and hand this conference to private companies and lobbyists trying to influence politicians for their own gains, even though it brings so much frustration.

To conclude, on one hand, my perspective slightly changed after a full week in Sharm El-Sheikh, however I still stand by the first sentence that I wrote down – The most privileged people in the world gather to discuss, not change the status quo in a very artificial setting. With that in mind, we will keep showing up and keep pushing for change, even if it is measured in steps not miles.

COP27 Reflections - Together for implementation?

The motto for this COP was “Together for Implementation” – but have we been able to pass it to action? And are the parties truly “together” in the face of the climate crisis?


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7.12.2022 /0 Comments/by

COP27 Reflections – Agnes

Observing with your eyes being covered

First time in Egypt, first time at COP, first time being the head of the delegation during week 2 at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt. I have to admit that before going to COP, you have no idea what to expect. And no matter how prepared you arrive, you need to adapt immediately, improvise and work on the spot under pressure. And that’s because being at COP as an observer, it feels like you are observing a living thing at its evolution but with your eyes being covered. You don’t know what this evolution looks like behind closed doors, but at the same time you need to react as soon as you get a hint of the direction of the negotiations.

Our delegation during week 2 worked a lot on networking with International & European Organisations, youth groups, climate activists and other NGOs. The group managed to organise and facilitate a networking session in the Children & Youth Pavilion with the participation of one of the negotiators for achieving meaningful youth engagement in the climate negotiations and bridging the intergenerational gap. A very interesting day was the day we all wore our YEE designed T-shirts with the logo “Talk to me about Climate Justice”. Apparently, this led a lot of people towards our path to hold discussions about climate justice. This interaction during this week with so many people could really give you the impression that people want to hear the voice of youth. But how close to the truth is this?

Our role as young activists at COP27 was limited and restricted. Young people were a very small percentage of the people participating at COP, and due to limited resources they were not living under good conditions which are a requirement to be able to manage the stress and the intensity of being 12 hours at the venue every day  for 1 or 2 weeks.  Despite these conditions and how left out we were feeling, we were there, the same faces trying to make our voices heard and gain a seat at the table. Even though the Youth & Children Pavilion was one small step of the youth involvement, it was most of the time still a place for youth to youth and not a place to bring together negotiators and young people. It was isolated and did not serve the immediate response needed of the role of youth in the climate crisis. Frustration, exhaustion, disappointment were some of the feelings I felt were common among the young people.

Despite these negative emotions, our hope and urge to become part of climate negotiations could not be tamed. After reading the final decision of COP27, I felt the spark of a small victory by the explicit mention of the role of youth in addressing climate change and the encouragement towards including youth representatives in the climate negotiations. Though, the wording used does not guarantee any strong implementation, therefore, I keep my excitement for that very suppressed, until I witness it in practice.

I am going to conclude my reflections with a feeling that I think I’ll never forget. Witnessing my future determined by people who leave the future generation aside and silently quit the 1.5 target that was set in the Paris Agreement, made me feel like I am sitting tied in a chair seeing my house getting burned. But as long as I’ll have a voice, I’ll be shouting: we are not yet defeated.

COP27 Reflections - Together for implementation?

The motto for this COP was “Together for Implementation” – but have we been able to pass it to action? And are the parties truly “together” in the face of the climate crisis?


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COP27 Reflections – Aleksandra

Two opposing forces at COP

I did not have much climate conference experience, but I was privileged enough to get into the main one, COP27, or, as my friend said, ‘the Oscars of climate negotiations’. I expected a lot from COP – read dozens of articles and listened to tons of podcasts about the outlook and challenges for the COP negotiations. 2022 was a year of climate extremes – from heat waves in Europe to droughts in China and divesting floods in Pakistan. The need for climate action has become increasingly obvious, so I was full of expectations. However, the reality has turned out to be different and bitter.
 
The first thing I learned at COP is that following the negotiations “from the outside” is somewhat easier than being here on the ground, no matter how paradoxical it may sound. Huge distances, hundreds of pavilions, and no breaks between sessions – I needed Hermione’s Time Turner to be in two places at the same time. It was also difficult to follow the progress of negotiations in such an environment when the doors were closed to observers.
 
The headline of COP27, ‘Together for Implementation’, highlighted the need for joint efforts of governments, the private sector, and civil society in the global response to the climate crisis. But I got the impression that there were two opposing forces at COP who speak different languages and live in two different bubbles – those who were interested in nothing else but profits and colonising our future and those who truly care about the planet.
 
Fossil fuels and nuclear lobbyists who came to use the energy crisis as an opportunity to make more money, big companies who came to greenwash their brands, governments that blocked decisions on loss and damage, and side events where speakers gave presentations with serious faces, although half of the audience could not hear their speeches and the other half came to charge their phones or just escape from the heat. At such moments, participation in the COP seems pointless.

However, even in this desert of frustration, there are still islands of hope. I joined a loss and damage climate strike and had an opportunity to speak or even yell from the heart and I met many young climate activists who are so passionate and wholehearted, so I dare to hope that our future is in safe hands.

COP27 Reflections - Together for implementation?

The motto for this COP was “Together for Implementation” – but have we been able to pass it to action? And are the parties truly “together” in the face of the climate crisis?


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COP27 Reflections – Sophia







Following the negotiations was simply frustrating

Before going to COP and hearing from people that had already been there and warned me that it was going to be intense, frustrating and just a lot, I thought to myself „Can’t imagine it’s going to be that crazy!“ –  I was wrong. Now that a few days have passed since coming back my brain still feels messy trying to sort out the experiences and impressions of the last week. To keep it short, COP for me was a lot of things. Following the negotiations, and that has been said by a lot of people many times, was simply frustrating. Hearing them seriously discuss whether the 1.5° target should be kept alive while listening to the personal stories of people already very affected by the impacts of climate change was simply unbelievable.

At the same time COP, or more the people outside of the negotiating rooms was inspiring as seeing the effort of small initiatives, individuals and other actors made me feel like being part of a bigger effort. On a personal level, seeing all of the inaction once again stirred up the question of „What can I do in my daily life, personal choices and actions to not feel as helpless or sometimes like a hypocrite when not being 100% strict all the time?“. But somehow even writing this makes me a bit angry knowing that it shouldn’t only be on us to feel the responsibility of trying to fight this. What made the whole week easier was being part of an amazing group of people that I knew were sharing the same or similar attitudes towards a lot of topics and were also struggling with similar things.

I feel like it will take me a while to fully figure out what this experience has taught me but I am sure that I am grateful for having been given the chance to be part of this group and this experience!

 

COP27 Reflections - Together for implementation?

The motto for this COP was “Together for Implementation” – but have we been able to pass it to action? And are the parties truly “together” in the face of the climate crisis?


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COP27 Reflections – Pegah

Broken-hearted, helpless and once again sidelined

It was a pleasure to lead the YEE delegation for one more COP with incredible 11 young people across Europe, who had dedicated over 6 months to researching and preparing for COP27. Despite the chaos of COP, the team delivered a UNFCCC-approved side event; hosted an UNFCCC-approved protest and were co-authors of the European Youth Organisations position paper.

Despite our achievements, COP27 was not a welcoming event for activists, young people and not-for-profit organisations. The format of UNFCCC normally tends to limit the access of anyone with an observer badge, but with Egypt as its host, “differing” opinions were silenced, protests were largely controlled and narratives had to be approved beforehand. Young people in the past were mere “decoration” but during this COP, young people were not even “seen” and instead, fossil fuel and nuclear energy lobbyists were taking centre stage, especially by having access to “party” badges from UNFCCC member states.

As young people, we once again have left another COP broken-hearted, helpless and once again sidelined. Every day, our team was concerned about what to say and what not to say, so they do not put themselves or their team in danger and sometimes, individuals wearing “host country” badges would listen to our conversations or take pictures of us. Our hope is that from this experience, UNFCCC has learned the threshold of tolerance towards host country’s control in organising COPs and does something concrete in protecting free speech, or else, it is only young people and activists who will pay a very dear cost for any inaction

COP27 Reflections - Together for implementation?

The motto for this COP was “Together for Implementation” – but have we been able to pass it to action? And are the parties truly “together” in the face of the climate crisis?


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COP27 Reflections – Marian

At COP, one day you feel powerful, and another day completely hopeless

There are so many shining things fighting for your attention. You blink and hundreds of things happen around you.
Easily someone could lose focus between many stands and pavilions that are trying to portray a possible future that’s not gonna exist with their false promised solutions. Companies and governments would invent anything but do the real emissions reduction needed.

It’s overwhelming to see all these initiatives. Which ones are real? Which ones are getting us closer to our net-zero future? Which ones will actually avert irreversible catastrophic events?
Party delegations and business people in suits smiling; young people like myself mesmerised, as much as conflicted – who to target? Where is best to speak? How to use my little but perhaps sufficient power to convince someone to consider (or desconsider) certain options and decisions?

Tiny steps of climate action in gigantic events – this is what COP is. On the other side, there’s so much to learn from this experience. Starting with meeting activists from around the world to joining briefs and interesting sessions.

But then you go into the plenary room, see many people coming in and out, staying on their phones or even looking extremely bored and you wonder: are these people feeling (because they know) why they came here? Do they feel pressured to achieve agreements and collective action? Or this is just another conference they’ve been sent to by their work? To some extent I understand them, for the moment it’s just procedures happening, but I tend to have the feeling that they’ll move on with the same sense of ease.

 

COP27 Reflections - Together for implementation?

The motto for this COP was “Together for Implementation” – but have we been able to pass it to action? And are the parties truly “together” in the face of the climate crisis?


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COP27 Reflections – Adéla

My real wake call was a discussion with African and Pacific island climate activists

I am a novice when it comes to climate diplomacy. Back home, I studied environmental and political science. Therefore I was so grateful for the opportunity and trust Youth and Environment Europe gave me when I was selected as a part of the delegation. My main task was to follow the topics of Adaptation and Climate-induced migration, strictly correlated and fundamental subjects also in the framework of loss and damage, which turned out to be the crucial point of this COP. Furthermore, I was pleased to design and facilitate our “Intergenerational Dialogue about Climate-induced Migration in the framework of Adaptation”.

Although I participated in multiple calls and training about negotiations, COPs and UNFCCC, I believe there is no better way to prepare yourself for it than just experiencing it right on the spot. The arrival at the venue was overwhelming, and I was constantly getting lost between the pavilions and negotiation rooms. The pavilion themselves were an expression of each delegation; however, I sometimes felt like I was at a technological fair or art exhibition instead of a climate conference—usually, the pavilions were designed in a very techno optimistic and anthropocentric approach. Except for MENA pavilions, for me were, Japanese and Brazilian Pavilion quite a disappointment because of their flashiness and their strict focus on energy while ignoring the issue of biodiversity loss, which really puzzled me, especially with Amazon burning. Clearly, in the delegation’s minds, there is no voice questioning the growth imperative.

There is a vast disparity in the blue zone when the negotiation rooms and areas with pavilions, events and activists are physically divided by a road. During the first days, I even felt somewhat unwelcoming, that I do not belong to those negotiation rooms. This sensation was only enhanced by the fact that I was not allowed to enter multiple negotiations. Especially in the case of discussions around the Adaptation Fund, I felt sincerely disappointed. Not only because adaptation was the key topic on my portfolio, which I had followed for many months prior to COP27 and adaptation finance was named as a crucial issue of this year’s COP. Civil society deserves to have a voice present as the adaptation measures and projects should be principally locally led and this flagship discussion should be open to everyone. But also that the decision makers literally labelled this COP as a “Adaptation COP” in which we are all “together for implementation”. Does this slogan ring a bell for you? Yes, that is an official slogan for this year’s presidency. However, it seems that we are not that together after all, and some of us are simply more exclusive. Civil society is left behind closed doors as we are observers who cannot observe.

The sentiment of detachment followed me through the whole week. I spent my day passing by in the corridors and rooms with strong AC, either to simulate Artic weather or maybe to distract us from maintaining the temperature goal and that there is no climate crisis at all. I felt there that real-life problems exist in some other dimension. And the whole COP27 was set in an artificial environment, in a manmade resort with five stars hotels where real-life problems seem to not exist. But only seem, you can feel the elephant in the room in the form of human rights abuse and poverty being present at every step. I constantly had to remind myself what I am advocating for. And I wonder, when I have a problem focusing on what is right here, how must the decision-makers and negotiators feel? My real wake call was a discussion with African and Pacific island climate activists. It is eye-opening to hear their stories about how devastating it is for their communities and how, with tearful eyes, they explain to their children that they might lose their homes soon and never come back. It also made me realise how fundamental the concepts we are talking about (adaptation, loss and damage) are, how they already impact so many people worldwide, and why we are just reading about it in newspapers. Even though I read and studied about these issues for so long, suddenly, I found myself there so emotional and ashamed.

“Adaptation is for us is a story of grief. No matter how we adapt, we will lose our homes.” – Marshall Island Activists.
It is tragic, however, when you realise that in the pavilions, activists are crying for their voices to be heard and strong measures to be implemented. Yet, the pledges from the politicians, who are seated a few meters away, do not correspond with this humanitarian and ecological catastrophe. I felt incredibly humbled while also ashamed while listening to them. And I wonder why these conferences are not held in burning Amazon, in sinking islands or in drought-sued African communities? Let the leaders go to see the climate hell on their own eyes!

Instead of focusing on what matters, COP27 hit the headlines with its scandals: the scarcity of food and water, sewage rivers or Coca-Cola sponsorship. Although that created severe difficulties for me as a Climate Activist, I would appreciate if the world knew more about the actual outcomes (or rather lack of it) or about the human rights issue. This COP was a terrifying and stressful experience for many both local and international activists. Civil society had to deal with many forms of humiliation and terror (last-minute cancels of hotels and Airbnb, scams, constant passport scanning, spying mobile apps, presence of secret police in the venue etc.). The disappointing results feel like the last punch into the face.

It is clear now that COP27 was not successful, but it is also questionable how to measure success in terms of the climate crisis. That is why I find it so strange that we are discussing solutions to climate change, as there is no solution, we can only create an airbag, but now it is clear that this airbag will not be accessible to everybody. When drafting my research for COP27 on Adaptation, I had a motto of my supervisor and mentor in my head: “The less we do in mitigation, the more we have to do in adaptation, if not the more we have loss and damage.” I would rather not like to believe that is the tale of this COP when a loss and damage fund is established while fossil fuels are burnt. Together for implementation…of loss and damage, indeed.

Therefore, I cannot simply describe how I feel after COP27 since there are so many aspects. But although now I focused primarily on criticism, and I dare to say rightly so, I also had a great time with my team. Also, I am incredibly honoured that I could facilitate our side event. I met up with so many inspiring and kind people during the week too. And I believe, that is what COPs are also about. Nevertheless, I am proud to say that this week made me a better, stronger and more humble person and I will surely retrieve from this experience for a very long time in my professional and personal life.

Let me just say on the very last note, stop haggling about where the next COPs are going to take place; climate action must happen now!

COP27 Reflections - Together for implementation?

The motto for this COP was “Together for Implementation” – but have we been able to pass it to action? And are the parties truly “together” in the face of the climate crisis?


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COP27 Reflections – Timea







We only got 10 days to save the world!

Attending the first week of COP27 brought me many new experiences and milestones. It was the first time that I participated in COP in person, coordinated the preparation of a policy position paper, co-organized and co-facilitated a COP side event with high-level panellists, and participated in a protest. It was a great occasion also to meet with Member Organizations and other young activists. I think young people did their best at this COP to make a powerful impact on progressing climate action. The Children and Youth Pavilion was always filled with an audience, having interesting events and influential speakers. I am very proud of our delegation, as we maximized our time, engaged in many activities, organized bilateral meetings with negotiators, developed a position paper together with European youth NGOs on phasing out fossil fuels, and the list goes on.

On the other hand, it was disappointing that all these efforts and demands were not warmly welcomed by decision-makers, who still tend to come up with weak excuses instead of taking responsibility and finding solutions.

The lack of transparency in negotiations further deepened our anxiety. Not only we had no access to negotiations as Observers, but also there were no newsletters or other reliable sources to follow how the negotiations were going. To this date after COP27, writing my reflections, I am still not aware of the outcomes. It makes me question how climate action will be implemented without any level of inclusivity, leaving key stakeholders completely out of the discussions.

Overall, I learnt a lot, exchanging with youth coming from different regions and realities, as well as with experienced policy-makers and experts, and listening to technical panel discussions and roundtables. It gave me a lot of motivation and hope to see young people working together, fully committed to a better future and I am grateful that I could take part in these efforts. It seems we have still a long way to go.

COP27 Reflections - Together for implementation?

The motto for this COP was “Together for Implementation” – but have we been able to pass it to action? And are the parties truly “together” in the face of the climate crisis?


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COP27 Reflections – Chloé

There is absolutely nothing passive about the climate crisis.

Trying to gather my thoughts on COP has been a challenging task. Firstly, it goes without saying that I am proud of the YEE team, it’s so much work getting young people into these spaces, so much work to secure funding, to show up and do the work despite all the imposter syndrome these events impose.

Spaces such as COP27 offer a huge amount of inspiration and joy from meeting so many interesting and motivated people. It is so uplifting to find yourself surrounded by people talking as passionately (or more passionately) about your interests day in and day out: a continuous reminder that I have so much to learn. I do believe we need COPs, there needs to be regular moments of international diplomacy and a high-level event like this attests to the importance of its subject (hopefully).

And yet, I felt there was a lot of cognitive dissonance. COP27 was located in a resort town, in hotels each one more luxurious than the next, and the people who weren’t there for COP, were tourists.Each location had pools and fountains, and yet if you look just a few metres over, the land was completely arid with a handful of palm trees lining the streets. The venues were functional but also in some ways a bit extravagant and clearly ‘single-use’. Where will all these COP27 LED signs go once it is all over after two weeks?

The Green Zone, open to all publics and civil society, looked like exactly what you’d imagine a satire of a climate conference to look like: every building lit up in fluorescent lights as sun goes down in Sharm el-Sheikh at 17h30, huge ‘recycled’ art installations, rows and rows of plant corridors whose plants were clearly dead…All of that was for show, which really isn’t the point. 

There was also the strange atmosphere of watching what you say in the political climate of Egypt. Mincing your words, when you are meant to be part of civil society, is a bit counterintuitive. It goes without saying that climate justice is social justice and vice-versa, and no climate action can happen at the expense of human rights. Abdel Fattah’s hunger strike has been ongoing since the day before COP started. UNFCCC still ‘approved’ actions and protests and I felt privileged to see my team standing for the rights of environmental defenders.

My concluding thoughts, having gone through an eye-opening week, is that this isn’t a future that is simply occuring, or happening to us. We are actively building this future, in the negotiation rooms, in our personal choices, in the choice of COP Presidency… There is absolutely nothing passive about the climate crisis. Let us hope some of the outcomes of this COP, such as the Loss & Damage fund, will be a step in the right direction, and we will stop sitting idly in rooms filled with AC while the sun gets hotter outside.

COP27 Reflections - Together for implementation?

The motto for this COP was “Together for Implementation” – but have we been able to pass it to action? And are the parties truly “together” in the face of the climate crisis?


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7.12.2022 /0 Comments/by
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COP27 Reflections – Together for implementation?​

YEE COP27 delegations







COP27 Reflections - Together for implementation?

COP27 wrapped up after negotiations which continued far into the night in the last days of the conference in Sharm el-Sheikh. Despite some positive outcomes, such as the Loss & Damage fund, there is still a lack of recognition of the need to phase out fossil fuels and a general lack of ambition. The motto for this COP was “Together for Implementation” – but have we been able to pass it to action? And are the parties truly “together” in the face of the climate crisis?

Critiques have been heavy so far: Frans Timmermans, EU Climate Policy Chief, addressed the COP: “I urge you to acknowledge when you walk out of this room, that we have all fallen short in actions to avoid and minimise loss and damage. We should have done much more, our citizens expect us to lead.” His conclusions are humbling: “This is the make or break decade, but what we have in front of us is not enough of a step forward for people and planet.”

A year on from COP26, we are faced with the same issues and discussions. COP26 president, Alok Sharma, recalled: “I said in Glasgow that the pulse of 1.5 degrees was weak. Unfortunately, it remains on life support. And all of us need to look ourselves in the mirror and consider we have fully risen to that challenge of the past two weeks.” 1.5 is still the rallying cry from civil society, but it seems an air of resignation could be felt: we aren’t set to keep to this target.

As young people, acutely aware that this is our future being decided, it is frustrating to feel that ambitions are being lowered – but the silver lining: at least there was no backsliding on resolutions made in Glasgow. The reality is that climate diplomacy, based on consensus, will be slower and more conservative than the action and words we see on the ground. 

This was YEE’s second COP and this year, YEE was able to send two delegations, allowing for a rotation each week. With 11 young people from Europe over the course of a fortnight, we had a diversity of roles and perspectives. As our delegate Adéla said: “Although I participated in multiple calls and trainings about negotiations, COPs and UNFCCC, I believe there is no better way to prepare yourself for it than just experiencing it right on the spot.” No matter our feelings on the outcomes and the events at COP, it is undeniable that as young people it is incredibly empowering to be able to attend such high-level events.

A space for young people?

It could look like that young people were finally given a proper space at COPs when the Youth & Children Pavilion was announced earlier this year.

However, as the head of week 2 delegation, Agnes, reflects, it was not exactly what we were hoping for:

"Even though the Youth & Children Pavilion was one small step of the
youth involvement, it was most of the time still a place for youth to
youth and not a place to bring together negotiators and young people. It
was isolated and did not serve the immediate response needed for the
role of youth in the climate crisis."
Agnes
Head of Week 2 Delegation

Nonetheless, there were many young people at COP that we were able to connect and coordinate with – a partnership building which resulted in a collective push for the phasing out of fossil fuels at the EU level. As our delegate Timea said: “I think young people did their best at this COP to make a powerful impact on progressing climate action. The Children and Youth Pavilion was always filled with an audience, having interesting events and influential speakers.”  The value of young people’s contributions did not go unnoticed. 

A step forward on Loss & Damage

The most positive outcome of COP was undoubtedly the announcement of a Loss and Damage fund, after years of advocacy from the Global South. Especially Small Island States and other countries particularly hit by climate change have been using COPs to highlight the need for measures to support efforts to adapt to this new reality and finance the costs caused by the climate crisis. This is sometimes understood as ‘climate reparation’. While the details of this fund, who will pay and what amount, are yet to be decided, it is a historic move which will reopen the conversation of responsibility surrounding climate change. Will it be based on historic emissions and responsibilities? A question of a country’s development status? The EU’s Frans Timmermans argues: “I think everybody should be brought into the system on the basis of where they are today… China is one of the biggest economies on the planet with a lot of financial strength. Why should they not be made co-responsible for funding loss and damage?” The current list of developing vs developed countries used in negotiations is based on a UN determination from the 1990s. We will have to watch and see how the Loss & Damage fund puts in question responsibility and who will end up contributing to the fund.

Given the focus of this COP on implementation, and therefore adaptation, this result can definitely  be seen as a step forward. Yet there is more adaptation needed if we don’t keep acting on mitigation. This implementation plan did not include the phasing out of fossil fuels – an essential step for climate change mitigation. Keeping 1.5 °C alive has never felt more precarious. 

Organising side-events 

As civil society, one of our best opportunities was to organise and host side-events. In week 1, in partnership with the European Environmental Bureau and the International Foundation for African Children, we organised an Intergenerational Dialogue on Climate-Induced Migration in the framework of adaptation. We were able to bring together a diverse range of figures from H.E. Nduwa Mkaka, the Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change of the Republic of Malawi, to Koko Warner the, Manager of the Impacts, Vulnerability, & Risks Sub Programme at UNFCCC, and Sinziana Puscas, a Climate Change and Migration Specialist from the International Organisation on Migration (IOM).

Overall, we were able to have a moment of exchange on what we believe to be an essential topic when considering implementation and adaptation. We were also able to host a UNFCCC-approved protest in the Blue Zone at the end of Week 1 – calling for the protection of environmental defenders and denouncing the fact that multiple countries view environmental defenders as criminals. Studies have found that between 2012 and 2022, more than 1700 environmental activists have been murdered or gone missing. This felt particularly pertinent in the political context of Egypt. 

In the second week, we organised a networking session on intergenerational equity in the Youth & Children Pavilion where we shared our frustrations about youth involvement, or rather the lack of it, in the decision-making processes with Dr. Christina Voigt, the Chair of the IUCN World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL), who was part of the negotiations as an academic. Dr. Voigt stated: “If you ask, what is intergenerational equity, my answer is, that is what is missing at COP.” Overall, these side-events were very meaningful to our experience at COP – a definite challenge but fruitful. 

A challenging experience overall

There was no shortage of challenges at COP – from the pure stressful environment of thousands of people milling around hundreds of pavilions to the pressure felt at being a young person in such a professional and intimidating space.. A key hardship our delegates felt was the frustrations and disappointment at what was being said in negotiation spaces.

As Sophia recounted:

“Hearing them seriously discuss whether the 1.5° target should be kept
alive while listening to the personal stories of people already very
affected by the impacts of climate change was simply unbelievable”.
Sophia
COP27 delegate

And this is when we were able to access these spaces: our observer badges did not guarantee full access. This resulted in a “lack of transparency of negotiations (which) further deepened our anxiety. Not only did we have no access to negotiations as Observers, but also there were no newsletters or other reliable sources to follow how the negotiations were going” said our delegate Timea. 

The political context was also particular. Our head of delegation for week 1, Pegah, described how “everyday, our team was concerned about what to say and what not to say, so they do not put themselves or their team in danger”. Our Strategic Communications Officer, Chloé, agreed: “Mincing your words, when you are meant to be part of civil society, is counterintuitive.” We will be publishing more thoughts on this particular aspect of COP27 soon.

Finally, the very setting of COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh caused “cognitive dissonance” as Chloé affirmed. Adéla described how

 

“the whole COP27 was set in an artificial environment, in a manmade
resort with five stars hotels where real-life problems seem to not
exist.”
Adéla
COP27 delegate

Two weeks for learning and inspiration

It’s easy to fall into feelings of stress and frustration at COP, all well-founded. It is a challenging environment for anyone – from a young climate activist to a seasoned diplomat. But it is clear that there are some positive aspects to these huge events that gather climate professionals and civil society from all four corners of the globe. Firstly, it’s a steep learning curve. Timea articulated this: “I learnt a lot, exchanging with youth coming from different regions and realities, as well as with experienced policy-makers and experts… It gave me a lot of motivation and hope to see young people working together, fully committed for a better future”.

“It is so uplifting to find yourself surrounded by people talking as passionately (or more passionately) about your interests day in and day out: a continuous reminder that I have so much to learn” agreed our Strategic Communications Officer, Chloé. Overall, it is about seizing the opportunity as Anna affirmed “COP can be a great source of inspiration for those who seek it.”

Hope was not eclipsed by despair – “Even in this desert of frustration, there are still islands of hope. I joined a loss and damage climate strike and had an opportunity to speak or even yell from the heart and I met many young climate activists who are so passionate and wholehearted, so I dare to hope that our future is in safe hands” stated our delegate Aleksandra.

Some of the outcomes inspired optimism, our head of delegation for Week2, Agnes, described how “after reading the final decision of COP27, I felt the spark of a small victory by the explicit mention of the role of youth in addressing climate change and the encouragement towards including youth representatives in the climate negotiations.”

Eva, our Communications Manager, attested that “after spending the week at the conference, hearing some great speeches, seeing some great work from experts, and observing many protests, I might hesitantly agree that it is actually our best shot at doing anything about the climate crisis on the global scale. By saying this, I am however not trying to excuse the greenwashing, the inaction, the obvious business interests, the propaganda of the organisers.”

Overall, there’s no easy way to summarise being a young person at such a high level event, as our delegate Marian said:

 

“At COP, one day you feel powerful, and another day completely hopeless.”
Marian
COP27 Delegate

COP 27

As you read the full reflections written by our delegates, please keep in mind that when some of us who attended just week 1 started to reflect on our experiences, the negotiators are meant to be wrapping up negotiations and preparing for the publication of final statements. Therefore tone or references made may not be up to date.

7.12.2022 /0 Comments/by