Alexandra Bennett 

Day 2 started off on a high note because as we entered the COP venue, Greta Thunberg was speaking on a panel with scientists who authored the most recent IPCC report. While the science presented was nothing Earth shattering (pun intended), the crowd of support was exciting to witness. After acclimating to the buzzing energy of the COP once again, I headed to my daily BINGO briefing. The progress on Article 6 has been reportedly slow, but hope remains in the final days of the COP. More specifically, business affiliates fear that pushing the adoption of Article 6 to COP26 would hinder Parties’ abilities to meet NDCs that rely on market mechanisms. I am eager to follow the ongoing progress on Article 6 throughout the week.

Following the BINGO briefing, I joined another huge crowd waiting to hear former Vice President Al Gore speak about the climate crisis. His commanding presence led to a captive audience eager to address the crisis and the corresponding environmental inequity. While on the topic of famous political figures – I did see the back of John Kerry’s head during check in this morning.

On Day 2 I also began my work with the International Emissions Trading Agency (IETA). I am largely helping at IETA’s Business Hub pavilion. The pavilion is the epicenter for all private sector related climate activity and events. During my first few hours on the job I witnessed the multifaceted sides of climate action… global climate action youth organized outside the pavilion to protest one of the speakers at a panel event. It was an exhilarating reminder of what is truly at stake in these political negotiations and the many stakeholders in the process. Eager to get back to work tomorrow!

Marie McNamara 

“Don’t walk behind me; I may not lead. Don’t walk in front of me; I may not follow. Walk beside me; that we may be as one.”  The UK Environmental minister led with this quote, and I feel that it helps give context why there has been some persistent climate inaction. For national commitments to be long lasting and impactful there needs to be some international agreement and a sharing of lessons learned.  Time and time again, the sessions called for real action to take course going into 2020. Most of the events I attended today addressed the need for enhanced commitment, specifically for the 2020 enhancement period.  The sessions I attended today, mainly focused on how long term strategies are linked with short term NDC goals and how the two are very much interrelated. The youth speakers today had a consistent message calling for a third form of action, and this is action today. I cannot help but agree. One of the benefits of long term planning is that it allows for a human-centered approach. It can drive past the tough discussions of trade-offs today and can address essential ideas about a just transition, capacity building, and gender inclusion. While I see these as clear benefits, I do not think that long term plans can achieve this level of integration without addressing the elephant in the room, and that is there is a climate injustice today. More efforts for inclusive action needs to occur in the present a so that equity, capacity building and gender inclusion can be integrated  into long term climate action plans.

Riley Pfaff 

Our second morning at the COP was filled with celebrities, beginning with a brush with former Secretary of State John Kerry, who was walking into the conference at the same time as our group. Immediately after we entered the convention center, we went to investigate a huge crowd that had formed around a panel of speakers. As we got closer, it became obvious why this crowd had gathered by 8:45 in the morning: Greta Thunberg was helping to moderate the discussion. Looking across the massive crowd, I was struck—not for the first time—by how successful she has been at drawing people into the climate change movement. Following that panel, we headed to another hugely attended speech by Al Gore. As with Greta, it was inspiring to be able to listen to one of the world’s foremost voices on climate change in person, especially one as fiery and passionate as Gore.

In the afternoon, however, we got a bit of a reality check as one person we met with laid out the daunting task facing the world if it truly wishes to combat climate change, arguing that technological innovation, not slow-paced international negotiation, is the only way to address the crisis. His argument has merits, although I walked away still believing that the UNFCCC process is a critical piece of solving this wicked problem. I’m looking forward to getting a chance to hear Gore speak in a more intimate setting tomorrow, as well as attend some interesting country-specific events at their pavilions.

Suzanne Mullins 

Though everything was still interesting, I came away from today’s session with my spirits a bit dampened.  I sat in on some events centered around carbon pricing and emissions trading—everyone speaking seemed positive, but the amount of difficulties named regarding enactment was not promising.  And where carbon pricing was already in place, the prices were mostly too low.  For example, one country noted that they are starting at a 10 Euro pricetag per ton of carbon, and that they plan to ratchet the price up over time.  I understand—they don’t want to shock their citizens, and are hoping to ease everyone in.  After all, taxes aren’t the most popular thing.  But in terms of the imperative for climate action?  At that rate, we’ll never get anywhere.

My mood worsened when attending an event on the Global Emissions Gap.  When I got to the session, the slide on the screen depicted the emissions trajectory based on 2005 levels, and then our emissions rate today.  We were lower than the 2005 business-as-usual baseline, and there was a smattering of applause as the speaker discussed this scenario.  Then more lines appeared.  The trajectory if everyone met their Paris NDCs.  The trajectory at 2 degrees of warming.  The trajectory at 1.5 degrees.  All in all, it’s a bleak picture—we’re still much higher than where we need to be to satisfy Paris, and the Paris NDCs are entirely inadequate to limit us to 1.5 or even 2 degrees.

Also today, I was fortunate enough to catch the tail end of a session with Greta Thunberg. And while I was excited to hear her speak in person, the whole thing mostly just made me sad. The poor girl doesn’t want this. This is the last thing she wants, as she’s said many times before. People were crowding, shouting at her…I felt as though I made eye contact at one point and she just looked so tired and drained.  She should be at school, doing normal teenager things, whatever suits her. I appreciate the motion she’s generated, that she’s helping lift the voices of youth. I appreciate that she used the session to draw a crowd and lift the voices of the climate scientists. They also emphasized the importance of speaking with and paying attention to indigenous activists and people from the global south. I appreciate all of this, but it would be better altogether if none of this had to happen. This is a climate emergency.

Grace Chan

I felt much more prepared for today’s activities, after having the time yesterday to orient myself with the venue. When we first walked in, I was surprised to see a panel made up of climate scientists and Greta Thunberg- the perspectives of the scientists were very interesting to listen to, since all I had heard the previous day were economists and other social science experts. I was unable to hear Greta speak, but I hope I will be able to before the end of the week. However, my favorite session today was by former Vice President Al Gore regarding the climate crisis. You could tell from his speech that he is very passionate about climate change and taking action. One fact that he mentioned was especially hard hitting- that in the United States, in the last nine years, there have been 19 “once in a 1,000-year [natural disaster] events.” This was very shocking to hear, especially when backed with photos and videos of the extreme natural disasters. If that doesn’t convince people of the existence of climate change, then I don’t know what would. I was unable to accomplish all that I wanted to do today- I have yet to attend a negotiation, so I am determined to attend one on Wednesday. I hope it will be very informative and make my time at COP25 complete.

Former Vice President Al Gore during his speech.