It’s four o’clock in the morning and the hallways are empty at the Cairo International Airport. We had just endured a 10-hour flight, after a 40-hour delay from the original schedule, and now waiting another few more hours for our connecting flight to Sharm El-Sheikh, the official venue of COP27. Even so, I can’t help but feel grateful that I’m actually here – about to attend my very first, and hopefully not the last, Conference of Parties also known as COP.

Despite not being able to access any clothes in our checked-in luggage, one upside of having your flight cancelled, or exceptionally delayed, is you get to be stuck in a hotel full of people who are in the same boat (or, should I say, airplane) as you. Even before the actual conference started, I had already met so many inspiring people, also on their way to COP, who each have their own unique advocacy that they’ve gotten off the ground and wish to take to greater heights. I am constantly amazed hearing about their work in the climate arena, which spans from forestry to women and youth empowerment to journalism.

Still, it’s easy to feel small in a roomful of accomplished people, especially for an ordinary person like me who just wants to see the world change for the better (like most of us do) and even more so in a conference attended by thousands of global climate leaders. But maybe that is the point. We’re all after the same goal. Obviously, holding a seat in the high-stakes negotiations at COP has the power to deliver more impactful results, but direct participation during the negotiations isn’t the only way to influence the outcome of COP. Advancing conversations and enabling thought-provoking questions with people who are doing the groundwork could make all the difference.

Going into COP, I am entering with an open and curious mind. I am acknowledging that I still do not know the full picture, and maybe my experiences too will help piece the puzzle together of equitably solving climate change. Personally, I’m interested to learn about real-world experiences and proposed methods in the just energy transition. I specifically want to explore how we can better mobilize finance at the institutional level and how we can innovatively package investments for each country. While there is no “perfect” solution, especially for a nuanced concept such as financing coal transition mechanisms, policymakers must acknowledge the existence of localized issues that could only be properly addressed through authentic collaboration and dialogue. For the leaders of the nations, I hope to see resounding agreements on aggressive climate actions, especially considering the recent events on climate-related disasters. My hope for COP27 is the creation of a financing facility, independent from the mitigation and adaptation fund, to compensate for the loss and damage borne by climate-vulnerable countries. That said, in COP27, I will also be tracking the progress of the 100-bn USD pledged climate finance, including its allocation and proposed future targets.