Author: Aashna Aggarwal

Katowice, Poland hosted the 24^th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Many described it as the most important international climate change negotiations since the 2015 Paris Agreement to negotiate the implementation strategies and rules of the country pledges to reduce their emissions. From the release of the landmark IPCC SR15 report on 1.5 °C global warming to actually attending the conference for 5 days was a roller coaster of emotions. The warning signs in the report highlighted aggressive urgency to address the issue of climate change while avoiding the catastrophe it could create.

Coming into the COP I was made aware of the science and learned everything I could about climate change negotiations during the semester, but was not sure what to expect when you are present in meetings and see it for yourself than let an email list serve or the medium of a newspaper bring it to you. You are now your own journalist to take in everything that is happening around you.

The weekend before my arrival in Poland, 4 countries namely United States of America, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Kuwait (some of the world’s largest oil-producing countries) objected to “welcoming” the document, wanting only to “note” it. This resulted in the text being dropped without a consensus. Disappointment levels have risen and it was hard to be optimistic until I got here and got a chance to walk around the conference venue. With passionate protestors greeting us with climate finance slogans and countries as well as organizations with beautiful pavilions showcasing their climate action initiatives, programs and publications brought back the adrenaline to dive right into it.

It was very interesting to be witnessing the United Stated of America hosting an event to promote coal, which was laughed upon by the international community of climate change enthusiasts. Not one of my proudest moments.

Throughout different events I learned about topics ranging from energy efficiency and building design in India and the US to Oceans and Climate Change linkages, Climate Finance, Roadmaps and a way forward for NDCs, Sustainable Development Goals, Gender action plan, Energy Access and may others. These gave me hope and spun the conference in an optimistic atmosphere.

Being able to attend the Plenary sessions and hear countries give their statements at the high-level segment brought back the gloom of the slow and tireless procedure of making progress on the negotiations. The concluding day of the Talanoa Dialogue was special to see countries engage with each other’s stories and really understand the problem through an anthropogenic and humanistic perspective. Al Gore gave a brilliant speech about the bleak conditions of our humble dwelling, our plant Earth. The statistics were depressing but gave us the opportunity to educate those who are still not woken up by the alarm ringing right through our years every time another island is at the threat of getting submerged and every time another city marks its record high temperatures.

I am leaving this conference with hope and anticipation of a reasonably ambitious text that gets adopted. I am also renewing my pledge to work tirelessly to save my future from being burnt by coal.

1. Political will is dying

We as a society came out of the Paris Agreement 3 years ago with hope and excitement of working towards a bright future free of climate change. However, since then the political will seems to have declined because everyone is good at making promises but might not be great at delivering on them. In the words of Al Gore, “Political will itself is a renewable resource” so we should turn around the current state of matters.

2. A well-balanced rulebook

The rulebook for the Paris Agreement is of paramount importance at this COP. The rulebook is supposed to focus on about 9 themes and it is very important for all issues to be taken into account for a well-balanced document.

3. Reality is worse than forecasted models

Science is real even if some countries fail to recognize it. The recent 1.5 degrees landmark report released by IPCC makes is clear that we cannot stress upon urgency more as all of us are at the brink of facing catastrophic consequences of climate change.

4. Predictability of Finance

Expenditure decisions are needed in everything we do and capital is essential for mitigating climate change risks as well as adaptation requires funds which all countries may not have. We still need reassurance about the availability of this bucket of resources.

5. All hands on deck

It was very refreshing to see al country pavilions and events they hosted to share their initiatives for climate action. These countries are not all similar when it comes to size, capacity, development stages and financial capabilities. It very important to recognize these facets and come up with common but differentiated responsibilities

6. “Nothing is agreed until everything is agreed”

One of my favorite quotes from the week spent at the COP. It is imperative to understand the interlinkages between different themes and topic areas discussed and negotiated at the UN Climate Change Conference. Unless everyone is on the same page and there is consensus about each thing, nothing can be agreed upon in isolation.

7. Long term vs Short Term

The Climate Change conundrum is a very interesting one. Where only some face the wraths of climate change with extreme weather events while others don’t want to worry about it till it hits home. We need finance in the short term to rebuild these cities and infrastructure but also need a long-term strategy.

8. The planet’s Timeline isn’t the same as ours

We may want to keep pushing our targets through the years but it is sad that climate change is running faster than our efforts and it is super hard already to catch up with it.

9. Empower Women more than kWh

Recently a lot of initiatives have been booming to bring energy access to homes in places lacking electricity connections. The women in these houses don’t only require electricity to cook and perform household chores but they need to be empowered beyond that. We must bring 50% of our world’s population to the tables and involve them in decision making. It is time to #ActontheGap (Gender Action Plan)

10. Age is just a number

Greta Thunberg was hero to many in Katowice this year. Her school strike gained international attention as she protested against lack of adequate measures by local and global leaders to prevent climate change. It is the youth that would be most affected by climate change and they need to decide their own future.

11. Seat for the Civil Society

As the years progress, the participation of the civil society has become more active. The Talanoa Dialogue (An initiative started at COP23 by the Fiji presidency) provides a stage for interactive dialogue through a framework of shared human experience and stories from the ground.

12. There will be winners and losers

Just like everything else in life climate change too will have its winners and losers but that shouldn’t be our limitation for climate action. Rather policies should be put into place to deal with such social dimensions of the impacts of phasing our certain industries.

13. #WeAreStillIn

It was interesting to attend events hosted by #Wearestillin at the WWF Pavilion. It brings about some hope to see that the subnational and non-party actors from the United States of America are still interested to push for climate action and play an active role. These discussions could not undo the side event hosted by the state to promote fossil fuels and their unwelcoming behavior towards the IPCC report. It is time to question is America first means America alone?

14. Black to Green Transition. Is. Not. About. Green. Coal.

We all know that it is high time to transition from a black economy to a green economy. The Katowice pavilion did not portray this message in the right spirit. With coal as the center of the display they were not subtle about promoting their coal run economy

15. Not the most ideal hosts

It is definitely ironic for the host country to make coal a big of this conference, for all the wrong reasons. But it is even saddening to see them win the colossal fossil of the year award instead of spearheading the negotiations to prevent emissions and climate change.

16. If not here, where; If not now, when

Katowice was supposed to be the most important COP after the Paris Agreement to finalize the rulebook and make sure the voluntary contributions by countries translate to implementation. However, the negotiating procedure was slow and no text was finalized by the end of December 14 leaving diplomats working late into the night and the weekend. If the sense of urgency is not recognized here and now it would never be recognized elsewhere.

17. Partnerships are important for implementation

Through my work with the UNFCCC office of Resource Mobilization and Partnerships I understood the importance of partnering with different stakeholders specifically in the corporate world who have an impact of society through their goods and services. Right implementation is done with everyone on board.

18. Priorotize!

The Secretary General mentioned the 2 most important steps towards a climate change free world would be Carbon Pricing and Elimination of fossil fuels.

19. Enhance adaptation

Another crucial focus point for most countries.

20. Capacity Building

A loaded term that includes plethora of things. Different to different people. During the side events hosted by different countries I learned the importance of making these capacity building strategies reach into the remotest of areas and across all ages starting from young school going children.

21. We need more ambition

We are already losing this race and if we don’t put in our best and aim for the highest we can, we will fail hard.

22. Dramatize the issue

It is alarming to see how countries are still not on board with the concept on climate change and how leaders of these countries refer to is as a “hoax”. If people don’t understand it now, there is no option but to let them know that they are not only being immoral but also suicidal because business models don’t help us breathe, the planet certainly does.

23. “Get involved..

,I guess you are”. First day, first panel, first sentence I heard at the COP. It shows that we must be aware of our audience and address them through the language they understand. We should not waste more time telling people to get involved if they are but telling them how to proceed thereafter.

24. WE NEED TRANSFORMATIONAL ACTION!

To transform humankind, transform the climate, transform institutions and transform how we look at problems.

At my boarding gate, super stoked and jumpy to hop on my plane to Poland. I realize that my journey to COP24 wouldn’t just be the next eight and a half hours but have been the past three and a half years.

In September 2015, right when I started my undergraduate education at Duke University, the world leaders adopted 17 goals with 169 targets and 1 global agenda: Sustainable Development. These Goals encompasses a wide range of complex and interrelated challenges. 2015 was also the year of COP 21 in Paris, where parties to the UNFCCC reached a landmark agreement to combat climate change (SDG 13) and to accelerate and intensify the actions and investments needed for a sustainable low carbon future. The Paris Agreement builds upon this Convention and – for the first time – brings all nations into a common cause to undertake take ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so. As such, it charts a new course in the global climate effort.

As I was researching the Paris Agreement for a climate change seminar class my freshmen year, I came across this very blog- Duke to the UNFCCC. I knew at that very instant I want to use the next few years at Duke to explore my passion, develop the knowledge, encourage innovation through research and accelerating action to underpin implementation of climate change solutions. It was then this journey had begun.

After taking more courses I found my calling in global action towards climate change. Studying the issue from a broader, more holistic manner so I found myself fitting the pieces together that all led to the formation of the concept of climate change and its impacts. It is a cliché that environmental problems are substantial, and that economic growth contributes to them. Sole regulatory solutions can be trade-offs between a healthy environment on the one hand and healthy growth on the other. However, there are some forms of development that are environmentally, economically and socially sustainable. They lead not to a trade-off but to an improved environment, together with development that does not draw down our environmental capital. This is what sustainable development is all about – a revolutionary change in the way we approach these issues. Businesses and societies can find approaches that will move towards all three goals – environmental protection, social well-being and economic development – at the same time. Sustainable development and combating climate change is good business in itself. It creates opportunities for suppliers of ‘green consumers’, developers of environmentally safer materials and processes, firms that invest in eco-efficiency, and those that engage themselves in social responsibility.

As country’s like China and India throw their economic weight into the renewables and industrial revolution, they are triggering a global chain reaction that could benefit – and be a role model for – many more developing countries. At the COP, I would want to learn more on preempting the energy revolution in other developing countries while specifically exploring the opportunity to share and strengthen capacities through non-state actors’ approaches to a low carbon future.

At COP 24 in Katowice, Poland I will be working with the US Green Building Council as an accredited LEED Green Associate and with the UNFCCC’s Global Climate Action team. After all these years of following the international climate change negotiations, the time is almost here!