Author: Brook Hemphill

Hello everyone!

As my COP journey comes to a close, I am excited to share the latest efforts around Article 6 negotiations (even if an agreement was not reached!). As noted previously in my first blog post, I will be helping to track Article 6 negotiations for the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). Article 6 of the Paris Agreement established pathways for countries to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) through the trade of mitigation outcomes. The pathways outlined under Article 6 provide mechanisms for countries to cooperatively mitigate climate change, raise global ambition, generate investment, and support sustainable development goals.

Attending my first few negotiations were an incredible experience, that I am very thankful for. Each day I walked to the meeting room located in the Blue Zone, watched the sliding agenda on the blue TV screens, keeping an eye out for Article 6 times, and then waited my turn for observer passes to enter the meetings room until all party officials had entered the room. Once entering the room, I filtered to the back seats for assigned for observers and awed at the masses of party negotiators preparing their papers and action items for the discussion. I was blown away by the collaboration between and among countries and inspired by their efforts to reach a decision. However, countries unfortunately failed to reach an agreement on the text for Article 6.2 and Article 6.4 and ultimately kicked discussions to COP29 through “rule 16”.  Although the outcome may not have been as anticipated, the dedication and commitment displayed during the negotiations underscore the complexity of the issues at hand. I look forward to tracking Article 6 continued engagement and progress in future negotiations.

In my final days I was also able to explore the Green Zone of the conference where I met many amazing climate-tech innovators. Among the captivating projects, one that stood out was initiated by a company working on a portable solar-powered generator designed to empower farmers by reducing their reliance on the national power grid. I was also able to explore the Youth Pavilion, which at the time of my visit was hosting live music and interpretive dance.

In my concluding days in Dubai, I marveled at the city’s beauty, with two standout favorites being the monumental Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, that has a captivating evening light show attracting crowds in the thousands, and Old Dubai, which holds remnants of what the region looked like before the expansive city transformation. My most exciting experience unfolded in the souks, where I immersed myself in the amazing stores filled with perfumes with my favorite being Musky Rose, savored the sweetness of fresh dates, in particular the ones covered in chocolate, and was amazed at the mountainous arrangement of spices.

Reflecting on COP28, this incredible journey has strengthened my commitment to addressing global climate issues. As I pursue my Master of Forestry and move forward in my career, I remain dedicated to mitigating the impacts of climate change through forest conservation, hopeful for the opportunity to participate in future COP events.

Thank you for joining me on this adventure! Signing off.

Best,

Brook

Hello everyone!

As I find myself at the midpoint of the second week of COP28, I am truly invigorated by the collective dedication of global communities toward the goals of forest conservation and sustainable forest management. Since my last blog post, I have had the privilege of observing three negotiations on Article 6, exploring numerous country pavilions, and attending various side events focused on forests as a nature-based climate solution.

In this blog post, I am eager to share my insights and reflections on the international efforts surrounding forest conservation, forest restoration, and sustainable forest management. This will include key takeaways from my experiences at COP28, shedding light on the impactful strides being made in the realm of preserving our invaluable forests. Stay tuned for an in-depth exploration of the global commitment to safeguarding our natural resources and mitigating climate change through responsible forest stewardship.

Key Takeaways

1. The critical role of forest finance

A key component to the discussions around forest conservation and restoration was the critical need to channel finance to these forest nations. During a session dedicated to achieving high-quality carbon markets, the spotlight was on Ghana’s innovative climate-smart cocoa practices aimed at curbing deforestation. While Ghana has commendably advanced toward its sustainable forest management goals, it struggles with severe debt, having received a mere $50 million in financial support from the program thus far. Further highlighting the financial challenges faced by forest nations, Indonesia’s ambitious concept note to plant 20 million trees remains unrealized due to a scarcity of funding resources. This underscores the pressing need greater efforts and increased financial backing to move these initiatives forward and ensure the success of global forest conservation endeavors.

2. Women land ownership rights

One afternoon, Gambia took the initiative to host an important side event within their pavilion. The focus of this event was to look into the details of their ongoing mangrove restoration initiative and women’s land rights, shedding light on the progress made, as well as the challenges and barriers encountered along the way.

Gambia is a significant rice producer with agricultural practices primarily completed by the women within its population. During the event, experts closely associated with the mangrove restoration project raised awareness of the critical issues confronting Gambia. They specifically highlighted the adverse consequences of land conversion for agriculture, emphasizing how the soils have become infertile and unusable as a byproduct of deforestation of mangroves and other woody and vascular plants for rice farming. This underscored the interconnected challenges faced by Gambia and emphasized the need for sustainable solutions to safeguard both agricultural practices and vital ecosystems. The session placed a strong emphasis on the empowerment of women in Gambia, recognizing them as the primary contributors to rice farming and how women land ownership is a critical component to mangrove restoration initiatives.

The past few days have been so insightful as I have learned about the remarkable global efforts towards forest conservation and also the challenges they face. I feel very thankful to be here and am looking forward to learning more over the next few days.

Stay tuned!

Brook Hemphill

Hello everyone! My name is Brook Hemphill, and I am currently sitting on a plane traveling to Dubai for Conference of the Parties 28 (COP28). I’m truly honored and thrilled for this experience, and I want to express my gratitude to Dr. Jackson Ewing, Gabriela Nagle Alverio, and Ina Shih-Hsuan Liao for making it possible and teaching my cohort of 26 students about the UNFCCC process over the past 14 weeks.

As a Master of Forestry candidate at Duke University, my passion lies in forest restoration and understanding the complex drivers of deforestation, especially in tropical regions. I was especially excited to attend COP28 to learn about the various perspectives of forest stakeholders, listen to the global dialogue on climate change and learn about the challenges forest countries face.

One of the highlights of my experience at COP28 will be my collaboration with the Environmental Defense Fund on tracking the Article 6 negotiations. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement established pathways for countries to meet their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) through the trade of mitigation outcomes. The pathways outlined under Article 6 provide mechanisms for countries to cooperatively mitigate climate change, raise global ambition, generate investment, and support sustainable development goals. At COP28, negotiators will work to hammer out various agenda items, which may include discussions on removals activities, methodologies, and guidance on emission avoidance.

Beyond the formal negotiations, I am excited to attend side events related to forest conservation, Article 6 implementation, capacity building within forest carbon projects and programs and forest carbon finance. The Side Events on forest restoration are particularly exciting to me and I am looking forward to exploring the latest advancements, innovations, and success stories in the realm of forest restoration. I am also interested in learning about capacity building efforts within forest carbon programs and how this is being implemented at a larger scale. The insights gained from these sessions will be valuable to me and inform my future endeavors in forestry and conservation.

Another area of interest for me is understanding stakeholders’ experiences in forest carbon projects. Hearing firsthand accounts from those involved in the field provides a human dimension to the often complex and technical aspects of carbon projects and programs. I hope to learn more about the specific driver of deforestation within countries and the ways in which they are working to reduce this. These experiences will help me better understand the challenges and successes encountered by individuals working tirelessly on the ground to make a positive impact in forest conservation and restoration.

As I embark on this journey to COP28, I carry not only my academic interests but also a deep sense of responsibility. The decisions and discussions at this conference will have far-reaching implications for our remaining forests and climate. I am committed to absorbing as much knowledge as possible, engaging with experts and fellow attendees, and contributing meaningfully to the global conversation on climate change related to forest-based solutions.

Stay tuned for updates as I navigate the vibrant and dynamic landscape of COP28 in Dubai!

Brook Hemphill