My first day at COP29 was filled with energy and enthusiasm! After arriving at the Blue Zone and getting our badges, we started off our day exploring the venue, stopping by the delegate pavilions (where we would spend most of our day at). The pavilions held hundreds of parties and organizations, from countries like Turkey and China to organizations like the Children and Youth Pavilion (which I am a spokesperson for!) and Save Soil.
We browsed the wide array of pavilions, learned about the Circular Carbon Economy and Nuclear Energy efforts. The highlight of our morning was when we visited the International Dialogue for Environmental Action pavilion, adorned with furniture made out of 100% recycled plastic.
Here, we met representatives who talked about their initiatives for COP29. They prioritized “A Contemplative Pause,” the idea that we should all take a moment to reflect to nurture the care and responsibility our earth needs to solve the climate crisis. The representatives at IDEA walked us through their exhibition with a focus on food waste, supporting local women reed weavers, and stressing the importance of gender equity in climate change.
Afterwards, we headed over to the Opening Plenary, where we heard the COP28 President Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, the COP29 President Mukhtar Babayev, and the United Nations Climate Secretary Simon Stiell give their opening remarks.
Babayev’s speech outlined his goals for this year’s COP, citing these two weeks as a “pivotal moment to chart a new path forward for everyone.” Through the lens of 2 main ideas: “enhancing ambition and taking action,” he focused on the New Collective Quantified Goal, a comprehensive framework for climate finance, and climate adaptation and mitigation.
However, contrary to the hopes of many, there was no mention of fossil fuel phaseout from either one of these speakers, even when Babayev stressed the importance of “leading by example.”
Stiell, a UN Climate Secretary, brought up a point in his speech that really resonated with me. He asserts that “This [climate] crisis has affected every single individual in the world in one way or another.” I agree with him and want to convey the message to everyone reading this that although the climate crisis is real and affecting you all, that is all the more reason to start fighting for change, today.
After the Opening Plenary, we went back to the delegate pavilions, eager to interview people. First, though, we stumbled upon Moo Deng at the Thailand pavilion and held a photoshoot!
After that, we interviewed Ms. Rosalind Amornpitakpun, director of Climate Change Adaptation Guideline and Capacity Development from the Department of Climate Change and Environment in Thailand, where she talked about the importance of climate mitigation and adaptation to be included in Climate Finance agreements.
We also had the privilege to talk to Iulia Duca, a Programme Officer for Climate Action at the UN International Organization for Migration. She stressed the importance of youth voices and talked about Climate Displacement and the need to work together to combat this.
We then wandered around a bit more and stopped by Save Soil to learn about the importance of investing into agriculture and soil solutions, as soil plays a significant role in reducing emissions but is underrepresented financially.
As a spokesperson of the Children and Youth Pavilion, I was lucky to talk to a BBC journalist about my (brief) experience thus far at COP29, as well as my message to other youth. Focusing on education and accessibility as the main message I wanted readers to take away, I talked about my experiences with climate action as a youth and why COP29 is an amazing opportunity for me to meet experts and a diverse group of people just as passionate as me.
My day at the Blue Zone was filled with learning and reflection, and I look forward to the many activities ahead of us this week!