Two Hamilton Lugar School students have published guest columns in the Indiana Daily Student on their experiences at the United Nations COP27 climate change conference. The following are republished, courtesy of the authors.
GUEST COLUMN: My experience at COP27: The climate conference for humanity
By Abby Potter
Published Dec 11, 2022
While everyone was shivering on the walk between classes and stressing about finals the week before Thanksgiving, I was in sunny, seaside Egypt relaxing by the pool. Well, not really. In reality, my fellow delegates and I were actually running between temporary tin buildings, scrounging for water and sneaking in hotel food to the 27th Conference of the Parties, where we stayed inside the gated walls of the conference from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day.
While exhausting mentally and physically, I feel incredibly fortunate and lucky to have been part of the IU student delegation that traveled to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for COP27. The experience was unforgettable, and the time and research it took to get there was as intense as the conference itself.
As an international studies major, I study climate change, but I do it through a less scientific angle than my classmates. I also major in Arabic and am a member of the Arabic Flagship program, and I minor in global media. Capitalizing on these interests, I studied climate change communication in Middle Eastern media outlets at COP27, or at least I tried.
We were told to be flexible, and that pivoting our research at COP27 would be a likely reality. I was prepared to be flexible with the countless sessions I attended and interviews I conducted, but I was not prepared for the imposter syndrome that consumed me on those first two days.
Being a part of the United Nations in any capacity has been my dream since I was 12 years old sitting in a musty, all-girls private school in Canberra, Australia, surrounded by children of diplomats and foreign dignitaries. COP27 made my dream a reality — but it was not all smooth sailing.
The delegates were stressed, tired and equally as hungry as the thousands of observers from non-governmental organizations and universities eagerly waiting to catch the delegates running between meeting rooms. I felt like I did not belong. Most students were either in graduate or Ph.D. programs or were researching highly specific topics, but I wasn’t.
My job was seemingly easy. I had to stalk the media and ask them questions – nothing too difficult or with complex terms and scientific language, although class had prepared me for that. However, my seemingly straightforward job turned into an immense challenge.
The media center had been accessible to all attendees in the past, but it was off-limits to observers. The camera crews waiting outside plenary rooms for high-level officials were technical assistants contracted from Cairo and were unable to comment on the media company they were representing. Eventually, I rallied and overcame these barriers with the help of my five years of Arabic language at IU and the help of a few new Egyptian university friends.
The nature of my research is rather delicate because free speech is not necessarily a right for all in the Middle East. Tears were shed, connections were made, and I intend to keep my promise to keep the core of my research off the internet and between us. My COP27 was not only an overwhelmingly beautiful rollercoaster, but it was also an emotional moment of connecting with members of global humanity.
There are some highlights from COP27 outside of my research entirely. The venue was massive, with hundreds of pavilions from countries, businesses, organizations and even a space for children and youth to raise their voices and call for climate action. I exchanged countless WhatsApp messages with delegates, activists and students from around the world.
COP27 is the most global event I have ever attended, and it was the greatest display of collective action I have ever been involved in. From Indigenous activists sharing their climate stories to Austrian delegates sharing negotiation tea on the bus to the hotel, COP27 was truly all I hoped it would be.
The irony of flying halfway across the world to watch world leaders and politicians debate about the indisputable impending doom of climate change is not lost on me. However, progress was made. The Sharm El Sheikh Implementation Plan is the key outcome of COP27. This plan aims to incorporate loss and damage funds for developing countries bearing the brunt of climate disasters despite barely contributing to global emissions.
To this day, I can still hear the rally cry made by climate activists around the world. It is a message we should strive to remember: “The people united will never be defeated.”
Abby Potter is a Hamilton Lugar School senior studying international studies and Arabic with a minor in global media.
GUEST COLUMN: My experience at COP27: COPs and nature
By Liv Davis
Published Dec 11, 2022
That class set the trajectory for my college career at IU, as I studied international studies, geography (climate and environmental change) and minored in atmospheric science. This all ultimately led to the opportunity I took to be a part of the student delegation to COP27, and it was such an honor to attend on behalf of IU.
To become a part of the delegation, you must apply to the course with a proposed research question or topic that relates to COPs. I went into COP27 looking at ecological restoration and utilization of nature-based solutions in international climate agreements. Nature-based solutions are climate solutions that center around nature and utilize the natural world to build adaptation and resilience. Ecological restoration is an example of a nature-based solution, which focuses on restoring environments which have been degraded due to human actions.
This is timely and necessary because the biodiversity crisis is occurring in tandem with the climate crisis. It is critical that both are taken into consideration when establishing the plans for the fight against climate change. During my time at COP27, it was clear that nature and biodiversity were given the spotlight, with an entire presidential thematic day dedicated to biodiversity.
It was impossible to walk through the venue and not hear people speaking about nature. COPs have the ability to bring together experts and specialists from all around the world into one space, which allows this beautiful sharing of knowledge. I have often joked since returning that COP27 felt like a “master class,” where I walked away with significantly more knowledge than I could have ever imagined about ecosystem restoration and nature-based solutions.
COP27 can be considered a win for nature as it was the first time that the term nature-based solutions was utilized in a cover decision. The meeting last year, COP26, laid the groundwork for this achievement by giving nature the international platform it warrants. This year’s thematic day on biodiversity highlighted how nature intersects with almost every aspect of human life and how we must work to protect it. While nature is beautiful and must be restored, it is critically important to remember that ecological restoration and nature-based solutions are only one element in the fight against climate change. These must be done alongside decarbonization, not in place of it.
COP27 was a whirlwind of a week, and it went by quicker than I think any of us on the delegation expected. It is often easy to be dismayed about the state of climate policies and plans across the world but attending COP27 demonstrated that while the climate crisis may seem hopeless at times, there are thousands of people from all walks of life all across the world who are fighting to make a difference. While COP27 had a positive outcome for nature, that cannot allow us to become complacent. There must be a continued push for the involvement of nature in climate change at the international level, and I plan on being a part of that.
Liv Davis is a Hamilton Lugar School senior majoring in international studies and geography with a minor in atmospheric science.