LOUIS, MISSOURI — I returned here energized despite an almost 19-hour flight from Baku, Azerbaijan, with a couple of layovers in Turkey and Chicago.
What would have otherwise been an exhausting red-eye flight turned out to be one that filled me with inspiration as I reflected on the past week my classmates and I spent running around the Baku Stadium at one of the most heated and pivotal moments of the 29th Session of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change or COP29.
Composed of two undergraduate, three graduate students, our PhD teaching assistant, and our professor, we represented Washington University in St. Louis as an academic institution delegation at no less than the world’s most important annual climate change negotiations.
Our participation was the culmination of a semester-long class in International Climate Negotiations, which immersed us in the nearly 30-year old history of the climate negotiations process, its turning points, and the critical issues that continue to persist in humanity’s goal to address the existential crisis that was climate change.
Our week in Baku was easily one of the most hectic albeit exciting parts of our class. We didn’t only tune in on negotiations but were actively involved in analyzing developments on the issues we were assigned to follow. We drafted a statement for the High Level Session communicating the position of Research & Independent Non-Governmental Organizations (RINGO) — one of the largest observer constituencies in the climate change negotiations that we were a part of, and we had the chance to rub elbows with negotiators, advocates, and other delegates especially during side and special events.
Before leaving for COP29, we rigorously prepared for the conference in class through expert-led sessions with top climate negotiators, researchers, and advocates.
Divided into groups, we focused on key thematic priorities shaping this year’s conference: Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, which governs international carbon markets; the New Collective Quantified Goal aimed at setting post-2025 climate finance targets; and the Mitigation Work Programme designed to accelerate global emissions reductions.
This structured preparation helped us hit the conference ground running and ready to contribute meaningfully to the discussions.
Reviewing the roots of climate negotiations
Despite nearly 30 years of COP’s history and the growing prominence of climate change and sustainability in public awareness, many people remain unaware of the conference and the reasons climate change continues to spark intense debate and discussion.
The UNFCCC, established at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, emerged as a global response to the accelerating environmental degradation caused by human activities.
Recognizing the profound impact of anthropogenic actions on the planet’s climate systems, the treaty aims to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations and mitigate climate change.
The annual COP, first convened in 1995 in Berlin, serves as the UNFCCC’s decision-making body, advancing global climate action through landmark agreements like the Kyoto Protocol (1997), and the Paris Agreement (2015).
What makes COP unique is its relatively participative and inclusive nature. Although it began as a conversation primarily among governments, the scope has significantly broadened over time to include a wide range of non-governmental stakeholders—civil society organizations, indigenous groups, youth leaders, businesses, and local governments—in recognition of the fact that climate change impacts everyone, making it everyone’s responsibility to address.
This inclusivity has led to the formation of observer constituencies, such as the Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations, Indigenous Peoples Organizations, Business and Industry NGOs, Women and Gender Constituency, Youth NGOs, and Trade Union NGOs. These constituencies amplify diverse voices, ensuring that the negotiation process is informed by a broad spectrum of perspectives and that climate solutions are both equitable and comprehensive.
Year of climate financing
This year’s COP placed significant emphasis on climate financing, a critical theme aimed at addressing the staggering gap in funding required to achieve global climate goals.
Estimates suggest that an annual investment of USD 1.3 trillion is necessary to support developing countries in their efforts to withstand the escalating impacts of the climate crisis.
However, actual contributions have consistently fallen short of the USD 100 billion goal pledged in Copenhagen back in 2009. This year’s discussions resulted in tripling the target to USD 300 billion—a notable step forward—but still left a daunting USD 1 trillion shortfall.
To put this into perspective, the gap is equivalent to the combined GDPs of several low-income countries, highlighting the scale of the challenge and the urgent need for innovative financing mechanisms, stronger political will, and increased commitments from both the public and private sectors to bridge this divide.
As I observed these negotiations unfold, I was particularly impressed by the leadership of the Alliance of Small Island States, a negotiating bloc composed of small island nations disproportionately affected by climate change. Despite their limited resources, AOSIS consistently punches above its weight, shaping the global climate agenda with moral clarity and strategic foresight.
AOSIS’s priorities include securing funding for adaptation and loss and damage, ensuring that the most vulnerable countries can recover from climate-induced disasters, and advocating for a swift global transition to renewable energy.
For these nations, the stakes couldn’t be higher—rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and dwindling natural resources threaten their very existence. Their determination and resilience are a reminder that even the smallest voices can make a resounding impact when they come together to advocate for their collective goals.
Global goals, local relevance
Despite COP’s global scope, its agenda resonates locally. Cities like Dumaguete and provinces like Negros grapple with many climate-related challenges mirroring the issues debated on the COP stage. Our coastal communities whether in Apo Island, Bais, or Sagay are at the frontlines of rising sea levels and stronger typhoons, while the need for sustainable and accessible energy solutions is pressing.
The local dimension of many global climate challenges underscore the importance of engaging not just national governments but also sub-national actors in the fight against this existential threat.
The relevance of COP extends to educational institutions as well. Imagine schools in Dumaguete City sending their students to future COPs, amplifying the voices of young people from underrepresented, climate-vulnerable areas. These students represent stories that need to be heard—stories that can inspire global action and bring a fresh perspective to the negotiating table.
A hopeful note
Participating in COP29 has reaffirmed my belief in the power of young people and the importance of education in shaping the future of our planet.
As someone who calls Dumaguete home, I dream of seeing our local schools actively involved in climate action on a global stage. The young voices from our city and province are among the most critical in the world because they represent communities that stand to lose so much yet have so much to contribute.
COP29 showed me that change is possible when diverse voices come together with determination and hope.
To my fellow Dumagueteños: let us rise to the challenge, not just for ourselves but for the generations to come. Together, we can create a future where our children inherit not just the beauty of Negros Oriental but also a thriving, sustainable world.
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Author’s email: [email protected]
