By: Kobi Johnsson
My name is Kobi Johnsson, and I’m a senior at the University of Chicago majoring in Anthropology and Environment, Geography, and Urbanization. As I entered COP’s Green Zone for the first time, I was instantly surprised by the diversity of stakeholder booths, ranging from McKinsey and Deloitte to local Azerbaijani NGOs to the Burundian government. The seemingly inspiringly wide range of stakeholders was eventually dampened by the realization that many booths didn’t actually provide any programming or serve much of a purpose other than to broadcast their appearance at COP, but for each vacant booth, another was brimming with passion and unique ideas on how to combat climate change, which was quite heartening to see.
One thing that struck me was the lack of outside climate activists at the public-facing Green Zone (or, for that matter, Baku itself). There was not a single protest event the entire week, which ran antithetical to the severe disagreements that were occurring in the negotiations. A small group of activists were apparently allowed into the Blue Zone, but the requirement of a sponsorship from a UN-recognized organization to get in meant that most Azerbaijani citizens would never get to enter. The dearth of activists in the Green Zone, as well as around the city, emphasizes the level of control Azerbaijan asserts to insulate their citizens from dissenting opinions, and just how important the veneer of a smoothly run conference is to the Azeri government.
This is not to say that the Green Zone existed solely as climate theater. I was particularly inspired by the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) panel on Ecosystems and Communities amid Climate Change, where Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland, Tuvalan Environmental Minister Maina Talia, and others emphasized the importance of community survival through climate change, and the value of amplifying their voices so the world cannot turn a blind eye to the stark reality of entire islands potentially disappearing. Broadly, this event showed how the worlds of advocacy and international diplomacy can be melded together to form an effective push for climate justice and international cooperation, which aligns perfectly with my passion surrounding the intersection of culture, climate and international collaboration. More personally, as a Jamaican and a Trini, this event highlighted the importance of climate advocacy and utilizing my personal voice, as the islands are truly facing an existential threat, and only by amplifying our voices will we be able to have our perspectives be considered on something that affects us, but that we can’t control.
As I leave Baku and COP behind, my meetings with climate ambassadors and activists leave me genuinely hopeful for potential global cooperation to mitigate the effects of climate change. From all of my discussions and interactions, it was clear that basically everyone values the same thing: a safe and healthy world. So long as that remains the case, individual disagreements surrounding climate action will come and go, but that base drive will remain. Humans are smart, driven, and passionate, and will always attempt to find a way to achieve their goals. And nothing helps bridge cultural and political differences and inspire cooperation more than a shared goal, and the potential to do something bigger than one’s self.