After my first two days at COP30 in Brazil, I was immersed in Brazil’s culture and learned from representatives of countries around the world.
My first day at the conference was spent in the Green Zone. At the Conference of the Parties (COP), the Green Zone is largely dedicated to demonstrating tangible climate solutions and expanding public awareness of environmental solutions. The Green Zone is open to all, and features pavilions showcasing Brazilian governmental agencies, non-governmental organizations, and private companies. Additionally, the Green Zone promoted national and Amazônia culture, featuring indigenous vendors, local cuisine, and art. Furthermore, an objective of the event was to raise awareness and engage the population of the host city, Belém, with the UN’s climate agenda. I was able to visit a variety of pavilions, but the ones that interested me the most included a talk by the vice president of Brazil, Geraldo Alckmin, a COP and coffee: Oceans talk with Deloitte, and an exhibition by Be8 Energy. Be8 showcased a semi-truck powered by renewable biodiesel. Additionally, the Green Zone featured pavilions advocating for an end to the genocide in Palestine, as Israel’s invasion has devastated the natural environment of the region. Overall, the Green Zone provided me with an immersive experience that framed my perspective as I spent the rest of my week in the Green Zone.
My second day at the conference was spent in the Blue Zone. The Blue Zone is where the “magic” happens. And by magic, I of course mean official climate negotiations. Access to the Blue Zone is restricted to official delegations. For most of the day, I explored the delegation pavilions with fellow UConn@COP fellows, Andy Zhang and Saanya Sharma. The pavilions featured each country’s environmental commitments and national culture. It was extremely interesting to see the variation and organization of each country’s pavilion. Countries like Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, China, Germany, and, of course, the host country, Brazil, were all large and featured alongside the conference’s main promenade. In addition to exploring the pavilions, I sat in on a variety of panels throughout the day. The panels I listened to explored the business coalitions underlying Brazil’s decarbonization, what structural reforms are needed to transition electrical grids away from fossil fuels, and climate resilience engineering. As I reflected upon my day, I realized these panels each demonstrated different methods of change. The panel on Brazilian businesses and climate resilience engineering emphasized the outsized role private involvement must play in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This contrasted with the renewable energy panel, which largely focused on making large structural changes, emphasizing societal and governance shifts, including permitting reforms, investing in grids in anticipation of increasing demand, and increasing grid interconnections. Overall, the panels and pavilions demonstrated the diversity of climate solutions on display at COP30, and I am excited to continue to explore the conference over the next 3 days.
Brett Hurley is a second year law student.