As I reflect on COP30, I keep coming back to one central idea: climate work is about people. When I say people, I do not mean it in the Bill Gates way. I mean people in the human sense. People with stories, cultures, memories, and lived experiences that shape how they move through the world. People whose lives are touched by climate change long before it ever becomes a headline or a negotiating point. People who carry knowledge that does not come from textbooks but from daily life, from land, from history, from relationships. These are the people whose experiences define climate reality, far beyond the technocratic lens that tries to manage suffering instead of transforming the systems that create it. One of the most meaningful parts of COP30 was realizing how my own lived experiences shape the way I see the world and the way I understand this crisis. The values I grew up with, the communities I have been part of, and the moments in my life when I felt both supported and unheard all influenced how I responded to what I saw in Belém. In many ways, COP30 made me more aware of how personal climate work is. It touches everything from where we come from to what we care about to how we show up for each other.

Our cohort played a huge role in shaping that understanding. We came from different places and were drawn to different aspects of climate work. Some of us focused on justice, others on technology, international systems, or environmental health. We had different academic backgrounds, cultural perspectives, and personal motivations. What made the experience powerful was the way we all brought our full selves to it and I learned how climate change intersects with identity in ways I had not fully appreciated before. COP30 also taught me that lived experience is not something separate from climate work. It is part of what shapes climate justice, resilience, and policy. People who live through storms, displacement, heat, or pollution carry knowledge that cannot be found in reports or negotiation texts. People whose lives intersect with social, economic, and cultural challenges understand the complexity of transition in ways that academic theory alone cannot capture. Any meaningful path forward has to center those voices and bridge the gap between policy and lived reality. Looking ahead, I want to build spaces where people feel heard and supported. I want to work in ways that respect different perspectives and value the power of community. I want to make room for lived experience in every climate conversation I am part of, whether big or small. COP30 reinforced that climate action is not only a global responsibility, but also a human one, shaped by the connections we make and the communities we build. That is the lesson I am taking with me, and the one I hope to honor moving forward.

Andy Zhang is a senior studying environmental economics and environmental sciences.

Attending COP30 was an invaluable and deeply insightful experience. I had originally anticipated learning more about climate negotiations, the international diplomacy process, and the different ways climate awareness can be advanced—whether through higher education institutions mobilizing university students, as our very own UConn group presented; through nonprofits contributing to climate action; or through scientists explaining the evolving state of climate science. What I was most pleasantly surprised to take away, however, was a far more humanistic understanding of all this—an opportunity to connect with the people behind these frameworks.

In the news, we often hear about the negotiations, which countries are willing or unwilling to compromise, and what transpired the previous day. What we rarely consider is the sheer number of individuals involved behind the scenes—from those engaging directly in diplomacy, to the people handling logistics, to the reporters and bloggers who communicate the events in Belém to the rest of the world. Two experiences in particular helped me humanize this entire process.

First, on Day 4 of UConn@COP, the venue experienced a fire caused by a short circuit, prompting a surprisingly organized and coordinated evacuation before the day’s events had concluded. Shortly afterward, a few fellows and I went to a nearby café, where we happened to sit next to a negotiator from South Korea. It was fascinating to hear from someone involved in the actual nitty-gritty of negotiations—she mentioned that talks had gone quite late the previous night, which was why she had been given permission to work remotely that day. We watched her complete official administrative paperwork on her laptop, the kind required of negotiators representing their national ministries and agencies.

Later that night, we ended our day at an Indian-inspired Brazilian restaurant known for its vegan and vegetarian options. Throughout the entire trip, the COP badge served not only as a practical tool (especially when we forgot someone’s name at the venue) but also as a conversation starter everywhere we went. That night, a woman from Germany introduced herself to us as a climate psychologist. It was the first time I had heard the term. She invited us to follow her blog stream on WhatsApp, where she posted psycho-analyses of the key players in the negotiations—observing their tone of voice, facial expressions, demeanor, and the visible fatigue that came from late-night sessions, and discussing how these human factors shaped negotiation outcomes. It was a role I had no idea existed, and yet here she was—someone who had found a unique niche in the climate space and was actively supplying a demand I hadn’t realized was there.

Attending COP30 left me with a strong sense of humility as I left Belem. It was inspiring to see the sheer number of people needed to put in effort to stop climate change–from the climate psychologists to the analysts drafting late-night briefs to translators at the COP venue to grassroots community organizers spreading the word–it really does take a village. I learned just how important it is to have this many people come together and form a collective, which is a powerful reminder that climate action is indeed a collective effort.

Pranavi Rebala is a senior studying Mathematics, Economics, and Urban & Community Studies.

As Climate Change becomes increasingly more apparent in our world through natural disasters and rising temperatures, developing nations are hit the hardest. Between the need to protect their citizens from climate disasters and the push to make their own NDCs and transition to clean energy, developing nations are at a disadvantage financially.

Article 9 of The Paris Agreement states that “Developed country Parties shall provide financial resources to assist developing country parties with respect to both mitigation and adaptation”. Last year, at COP29, the parties agreed on a new target of $300 Billion a year to be provided to developing nations to adapt to climate change. Additionally, it was agreed that $1.3 Trillion would be needed by 2035.

Thus, the topic of climate finance was on everyone’s mind entering COP30. On one hand, developing nations were positioned to demand the $1.3T and more to adapt to the climate crisis. However, The developed nations responsible for providing finance, such as the EU, UK, and Japan, have historically been unwilling to consider more ambitious financing targets, citing domestic fiscal pressures.

At the Plenary Session, I heard developing nations tell their stories alongside the demand for support. Most notably is Tuvalu and other island nations that are under risk of sinking completely underwater in the coming decades if climate action isn’t taken. Tuvalu, in particular, is the most urgent case. Standing no taller than 3 meters above sea level, some projections believe the nation will be flooded by 2050. At COP30, Tuvalu called for stronger mitigation efforts, increased climate finance, and ocean-based solutions.

I was also given the opportunity to dine with representatives from Pakistan, another developing nation increasingly under siege by climate change. From drought in agricultural centers to melting glaciers, Pakistan is another nation arguing for increased climate finance. Most notably, in 2022, a third of the country was underwater from a historical flood. 33 million people were impacted, over 1700 individuals passed, and there was an estimated $44 Billion USD in damages. This flood is only an example of one disaster occurring to Pakistan, and one of thousands that hit developing nations every year. The delegates talked about how nobody in their nation wasn’t affected by climate change, all while developed nations penny pinch and avoid responsibility.

Pakistan contributes less than 1% to global greenhouse gas emissions. Tuvalu even less. Yet it is developing nations who suffer the most. Hearing the stories from across the globe, and even from indigenous people from our own country, was one of the most impactful experiences from the conference.

COP30 reminded me that to be in a developed nation is a privilege. To even attend COP30 is a privilege. It is our responsibility as the global north and as a major contributor to climate change to not only change our ways, but to ensure nobody is left behind in the process.

Claire Lawrence is a senior studying Applied Data Analysis and Public Policy.

My lasting impressions from COP30 are quite mixed. On one hand, I feel extremely grateful and privileged to have received the opportunity to spend a week in Brazil among delegates from across the world as well as my peers from UConn. Being able to witness international climate policy being drafted and edited in real time, is an experience I would’ve never imagined myself to have in a million years. However, on the other hand, I feel extremely disappointed. The change that many of us hoped to see from this COP was left out of reach, yet again. It was quite disheartening to see that the final proposal from the conference fell short of being the “COP of Implementation”.

Many countries are still extremely divided on key issues such as climate finance and the loss and damage fund. Developing countries have been advocating for more robust action to be taken from developed countries. Developing countries want developed countries to expand their financial contributions towards them. Their arguments lie on the basis that the lack of resources and finances that they have limit them from being able to focus on just transition initiatives. Developed countries, specifically ones that are the most responsible for providing financial resources, argue that they cannot consider these more ambitious targets because they are focused on their own domestic fiscal issues.

In addition to this divide, developing countries have been pushing for the loss and damage fund to be increased up to $1.3 trillion USD at this COP. Developing countries even went as far as holding up negotiations in retaliation to developed countries blocking discussions on this topic. However, this remained semi-fruitful as the final text did include language encouraging developed countries to contribute more towards the fund. However, this goal is set to mobilize by 2035, which is still 10 years away from now. It left several non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) and vulnerable nations extremely disappointed with the outcome. I have to say, I am disappointed too. This fund works to revitalize communities that have been left in jeopardy to threats from climate change and to also help recover communities that consistently face the harshest impacts from the issue. The fact that there is evidently no language to encourage and hold nations accountable to contributing to this fund, leaves many vulnerable nations in even more danger.

While I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to watch real-time negotiations and decision-making, I am so gravely disappointed by the outcomes of those negotiations. Developing and vulnerable countries need more support and resources to continue this fight against climate change. They are the least responsible for climate change, yet face the harshest impact from it. The entire ordeal is unfair, and there needs to be more of an emphasis on collaboration at the conference as opposed to the division between developing countries and developed countries. The fight against climate change is rooted in unity, and I hope that we as citizens of the world come to that realization sooner rather than later.

Kanika Chaturvedi is a senior Environmental Studies major.

Now that I am back from COP30 in Belem, Brazil, I have realized that some of the most meaningful moments happen outside of formal negotiations. While the first days of the conference I was focused on the dynamics inside the negotiation rooms, the rest of the week highlighted for me, the power of personal conversations, public interventions, and justice-centered across the conference. In this blog, I want to share a few interactions and moments that were especially memorable and impactful.

One of the most unexpected experiences was an hour-long conversation with John Kornerup Bang, the Global Head of Sustainable Growth Strategy at LEGO. What started as a brief introduction turned into a deep discussion about why the Paris Agreement succeeded where the Copenhagen conference failed. He explained how voluntary cooperation and political timing played a pivotal role in shaping Paris, and he shared insights from attending over twenty COPs. This conversation allowed me to ask many questions about the history of the conferences and helped me better understand the human strategy behind major climate milestones. I also witnessed a powerful moment when ministers from various countries were given three minutes each to speak. The most emotional intervention came from the Minister of Palestine, who emphasized their commitment to climate action despite the devastation of war back home. His request for the world to simply acknowledge their reality brought a heavy silence to the room, followed by strong, sustained applause in a show of support.

Beyond official speeches, I saw how activism and civil society shaped the atmosphere of COP. During one demonstration, African and international climate justice organizers called for renewable energy and equitable transitions. Their peaceful but firm action grounded the conference in urgency and reminded everyone that advocacy is essential for raising awareness about ongoing global injustices. Another event that stood out was the panel “Women at the Intersection of Gender, Conflict, and Climate Justice” at the UK Pavilion. Speakers from the UK, Somalia, and Peru discussed how climate change amplifies existing vulnerabilities, especially for women living in regions affected by conflict and instability. Their diverse perspectives made it clear that climate solutions must integrate gender justice, safety, and human rights. It was inspiring to see women from different parts of the world emphasize the importance of women’s leadership in climate action.

Overall, these moments have shown me that COP is far more than negotiation texts. It is a space where strategy, humanity, and urgency meet. I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to attend to engage in as many conversations as possible, as you will learn so much from the experiences, perspectives, and goals of people fighting for climate justice. I look forward to continuing to learn from the diverse voices that make this conference what it is.

Malak Nechnach is a senior studying Physiology and Neurobiology with a minor in Mathematics.

Overall, COP 30 was one of the most overwhelming but beneficial experiences of my life. Going into the conference, you know there will be many countries represented, but you never truly grasp how influential this conference is to so many areas and people around the world. Each day, I was constantly meeting someone new who had a completely different background but was there for the same goal. Everyone was there to support the climate in one way or another, but many countries had interesting ways of showing it. One of the key lessons I learned from COP is how important it is to talk to people with different perspectives. I was given the opportunity to attend an ocean panel about how to address ocean acidification. During this panel, there was a variety of speakers from different backgrounds who brought such unique perspectives to the conversation. For example, I was able to hear viewpoints from policy, finance, research, and local community representatives all focused on the same topic. Hearing these perspectives enhanced my understanding and made me realize that many of the discussions that happen at COP 30 involve countless considerations.

This leads to the next key lesson I learned from COP: how important language is in the Paris Agreement. I attended a panel about gender and climate change where a document was being reviewed, and delegates from different countries could offer feedback on the revisions. Throughout this discussion, delegates constantly recommended changes they felt were necessary. At first, I had a hard time understanding how such a small change—like a comma—could make a significant difference to a policy or document, until I heard the explanations from the delegates. For example, in the original document, one of the phrases used was “local indigenous communities.” A delegate requested that there be a comma between “local” and “indigenous” because, without it, the language implied that the agenda item would only protect indigenous communities that are local, and not all indigenous communities. This is just one example of the many corrections and small changes in policy language that can have a major impact, and it was something I learned during this discussion.

Overall, based on the key lessons I learned from COP 30, I am very excited to apply them to my personal and professional life. One of the ways I am going to apply these lessons is in the remainder of my education. As an engineering major, it can be very easy to get stuck in a technical mindset and not focus on other perspectives when implementing solutions. Based on what I learned from COP 30, I hope to change that by bringing a more holistic mindset to my professional career—looking at solutions not just from a technical standpoint, but also considering policy, community impact, and finances. Another way I am going to apply what I learned about critical language is in my future efforts to make a positive contribution to climate action. I will be more careful and intentional with the language I use and how I present my knowledge to others. Overall, COP 30 opened a variety of doors and perspectives for me that I look forward to applying in both my personal and professional life.

Sanya Sharma is a senior environmental engineering major.

When I arrived in Belém for COP30, I expected climate negotiations, speeches, and long policy documents. I didn’t expect the ocean to be so present in so many conversations, especially because previous COPs rarely gave the ocean much attention.

As I listened to scientists, Indigenous leaders, and coastal communities during COP, I started to see the ocean not just as a research subject, but as a quiet hero holding the world together. As someone who studies the ocean, I’ve long known its importance in regulating our climate and sustaining life. The ocean absorbs 30% of all the carbon dioxide we emit, and 90% of the excess heat we create. It is our biggest climate buffer, working tirelessly and silently.

But the ocean is reaching its limit. In just ten years, it has warmed by 0.2°C, an unimaginable shift for marine life. Coral bleaching is no longer rare—it is at its peak. Ocean acidification is eating away at shells and ecosystems. Sea-level rise is threatening all coastal areas. People in the coastal communities talked about falling fish catches, stronger storms, and land lost to erosion. It became clear that a weakening ocean harms not only ecosystems but also economies, food security, and traditions. Still, the ocean has rarely been given real importance in climate talks.

This year’s COP gave me hope!

For the first time, there was a full Ocean Pavilion, not a tiny booth hidden in a corner, but a central, vibrant space filled with conversations that finally recognized the ocean as a climate powerhouse. I sat in panels where local communities, policymakers, and scientists spoke side by side, and I felt something shift. I hope the ocean is no longer an afterthought.

Countries also stepped up. Brazil and France launched a Blue NDC Taskforce to accelerate ocean-based climate action. Of the 66 coastal national climate plans submitted this year, 92% included ocean measures, a number that would have been unimaginable a few years ago. Brazil also introduced the Blue Package, offering technical guidance, finance pathways, and support for countries to include blue carbon, coastal resilience, and marine conservation in their next NDC updates. Ocean Breakthroughs was another milestone. This is a set of written science-based targets for marine renewables, conservation, shipping, tourism, and aquatic food systems. An online platform will track whether countries actually follow through, adding accountability to ambition.

And in one of the most hopeful moments, the High Seas Treaty reached 60 ratifications and is now set to enter into force in January 2026. Watching leaders celebrate this long-awaited achievement, I felt genuinely emotional. Brazil has even committed to ratifying the treaty before the end of the year. For the first time, the vast areas of our global ocean with no protection will finally have a chance.

But as I walked out of COP30 on the final day, I also felt a heaviness. Because even with all this progress, there is still so much more to do.

We can’t afford to wait; this is the moment for implementation. During one panel, a local community member was asked what he thinks about the future of the ocean. He answered, “In this situation, I don’t think about the future as tomorrow.” He and his community believe the future is today, and they are already taking steps to protect the ocean. I hope decision-makers and negotiators adopt this same mindset and act urgently to confront climate change and safeguard our ecosystems.

From the ocean-focused sessions I attended, I learned that we must create climate finance that truly includes the ocean. Right now, blue finance is less than 1% of global climate finance. We must prioritize coastal and island communities that contribute the least to climate change but bear the greatest impacts. We must make sure every country includes ocean solutions in their 2025 NDC updates. And we need to align policy, funding, and business so that protecting the ocean isn’t seen as charity, it’s seen as a smart economic strategy.

As a scientist, I came to COP chasing data and policy outcomes. But I am leaving with something else—an understanding that the ocean should not be just part of the climate conversation. It is the climate conversation. As a student who wants to communicate science beyond research papers, I will continue engaging in outreach with schools and local communities, helping people understand why the ocean matters for climate change and how even small actions can help protect it.

Now more than ever, the ocean needs our protection, and we need the ocean to shield us from the accelerating impacts of climate change.

Anagha Payyambally is a marine sciences graduate student.

COP30 really solidified that climate change is not going anywhere and that we are wildly under prepared for the consequences of our actions. The fires and flooding venue were a strong reminder that we need to act however, the negotiations were a little fruitless. But, the knowledge and culture sharing was truly once in a lifetime. There is something wildly special about tens of thousands of people coming together and be unified in the fact that we want something to happen and are dedicated to change.

Beyond just the personal growth opportunities of learning how to communicate with people across every culture and learning the basics of how a conference is run. It was truly a once in a lifetime experience to go to a major city in Brazil with people from all over the world to see and understand how we can come together and implement the solutions to the problems we have been discussing. The major thing that I took away from this conference was not what more developed countries are doing but what small island nations and countries in the global south are doing. They are the ones that have the opportunity to really drive immense amount of change and develop sustainability. I think I am the most excited about the solutions that they can come up with and continuing to break away from western perceptions of those countries. They are not helpless countries just looking for a handout in the form of aid. They are creative, solution oriented, bold, driven, and actively making changes to their ways of life. I think the key to a lot of what COP30 discussed is bringing in large business and giving them ways to see how they can support and participate in these spaces.

The biggest lesson that I continue to have in my life but has grown from this trip is that as a person of privilege it is my job to understand and listen to the struggles of those who aren’t as privileged. I have an intense feeling of responsibility when it comes to understanding what the world is going through and I tend to focus on the harms that colonization, imperialism, and generational corruption impose but I never really spend time understanding how those countries learned how to thrive amid western chaos and interference. I want to spend more time understanding how humanities is able to be resilient despite our prejudice. I think this trip had some really great examples of how we as a people can connect and grow with one another rather than against one another. I am excited and hopeful that there are more examples of this growth throughout the world.

Caroline Keary is a master’s student in the Social Responsibility and Impact in Business program.

Being a Real Estate & Urban Economics Major in the UConn@COP30 Fellowship program in Belém, Brazil has both made me a better climate advocate and provided significant personal growth. At first, I believed it would be huge rooms solely discussing policy, asking well-researched questions, and hoping that local initiatives would be addressed within the vast nature of it all. While all 3 remain true, there was an entire world filled with spontaneous solution ideation sessions in hallways with the world’s climate leaders spanning from NGOs to the private sector, opportunities to ask on-the-spot questions about topics you didn’t previously know existed, and having unique opportunities to address critical issues in your region in ways that will have a lasting impact.

The theme of this year’s COP is implementation, turning ambition into tangible realities. It is both a necessity for addressing the climate crisis and a possible personal philosophy that I believe all students should incorporate, especially if they have a potential solution for a better future. The reason COP needs to choose this topic is that we are seeing a slowdown (and often a regression) in the significant progress made during the Paris Agreement of 2015. The Tropical Forests Forever Fund (TFFF) is one of many ambitious financial mechanisms that aim to compensate countries for restoration and conservation efforts. There are a plethora of factors, including land ownership, land use, historical conditioning, and more, that can create complex variables in the conversation. How do you ask 83+ countries to agree on a joint solution? It is a question that is continually revisited. Not to mention incorporating the perspectives of indigenous communities who have harmoniously lived amongst the many vulnerable lands that would benefit from these conservation efforts, but aren’t often represented in policy-making.

What does that mean as a student studying business? It means finding strong mentorship, building a diverse network, and being crystal clear on the risks, mitigations, & next steps needed to take toward meaningful action.

A group of us students met an individual who was quite familiar with the UConn Huskies and helped shed some light on the topic. We took a walk-through of the Country Pavilions with the Director of the Deloitte Center for Sustainable Progress, Dr. Freedom-Kai Phillips, who was a former student of Professor Stephen Park (Associate Professor of Business Law at the UConn School of Business). He explained how “Sustainability can be a Rubik’s cube, confusing at first, but with the right pattern-identification, and consistent ambition, you’ll be able to get the right solutions you need”. It became apparent that most of the professionals at COP30 not only identify patterns but are actively building meaningful relationships to solve the complex Rubik’s Cube. Understanding localized players within your space is critical as a diverse network of technical and non-technical actors will help create high-integrity assets for your value chain. The COP experience highlighted how it also supports economic innovation and job creation, enabling the execution of these ambitious frameworks and financial mechanisms.

I look beyond this educational experience with significant hope about the direction we’re headed. Awakening a commitment to keeping my eyes peeled for patterns in capacity-building and seeking potential solutions or frameworks to bring back to our communities back home.

Aminieli Hopson is a senior studying Real Estate and Urban Economics.

It is easy to get swept up in buzzwords when discussing climate change. On Day 3 of COP30, I attended a session called “America is All In: U.S. Climate Action Continues.” This panel featured former U.S. climate policy leaders who expressed their enthusiasm for continuing the fight against climate change despite the U.S. federal government not actively participating in COP30 negotiations.

More than learning about the U.S.’s persistence in staying engaged internationally, I was surprised by the diverse professional backgrounds of these officials, as someone who hopes to enter public service and contribute to policymaking on an international scale, seeing how their careers were shaped by both technical expertise and administrative experience was very insightful.

I appreciated that the U.S. representatives in this session included former negotiators who brought a mix of technical expertise as well as project and change management skills. Notably, one negotiator and former U.S. Department of State employee was trained as an environmental engineer and held a Ph.D. in the subject. He joined the Department of State after a prestigious post-doctoral fellowship at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is a testament to how much technical expertise and domain knowledge are valued in the policymaking space. I also appreciated that there was an event titled “Jobs for the Public Sector: Building a Recurrent Supply of Skilled Experts for NDCs.” Events like this signal that there is a real need for technical experts (financial analysts, scientists, legal specialists, and others) in addition to policy experts.

I also learned that there is a need for people who can manage projects and navigate the substantial amount of paperwork and administrative complexity involved in these bureaucratic processes. Trigg Talley, a former senior climate negotiator with over thirty years of experience with the State Department, emphasized that they look for people with project-management experience: individuals who can move work forward, negotiate with diverse stakeholders, and simply “get things done.” One of his fellow panelists exemplified this. This panelist did not hold a technical background but instead had relevant project management and oversight experience. Having worked in the UN Secretariat, she had a strong understanding of the legal, technical, and administrative procedures involved in drafting and passing resolutions. This experience provided a comprehensive foundation when she later moved into the U.S. Department of State, where her familiarity with these processes enhanced her negotiating effectiveness. Similarly, another panelist described the extensive inter-agency coordination her role required, particularly in preparing for G-7 and G-20 meetings as well as engagements with the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. 

Understanding how federal and multilateral institutions (such as the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Reserve, World Bank, and International Monetary Fund) function and how to coordinate across them is an important yet often overlooked skill. 

Even though the U.S. has stepped back from formal negotiations, there is still significant demand for these skills. The current U.S. representatives are operating under the slogan “The U.S. is all in,” which signals that while they cannot negotiate, they are still present to represent the climate-forward agenda. Many current representatives and former negotiators are attending under the sponsorship of various organizations and nonprofits, continuing to collaborate with governments, NGOs, civil society, and the broader public. Their presence demonstrates that the U.S. is still “in” and invested in addressing climate change, something that underscored the importance not only of commitments, but of the skilled people who carry them out.

Pranavi Rebala is a senior studying Mathematics, Economics, and Urban & Community Studies.