COP29 is a true hodgepodge of information from countries, indigenous populations, corporations, nonprofits, and all the way down to the individual level. There has been a swarm of information from every corner of the climate crisis and from every stakeholder involved. On Monday, November 18, I attended the Green Zone, a less restrictive and more open space that featured the lived experiences of climate activists and panels on youth presence and solutions in the climate space. On Tuesday, November 19, I attended the Blue Zone, a more expansive area that features both closed and open negotiations, press conferences, and direct interaction with delegations, with the day focusing on food, agriculture, and water. Both zones showed that this conference is about spreading information and how we, as observers, engage with it.
In the Blue Zone, I have felt the urge to question all discussions, as I felt a lack of authentic connections with climate change. For example, the panel “Action on Water: Water Solutions for Climate Actions” emphasized water-inspired climate solutions and actions across the globe, with an emphasis on the leadership of youth, women, and local and indigenous communities. However, they did not feature the voices of those directly affected. Despite being a helpful and interesting panel on water solutions, it is important to recognize what is missing from the whole picture and what specific communities have to say about these solutions.
While in the Green Zone, I was exclusively hearing from those directly affected and adapting to climate change. One that stood out was Enkhuun Byambadorj, Director of Operations & Co-founder of Breathe Mongolia – Clean Air Coalition, who shared the narrative of coal in Mongolia. Her home has been disproportionately affected by climate change which has created a cycle of worsening air pollution that further endangers the livelihood of Mongolian citizens. Now, years later, the cycle has only gotten deeper and more difficult to leave. Enkhuun was able to connect a lived experience to her activism, with the purpose of educating and raising awareness. Recognizing the authenticity of her message made it easier to trust. She included the perspective of those affected (herself included) and solutions provided by the government, despite not being successful. Her only purpose was to shed light on the narratives being built and how those do not directly translate into easy action.
As a first time United Nations observer, my biggest takeaway was to critically engage with what I am hearing. This can be recognizing where the information flows from, the motives, and who is the audience. I think that will be crucial going into the last few days of COP29!
Naiiya Patel is an Accounting major in the School of Business.
Attending COP29 as a young college student, it’s easy to get swept up in the negative rhetoric surrounding the conference. Criticisms abound, whether it’s the choice of Azerbaijan as the host—a major oil-producing country with a contentious human rights record—or the constant media headlines questioning the efficacy of the event: “Should We Get Rid of COP?” or “Climate Negotiations Going Nowhere.” Concerns about private sector involvement, from corporate pavilions to lobbying efforts, add fuel to the skepticism. But here’s the thing: focusing solely on the negatives doesn’t move us forward. Criticism is important for progress, and institutions like COP must be held accountable. However, dwelling on flaws without working towards solutions, risks derailing the very goals the conference aims to achieve. Over the first two days in the Green Zone, I’ve encountered a more nuanced perspective—one that prioritizes collaboration over condemnation.
My experience at COP29 thus far has been eye opening. I have attended a variety of panels, events, and networking sessions that have allowed me to learn more about a variety of environmental issues, meet and talk to students and professionals from across the globe, and better understand the efforts being made by countries to address the climate crisis. 
As I reflect on my experience attending COP27, there are several key takeaways I would like to discuss. My first takeaway is that I believe this experience is invaluable for both UConn graduate and undergraduate students and provides a transformative real-world component to their experience at UConn. Specifically, the UConn@COP Fellowship Program provides students direct exposure to learn about international policy negotiations, network with diplomats and business leaders, and connect with people from cultures around the world at an unparalleled scale. In 1995, COP1 had just under 4,000 attendees but this number has continued to swell with almost 50,000 attendees at COP27 making it by far the largest diplomatic gathering on earth. The scale of this conference reflects the overwhelming consensus by over 190 countries for the need to address climate change and the tremendous opportunity for students to derive value from attending this event as a springboard for professional development.
My hope for the future faltered originally on the very first day I attended the conference and listened to a panel about how corporations are resilient in the face of climate change. In this, there was simply no talk about the corporation’s plan for the future, or even what they’re currently doing to help reduce emissions and take part in the fight against climate change. Instead, all the speaker said were empty words that had no real meaning that fell along the lines of ‘we need to de-risk a small solution’ and that we must be ‘resilience multipliers,’ but what does that actually look like? What does that really mean? I remember being baffled at how little depth there was to the presentation, and walked out wondering if this was what the entirety of the COP27 discussions would be like. Thankfully, for the Earth and my sanity, it was not.