Since I started my internship at UN Climate Change in June of this year, COP27 has been an event that I looked forward to joining. In November, my colleagues at the Action for Climate Empowerment Team at UN Climate Change invited me to work with them at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
My primary responsibility was to support my colleagues organize thematic events, such as Youth Forum on 10 November and the ACE thematic events on 15 November. Through preparing 'run of show' and speaking notes, arranging conference rooms, communicating with guest speakers, taking notes, and writing summary reports, I practiced my project management, event organization, stakeholder coordination, and communication skills.
Besides experiencing COP27 from a staff perspective, I also had the opportunity to join a wide array of events that focused on climate finance, carbon pricing, early warning systems, mitigation and adaptation, indigenous approaches to climate mitigation, nature-based solutions and biodiversity. It was inspiring to see scientists, practitioners, researchers, and policymakers gathered to discuss the future of climate action and make serious commitments towards NetZero. Among all the topics, a panel discussion around nature-based solutions hosted by IUCN left me with a strong impression. Nature-based solution refers to solutions inspired and supported by nature, which are cost-effective, simultaneously provide environmental, social, and economic benefits and help build resilience. This approach is attracting more attention in recent years as a strategic way to combat climate change. The panel discussion inspired me to learn more about this methodology in my study and work.
Overall my time at COP27 was a great opportunity to gain insight, connect and exchange knowledge. The walking tour across hundreds of pavilions hosted by different countries and organizations fascinated me and had me realize how broad and innovative the field of climate change could be. As I walked amongst the pavilions, I saw people from different cultural backgrounds actively talking, presenting, and exchanging.
On 14 December 2022, I finished my internship with the Action for Climate Empowerment Team at UN Climate Change. It was an amazing experience for me to work with a group of talented and inspiring colleagues toward climate action, which also set a solid foundation for me to pursue a career path in climate change. According to the IPCC report, without increased and urgent climate mitigation in the coming years, leading to a sharp decline in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, global warming will surpass 1.5 °C threshold in the following decades, leading to irreversible loss of the most fragile ecosystems and igniting a domino effect of ecological crises for us all but particularly the most vulnerable people and societies. After this experience, I am dedicated to contributing to climate action to ensure that we all have a future worth living into.