Day 1: "Sitting on the Fence"

     My name is Zach Phillips, and I am currently a senior studying Environmental Policy & Economics at Moravian. I first learned about the UNFCCC conferences through a course titled "Climate Negotiations on the International Stage," which I had taken about a year ago during the fall semester of my junior year. Taught jointly by Dr. Husic and Dr. Binford, they introduced me to the concept of annual COP gatherings and allowed me to familiarize myself with what these meetings were all about. As I delved into relevant coursework, it became clear that the COP essentially serves as an opportunity for countries around the world to discuss, review, and take action in terms of their progress in achieving climate change mitigation goals. Presently, the COP remains a relevant subject in my coursework and studies, especially since I am currently enrolled in the Environmental Policy course taught by Dr. Husic.

    I have the honor of spending my first international trip attending COP28 in Dubai, UAE. I specifically applied for my first passport to take advantage of this great opportunity. This year's conference is particularly important because it marks the halfway point between the Paris Agreement, which was introduced at COP21 in 2015 in Paris, France. For those who may not be familiar with the Paris Agreement, it is a treaty enacted with the goal of limiting global warming to 2 degrees Celcius, and, even more ideal, to 1.5 degrees Celcius above pre-industrial temperatures.

    Upon arrival to the Dubai Expo City, where COP28 is being held, we checked in to receive our observer badges. It was a hot and sunny 85 degree day in Dubai, so waiting in line was a struggle as much of the venue is outdoors. Once we received our badges, we proceeded to the Blue Zone, where much of the negotiating action, side events, and panel discussions happen. As recommended to us, we stopped by a "pavilion" session hosted by Michigan Technological University where the topic of the day was centered around an environmental justice project that the university was involved with, known as "JUSTNORTH." The project asks the question, "how do we negotiate an equitable transition in the Arctic and beyond" when it comes to clean energy. As noted by one speaker, one of the goals of the project was to avoid the word "justice" from becoming a buzzword such as how the word "sustainability" has become. A point was also made on how academia can provide a framework in which governments can build upon policies and approaches to regulation. There is often a divide between what policymakers are doing, what governments are doing, and the expectations of local communities, hence the phrase of communities "sitting on the fence" of what's happening has been coined. One of the primary outcomes is a tool known as the Value Equity Analysis (VEA), which aims to bring stakeholders and rightholders together to a solution.

    Later on, we attended the COP28 opening ceremony. This event included a concluding speech by the COP27 president, Sameh Shoukry, where he addressed progress made toward COP27 goals since the end of the conference last year. After these remarks, we witnessed the passing of the gavel from the COP27 president to the new COP28 president, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, and finished our first day at COP28 by listening to some introductory remarks and pledges made by the new COP28 president before heading back on the Dubai Metro.

While the first day at my first COP initially feels overwhelming, I am excited for what is to come and to draw connections between what is being discussed at COP28 and what I am studying at Moravian. I hope to become more well-rounded throughout this journey in terms of the information that I absorb.