Oxford Climate Society at COP29 | Ushika Kidd
Ushika Kidd (2022 Human Sciences) writes:
I attended the first week of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, representing Oxford Climate Society (OCS) with the Oxford delegation and the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate as a Youth Ambassador. Youth and student representation is paramount in climate negotiation processes, and — to highlight the positive impacts of high-profile conferences such as COP — the multicultural dialogue that I was immersed into during the week was unparalleled.
Being at COP29 was a learning experience and a steep learning curve. The week was the culmination of months of efforts to work our way through the elusive mechanics behind COP, keeping in mind that by securing our badges, we would be setting a milestone and a precedent for Oxford Climate Society to attend future COPs. OCS’s mission statement is to ‘develop the next generation of young leaders’, and we strive to do this through education and outreach initiatives, for and by students. During the week, the importance of having youth voices represented and shared across platforms was keenly felt. We were fortunate enough to attend ‘blue zone’ events for the duration of our time in Baku, meaning we were able to observe negotiations in meeting rooms, attend plenaries and high-level side events, meet the people at the heart of climate action, and partake in rewarding discussions with other youth delegates sharing their impressive work back at home, here at COP, and of course, beyond. These youth-led events included participating in working groups, which encompassed different themes such as health, human rights, and twenty more! In such a wonderfully diverse space, I met and was inspired by many individuals and groups all actively dismantling the barriers to representation experienced by youth voices in key climate negotiation spaces. With my observer badge, seeing decisions being made, or delayed, in real time was grounding, frustrating — and surreal. It reaffirmed my belief in on-the-ground journalism to connect the outcomes of international agreements like these with their direct consequences on people’s lives, stories, and realities.
Throughout the week, we endeavoured to establish OCS as a mediating point between students, researchers, activists, and policymakers within Oxford and across higher education institutions. Ambition is infectious and, with this experience, we are excited to continue our work, increasing transparency surrounding COP, integrating OCS into a global network of activists, and raising engagement, from all perspectives, with the climate crisis. Above all, the message I took back with me from COP-goers was to return home with renewed momentum and armed with strategy, in order to make your participation and investment in the process worthwhile. The climate conversation does not end at COP!
