So I think there are two very important things that observers do. One is they
can get into the more formal or informal meetings, if they're open, and then they can actually
observe what is being negotiated. I think we legitimize the process in a way because
we're able to ask questions to make sure that there's interrogation of the leaders and things
aren't just being discussed behind closed doors. I just hope that we've applied enough pressure
and used our role as an observer to do more than just observe. So it was an incredible
experience to be there. Very overwhelming in a sense - I'd never been to a UN event before
as obviously you had leaders and representatives from around the world,
so it's great to be part of that conversation and that development of the outcome of Glasgow.
That overwhelming feeling uh quickly became one of excitement. I was at one point having coffee with
an indigenous representative from Peru, then a senior climate change scientist from Australia.
Most of the things that are happening there have been like the culmination of something that has
been happening for a year. So what you see is somehow the tip of the iceberg and there's lots of
strings being pulled in the background that you might not be aware of but that is still happening,
and to understand how those decisions are are made. I learned a lot about how climate policy
ties in together internationally, so essentially how the conference itself proceeds, but then
most importantly actually how climate policy is shaped globally and what the important players
are. I was surrounded by a lot of diverse industry, and that was really important,
and yet it still seemed as though these large emitters, large countries, were in charge of
the negotiations. I did find it inspiring, and yet I kind of left with more questions than answers.
While the formal negotiations were a mixed bag, although I think overall quite positive but there
were some elements that were very disappointing, the energy from civil society, the pressure,
to drive the change forward, to increase and hold nations to ambition. So, my hope is really that we
keep this momentum going, and we use COP 26 as a catalyst. We now all agree across the globe
and that we agree upon the science, we agree that action needs to be taken, and we know for example
from the Covid 19 pandemic, that the power of researchers coming together to focus on one issue,
what they can achieve is incredible. For me, my biggest hope is that whenever we implement
the energy transition and the need zero and all of these ambitions that we have that are very
valuable and that we really need to accomplish, that we do it from a perspective in which we
account for all of those that are less privileged. It seems contradictory that those most affected
by the climate crisis are the least heard. So I think it's up for the people now to go back to
their national governments, and call upon their elected leaders to make the changes that have
been put forward in the pledges. I think, get active politically in your community,
or on the regional level, or on the national level, to bring about especially a transition
in the energy sector. So how can we ensure that low carbon lifestyles, travel, heating,
powering our homes, moving around, everything that we do, is fully decarbonized within the next 10
years? I don't think that there is one change that is going to magically fix everything, however,
every person can speak up in some sort of way. People that are trying to do things right, get
dis-encouraged because they fail in in a part of it, you don't have to be 100 percent perfect in in
that climate action that you have, it's just that you keep pushing through and that you get better
every time. If I can be as sustainable as possible in my household or in my research group, then
that is my contribution, and those who have more power have more responsibility.