While I was still at university, I had the amazing opportunity to attend the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP), the convening of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) in Katowice, Poland. As the world gears up to host the 26th COP in Glasgow, I wanted to share my experiences and impressions of my time in Poland, so you might have a better idea of what it’s all about.  

The COPs are often critiqued for their lack of urgency and countries’ hollow commitments. There are spaces for the public to influence the negotiations, but from my experiences, I believe the UNFCCC could do with making more space for the public’s voices to be heard. So many organisations are excited to get involved, including the Wildlife Trusts, and we need to continue doing our best to get the public involved.  

I can still remember walking into the conference centre for the first time. This was certainly the biggest and most important conference I had ever been to, but while I felt so small below the high ceilings of the main hall, I also felt empowered. I immediately felt like I was in a place where big decisions were being made, where everyone I laid eyes upon was all working together towards a common goal.  

The conference started with the opening ceremony where the president of COP24, Michał Kurtyka, welcomed all negotiators, observers, and members of the press and outlined the aims of the COP. Speeches were made by other world leaders in governments and organisations, but the address that I was most excited by was the one delivered by Sir David Attenborough. 

 “’We the peoples of the United Nations’.

These are the opening words of the UN Charter. A charter that puts people at the centre. A pledge to give every person in the world a voice on its future. These were the beginning words of Sir David’s 'People’s Seat' address. The People’s Seat was literally an empty seat in the main conference room, but it symbolised the people who are missing from the COP and acted as a reminder to the negotiators of their responsibilities to the rest of the world.  

I was inspired by Sir David’s words and excited that COP24 was using technology and social media to include everyone in the conversation. But I was also sceptical. How would the “people’s seat” be used to influence the following negotiations? Would our voices make a difference? I was intrigued to see how the next few days would pan out.  

Looking through the schedule for the next two weeks, I realised that my non-government observer lanyard would only get me so far. I, like the majority of the public, was not able to attend the majority of the “key decision making” events. For all the promises of getting people involved, I was locked out of the first room I tried to enter. On the one hand, it is completely understandable that only a few people should be allowed into these conversations. After all, how would 7.7 billion people be able to agree on anything, ever? But on the other hand, the exclusive events immediately separated the observers from the negotiators and set the scene for how we would interact with one another for the next two weeks.  

I managed to satisfy myself by going to all the side events that I could go to. I split my time going to pop-up protests, press conferences, and the very extensive exhibition hall! I learned so much about what other countries were currently up to and what companies were doing which filled me with a sense of hope. At the side events, I also met all the other observers who weren’t allowed behind the closed doors and in a way, we created our own community. With the negotiators spending all their time debating the inclusion of a single word in the COP agreement, I was dubious of how many of them would actually have the time to get a pulse of the people’s energy.   

If the negotiators didn’t have time to attend the side events, they also didn’t have time to see the many pop-up protests. Not that it would have mattered anyway. The Polish government is pretty strict about demonstrations, so there were no massive demonstrations allowed in the streets outside the conference, like what usually happens in other COPs. You were allowed to protest indoors but had to have your protest approved by the COP committee and you were not allowed to use a microphone. The limit on protests is yet another example of stifling the people’s contributions to the COP negotiations. 

I met so many groups of people at the COP and it was amazing to see just how many observers were mingling around and taking an interest in the protests and the side events. It truly gave me hope to see how many people cared. What did not give me hope was the institutionalised nature of the COP’s organisation stifling our voices. The initial promise of Sir David Attenborough’s People’s Seat Address rung hollow as the COP ran on. The negotiators were too busy stuck in rooms debating small technicalities and even if they did get out and see what else was going on, the COP organisers had made it so that there was a communication barrier among most people by silencing our voices and forcing us all to speak in one language. 

This set-up must change if we are to really take our seat at the table which I believe can only happen if we force ourselves into more of these conversations. Whether it’s going to a protest, writing to your MP, or signing petitions - the more people who raise their voices, the more we will be heard.

I think Greta Thunberg was on to something in her COP24 address;

“We have come here to let you know that change is coming whether you like it or not. The real power belongs to the people.”  

by Marianne Lotter-Jones, Wilder Campaigns and Events Officer 

Marianne works on our Team Wilder initiative, encouraging people to get involved and take action for nature in their homes or communities. She loves engaging with community groups and supporting them in their wilder journeys.