Today, was my first day in this new city. The sun was shining bright early morning. The streets and neighbourhood were calm. Cyclists sped by and cafes unfolded their canopies slowly. I rushed towards the World Conference Centre—a glass-fronted building by the Rhine. That’s where the future of our planet’s climate is decided every year this month. These are what ‘climate talks’ are!
This year, 150+ countries are meeting here. They call it SB62, i.e. the 62nd session of the Subsidiary Bodies. These are groups where all country folks prepare, make commitments, and sort out disagreements on how to fight climate change. It’s like the world’s mid-year check-in before the big annual climate meet—the COP—happening later in the year.
Though, Bonn has a pleasant weather outside. People bike to work, trams glide by, rivers look clean, and the locality is green. The conference inside is a wholly different scene!
Countries are politely (and sometimes not-so-politely, lol!) arguing about cutting greenhouse gas emissions, about helping people face extreme weather, and bicker about who will pay for what. They were debating the phase out plan for fossil fuels, technology sharing, and helping the most vulnerable during climate catastrophes.
Developed countries were dragging their feet on their financial commitments, while developing countries poked them to contribute more—both as a matter of responsibility and in line with their capabilities. There were routine disagreements about how much is enough, who needs to pay, how fast, and in grants or loans! At least everyone now agrees that the world is warming!
But deciding who does what first is tricky. It is ironic because right outside, Bonn’s living spaces are cleaner, safer and resource-efficient. And inside, leaders are still figuring out how to get there. But that’s why these talks matter: even a small agreement can help the world breathe easier! And deeper and cleaner!
A key theme this year was ‘just transition,’ meaning, how to shift away from coal, oil, and such stuff in a fair way, ensuring people have electricity and workers in fossil-fuel industries have green jobs. Another issue was climate finance. Poor countries need money to make solar and wind projects, and protect their people from extreme weather, getting severe due to global warming.
And what was I doing in the midst of all of this? I was an Observer. I wasn’t representing any country. But I could follow the meetings of the representatives, listen to what they said, and, when the space was open, even intervene to put my view point in a room full of negotiating countries. I was speaking at side events, where scientists, researchers, policymakers, and activists pushed for stronger action. Here, we could share our research, stories, and data with governments. Help them see affront, the impacts of climate change. Being an observer is like being a helper in the room, making sure climate commitments are fair, science-based, and people-centred.
One of my areas of work is carbon markets, which was also a theme under discussion. And what exactly are these? Think of them as systems where countries and companies trade the efforts they have taken to cut greenhouse gas emission to meet their climate promises. Like when someone, somewhere, does something that reduces emissions—such as protecting a forest, switching from coal to solar, or using cleaner stoves—they can earn a carbon credit. One carbon credit means one tonne of carbon dioxide kept out of our air. These credits can then be sold to others who need help in meeting their emission reduction targets. Some countries and companies love carbon markets because it enables them to fund projects that reduce emissions. Sounds cool, right? But here’s where it gets tricky.
Sometimes, carbon markets become a cover for those who keep polluting but claim to be ‘climate-friendly’ or ‘climate-neutral’ by just buying credits from somewhere else.
At Bonn, countries were debating how to make these markets fair and transparent. Many groups, including us from CSE as observers, are closely watching the participants to ensure that carbon markets are not misused for greenwashing. A practise whereby countries or companies look climate-friendly without making any real environmental change. It’s like putting a band-aid on a broken bone!
Witnessing these debates makes me wonder why I care even about these details in the first place. This thing about questioning about the climate and our living spaces didn’t start at a big international conference. It started much earlier, I believe. As a little one reading social studies and environment in school, and also, as a kid flipping through Gobar Times! A supplement where all boring subjects showed up in the most creative stories. Yes, I grew up reading the very GT magazine! For a young reader, Gobar Times made the environment real, rooted, and worth caring for. It was sharp, fun, and packed with facts, and I’ll admit, many of its pages ended up as cut-outs for my school projects. Hehe…
Tomorrow, as I will be returning from Bonn, it feels fit to publish this in GT, the magazine where, as a kid, I once read about the climate meetings that I now attend.
See you later, alligator!
Deputy Programme Manager, Climate Change, Centre for Science and Environment
Illustrator, Art & Design, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi.