Over a year has passed since I attended COP26 in the frozen tundra of Glasgow, Scotland—a slight exaggeration, yes, but compared to this year’s host country of COP27, Egypt, it’s true. However, after a few turbulent flights, I finally arrived at the Texas Impact homebase in Sharm El-Sheikh, ready to dive into climate mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage finance.
Climate policy has always been my favorite policy field, ever since I was a baby longhorn at the University of Texas at Austin pursuing my Bachelors in government and sustainability. After working at Texas Impact for over a year, publishing a public health primer, and finishing my first semester at my Master of Public Affairs program at UT Austin, I can confidently say that I am eagerly and adequately prepared for the chaos of COP27 and its full week of climate negotiations and dialogues.
But here is what I am really excited for: climate mitigation and energy policy. The U.S. recently passed its historic Inflation Reduction Act, an impressive climate package with vast solar energy credits and tax benefits. With the U.S. coming off a high point of federal climate action, I have high expectations of the role the United States will play at this year’s COP. The U.S. has the financial means to be a global leader in the fight against climate change, and if the U.S. is able to take action federally, we must take action nationally.
I’ve chosen to focus on these two issues in particular, but that doesn’t mean I’ve turned a blind eye to the fantastic work and conversations that are being held this week and have been held last week. The upside and downside of COP is that the magnitude of events, plenaries, and meetings they offer make it impossible to attend every event that catches my interest, and trust me, there are too many to count. There’s an abundance of interesting side events, such as the Voice of Women Leaders in Climate Debates Panel and the Water Security and Sustainable Development event, that are both happening this week.
As I lay down for one last rest before the real COP begins, I must acknowledge and thank every advocate for their dedication and passion in supporting a fight I am deeply committed to and have dedicated my career to. As a community of environmental advocates, our voices, our demands, and our light will not be dimmed. And for our faith community at home, don’t worry; we need your help, action, and voice equally, if not more.