“At COP 24, I will be on the delegation from Tonga, a small island developing state (SIDS) in the Pacific. Tonga is especially susceptible to climate change impacts as rising tides and changing weather patterns are already a daily fact of life. They’re particularly interested in seeing high ambition from parties to the Paris Agreement and have taken steps to set impressive climate goals domestically, even though their own emissions are negligible.
“In Poland, I will be tracking negotiations between Parties regarding transparency (e.g. what emissions information needs to be shared for international review) and ambition (e.g. how to ensure that parties continue to put their best foot forward with their climate action at home). I’ll also be focusing on the ocean-climate nexus and carbon pricing.”
“At COP 24, I will be the youngest member of the national delegation for the Republic of Rwanda. Though a low-emission country, Rwanda is highly vulnerable to climate change as it depends on rain-fed agriculture for rural livelihoods and exports. The Rwandan government is encouraging parties to ratify the Kigali Amendment, a 2015 amendment to the Montreal protocol that promotes a global phase-out of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) — a group of industrial chemicals used for cooling and refrigeration and a powerful greenhouse gas — and to ‘forge transparent technology and financing mechanisms for climate change.’ My role will be to support the delegation by providing additional support during the negotiations and achieving Rwanda’s long-term goal of boosting capacity building.
“I am particularly looking forward to seeing more developing countries ratify the Kigali Amendment, and to seeing a clear framework and a roadmap on how developed countries will provide finance and technology to developing countries to assist in climate change adaptation and mitigation efforts.”