Life at COP15

Photo Credit: Undetermined

I figured that, as I have some time now when I cannot access the conference it was time for a post just introducing you to what life has been like for us students attending COP15.  Day-to-day, not just the news coming out of the conference, but what it is like attending one of these conferences.

Where I’m Staying

This is the first time I have couchsurfed.  Initially I was a bit concerned, but alas hotels were extremely expensive so I bit the bullet and decided to stay with Jonas Grunsoe, a student at the University of Copenhagen.

It’s been great! I’m really enjoying staying with a local actually, and learning a bit more about what life is really like here.  Although I don’t have a lot of time to spend with Jonas, I’ve still been able to talk with him.  It’s been a little cramped (when I got here 6 people were staying here, but tonight it’s just me and him), but very nice to be able to talk to people rather than locking myself away in a hotel room.

How the Conference Is Organized

To be perfectly honest, I had little idea what to expect when I was planning for Copenhagen.  Was I going to see a smackdown between Presidents Obama and Hu?  Unfortunately for me, there is little chance that I will get anywhere near any of those leaders to hear them speak live.  Generally speaking, there are three main divisions of the conference.  Four if you count the

demonstrators outside the Bella Center, and five if you consider the parallel events happening around the city.

Photo Credit: Aaron Thom

Once you pass security, you enter the main hall where different organisations (the WSC-SD included) have set up booths concerning different topics.  In my time here, I’ve spoken to representatives (or at least visited booths if they are un-staffed) from the Met Centre (you  may have heard of the Hadley Model), Nairobi, a parallel oceans conservation conference, and more.  One of the most interesting displays is the “Fossil of the Day” award, given to the nation slowing negotiations the most.  Currently, the leader for most received Fossils is Canada.  Sweden has also received this award quite frequently as well.  Surprised?  I’ll admit I was.

Throughout the Bella Center there are large conference rooms where side events are held throughout each day.  These events are usually hosted by government representatives or non-governmental organisations (NGOs), or in other words not by private businesses.  Some of the side events I’ve attended have involved carbon markets, forestry and its relation to climate change, and the relationship between developed and developing nations.  Before the access restrictions took effect, the WSC-SD had been officially approved by the UN to host a side event on Friday the 18^th, the final day of COP15.  (We will still host this event! The new location will be offsite and is to be determined shortly).

The schedule of official COP events is published daily-the schedule can retrieved in the morning online or in print at the information center in the Bella Center.  Non-officials can observe these events and are not allowed to participate or comment.  You can read my upcoming post to see what those events are like.

What are some other interesting nuances to the conference?

-I suppose this is a nod toward open-government.  There is a large area with cubbies, each designated to a specific country, where any individual can leave letters or notices in each nation’s space

-You will sometimes see quiet and peaceful demonstrations such as people dressed as aliens from “Planet B.”  (Remember my other post with the protest sign “There is no Planet B?”)

-There are multiple halls with offices for the delegations, where some of the side events are held.  In my entire time here, I don’t think I’ll have been able to explore this maze of makeshift rooms and corridors.

-In case you’re wondering (and it’s great if you are), the catering here has made somewhat of an effort to be ecologically friendly.  It is not vegetarian, true, but in terms of waste generated at the conference itself, the plates, cups, and utensils are all compostable.  Along with composting bins for the plates and things, there are collection bins for paper waste, plastic waste, and organic waste.

What the Dress is Like

As Sina Birkholtz, President of the WSC-SD noted, “You have quite a bit luggage for one person.”  And unfortunately she was right.  Aside from the fact that I had to pack for a week, in winter, with a sleeping bag and pillow, I also had to bring sufficient formal and informal clothes because I was uncertain about what I would need and had to mitigate my risk.  (If I had known what I would have to wear, perhaps then I could have adapted instead, but I could not take that risk).  As it turns out, most of the dress is relatively casual or business-casual at the conference.  One thing I’ve noticed is that being stylish and well-kept is more important than dressing in what would be considered “business” attire.  In fact, I have chosen (black) jeans over khakis every day.

What the Weather is Like

Cold!  It was relatively warm when I first arrived (relative to Boston I mean) but it has dropped rapidly in the past two days, and snowed today.  It won’t get much worse though, if what my host has told me is true.  Denmark is not blessed with exciting winter blizzards with 1m snowfalls I guess.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 at 3:02 am and is filed under Student Reflections. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.