As I write this, the opening plenary of COP15 is just beginning. The start of official proceedings have only just started, yet the energy is pulsing through the city and the people here. I’ve just finished up two days of COY – the conference of youth, where hundreds of youth climate activists connected with each other, set up affinity groups and trained in preparation of the Conference. It was an inspiring experience to surround oneself with such amazing young leaders from all around the planet, and it provided an excellent primer for what is to come in the next two weeks.
The conference of youth was an energetic mix of informative workshops, skills training, open space, informal socializing and exhilarating keynotes. Especially inspiring was the closing talk by Kumi Naido the new director of Greenpeace International. He drew a bold connection between environmentalism and human rights, spoke from his personal experiences of organizing against apartheid in South Africa and told us to act boldly: unprecedented times call for unprecedented action and the young people of the world are already leading this climate movement.
Yesterday, I picked up my registration badge and explored the Bella Center, I was impressed with the venue, however when I tried to exit, the man at the info booth informed me that there was a suspicious package which had temporarily closed down the entrance. It turned out to be a forgotten suitcase filled with clothes, but it providided a great deal of attention for the day before the conference even began.
Today is the plenary, youth Flashdance and some other workshops. Many people are still just arriving in the city, which is a beautiful mix of old and new. Segregated bike infrastructure makes me very happy, as does the super modern and efficient transit system. These two features are at the heart of a sustainable city, I hope world leaders are taking note.