This article was written by Elliott Lancaster, and he is the copyright owner.
Spirit of Peace trustee Elliott Lancaster attended COP28!
Here are some initial reflections from him.
My experience at COP28 has made a significant impact on me. I was able to learn about emerging technologies from many remarkable individuals.
I talked to several government ministers, scientists and industry leaders about our work to further our reach and impact.
Unfortunately, this was sadly lacking from an inter-governmental agreement perspective due to fossil fuel lobbyists being present at the event.
This is dramatically impacting my perspective on climate change by talking to heavily impacted individuals from indigenous and island-based communities.
This means I better understand the complexities around achieving net zero and the impact on well-being due to extreme weather events, pollution and mental health.
I made significant connections during the events, including industry leaders in my area of sustainable development.
This has started partnership discussions to further the outreach and engagement of these sustainability projects
In addition, I had conversations with the deputy secretary general of the United Nations and a director of education for UNESCO.
As part of these conversations, I understood the severe stress points of UN challenges in the global landscape.
Due to my advanced understanding, this means that I’m now able to tailor my approach further to improve social impact.
From talking with the secretary general of the Commonwealth, I was able to scope out the transferability of my current projects in two areas that need additional support.
In addition, I was able to meet education ministers from various countries through my established connections as a former Global Student Prize top ten finalist.
This enabled knowledge-sharing about how to improve youth empowerment and engagement at the secondary school level up to the university in interdisciplinary sustainability education.
Elliott Lancaster presenting at a COP28 event.