By the Sustainability Office

It is easy to be cynical. It’s hard to escape any day without the weight of the world creeping into our thoughts, our conversations, or even our dreams. It can be overwhelming.

And yet …

We are not alone. We are thankful for the world leaders who committed to important steps to reduce the threats of climate change earlier this month at COP26, the annual climate change summit. We are thankful for the protesters pushing, demanding that countries do more to protect communities. And we are most thankful to those engaging in the everyday work to address climate change, systemic racism, environmental degradation and countless other complex issues where change is desperately needed.

It is easy to be cynical. But it is also easy to be grateful.

Jessica Chaplain, PhD student in Communication at the U, attended COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland at the beginning of November. Below is a highlight of her experience inside and outside the event center.

Chaplain poses in front of a welcome display at COP26.

These posters hung in the Green Zone, which was the area of COP26 anyone could enter and was dedicated to researchers and civil society members.

The Action Hub in the Blue Zone was an event space at COP26. It had music and side events. It was also a place for people to work.

Indigenous women gave speeches at a protest outside the COP26 venue to raise awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women. The rally was right outside the front gate to make sure those those entering the summit would hear about the issue.

Minga Indigena—an international collective that brings together communities throughout the Americas to discuss shared experiences of colonialism, extractive industries, and climate injustices—hosted a session at COP26. The group centers Indigenous knowledges and experiences.

This discussion focused on migration associated with climate change, specifically within South Asia. Speakers described solutions for addressing loss and damage caused by extreme weather events.

Extinction Rebellion, an international non-violent environmental movement, hosted a protest outside the entrance of COP26 to highlight the death and destruction enabled by climate inaction.