‘The main negotiations happen behind the scenes, where foreign ministers are having real conversations, none of which anybody gets to see. Then you have the formal negotiations, which are 100 negotiators looking at a screen with a Word document, debating commas. Then you have these rooms off to the side, where governments and groups host little conferences and panels. In Lima there was a US pavilion where they were excitedly showcasing satellite technology that could take high-quality images of climate impacts around the world. It was like being on the Titanic, and saying: “We’re not going to stop the boat from sinking but we’re going to get some really awesome footage.”’
‘I went to a side event promoting carbon markets. A Bolivian woman raised her hand and I translated for her. It was a really difficult situation, because she was expressing how carbon markets were hurting her community, being imposed on people who had no sovereignty over their land, and she was understandably becoming emotional. But the people running the meeting said “OK, thank you for your contribution,” and just moved on. She was crying and saying “this affects me, my life, my people” but her reality didn’t fit into their technocratic discussion.’
