Belém COP30 Diary

A whirlwind first day in Belém for COP30! 

The journey started at Dulles, and thankfully, the TSA lines were totally smooth despite the shutdown. It was a long travel day with a quick layover in Bogota and then an overnight flight, but I landed as the sun was rising around 5:30 am. I found a taxi and made it to the apartment by 6:30 am. Given my no-sleep-on-planes condition, I decided to get a few hours of sleep before heading to the venue.

After waking up, I ironed everything out on the kitchen table. Heading to the venue, I decided to ditch the suit jacket and I am glad I did! The organizers actually made an official announcement that it’s more casual due to the intense heat and humidity here. It is hot and sweaty, with sudden downpours keeping things interesting. Security was quick, and checking in for my badge was a breeze and then I went to find the lay of the land, get water, track down some food, and locate the air conditioning! 

It wasn’t long before I started running into familiar faces. It’s one of the best parts of COP—catching up with friends from across the globe you only see once a year. Just as I left the venue, I got a text about Governor Newsom showing up at a pavilion. I raced back through security to catch it…which really got me sweating! My girlfriend gave me a portable fan before I left and it has been an absolute lifesaver and great for making friends! Gov. Newsom and his entourage arrived a little late, spoke quickly about the crucial need for U.S. climate leadership, and were whisked away.