Annika Barron
Major: Neuroscience and Behavior, and Global Affairs
Minor: Catholic Social Tradition
Annika was an official UN Climate Observer at COP 27. This means that she had the credentials to sit in on the important climate negotiations happening between the 197 parties present at the conference. In addition, she was also able to engage with the US State Department as an observer from the US and attend a multitude of informational panels and events hosted by organizations in attendance at the conference.
Annika says, "To say that this was a transformational experience would be an understatement. Not only did this experience help me to understand my own position within the climate crisis and what I might do about it in the future, it also helped me to grow and understand the world in a more global way. I was able to witness diplomatic processes and understand the ways in which diplomacy shapes the way different countries work together to solve problems that our world faces. At the same time, however, I was challenged to think more deeply about who had the most say in these processes and the greatest presence at the conference. I was able to see how broad action by governments as well as the local push of implementers and activists were both essential for change to happen."