Receive first-hand, immersive training as a
Climate Observer
at the next UN climate summit
COP 29 in Baku.
Photo: Shutterstock 519727357, licensed by WCIU
Dates: Choose one; same program:
Nov. 10-17, 2024; Week One; or
Nov. 15-23, 2024; Week Two.
Location: Baku, Azerbaijan
Room & Board: lodging provided at “CCOP Base Camp,” site to be announced.
Cost: US$TBD; includes lodging, breakfasts, program fee, carbon offsets, and one team dinner. Participants are responsible for their airfare, food, and local transportation costs. Some need-based scholarships are available.
Sponsor: partnership administrative support provided by Eden Vigil Institute at William Carey International University
For Inquiries and Application: Click here for questions. Applications are open in June 2024. Click here for notification of when applications open.
You will share in the credentials of our Christian NGO observer organizations, officially recognized by the UNFCCC. This means that you will be granted access to the COP29 conference grounds, able to attend those meetings, briefings, workshops, or exhibits open to all observers. You will shadow seasoned professionals, experiencing firsthand the work of a climate summit, acquiring the skills of this important role in the Paris Process and building your own individualized plan for future climate action. Webinar classes before the COP, and daily debriefings during the COP will train you in a Christian perspective as CCOP seeks to train the next generation of climate observers.
“As surely as a molecule of CO2 stays in the atmosphere for 100 years, there will be a COP 29, 30, 31, etc., and the role of NGO observers will only grow in importance. How effective you will be at influencing decision-makers, or how faithfully you will bring the resources of Christ Jesus to bear, depends on the vision and training you cultivate now.”
--Lowell Bliss, CCOP Co-director
CCOP Co-founder Brian Webb first helped gather Christ-followers at COP21 in Paris in 2015 when the Paris Agreement was adopted. COP21 was our “proof of concept” for what CCOP could mean for “emerging leaders from under-mobilized constituencies.”
What does “COP” stand for anyway?
Part of your training will be in deciphering the many acronyms that have sprung up around climate action. The United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Action (UNFCCC) sponsors an annual Convention of the Parties (COP). The “Parties” are the national governments who participate in the Paris Agreement and who thus send negotiators to the COPs. “The Paris Process” is a term which refers to all the work that the nations do, during or outside the COPs, to advance the goals of the Paris Agreement.
What is a “Climate Observer”?
Only governments are parties to the Paris Agreement, but the UNFCCC recognizes that many others have a lot at stake as well. They call us “Non-Party Stakeholders.” “Observer” is an official term with a long history at the United Nations. Non-profit organizations, like our Christian ones, are given “Observer Status,” and are thus allowed to participate on a limited basis in the work of the UNFCCC. At a COP, the UNFCCC has invited us to “engage in:
developing position papers and making formal submissions;
holding bilaterals with government delegates;
showcasing and advocacy through press conferences and side events and exhibits;
making joint constituency statements in the plenaries; and
preparing for dialogues and briefings”
The most important work of an observer, however, is not done at a COP, but rather from a COP. We report back to our consitutencies (churches, denominations, schools, networks, etc) about what we observe in an attempt to more effectively mobilize everyone for climate action.
A Climate Observer who is a follower of Jesus, or who is observing on behalf of a Christian denomination or NGO has additional responsibilities we believe, namely to “interpret” what they observe through a biblical framework and to act prophetically and priestly. Christian Climate Observers learn through practice how to pray for the Paris Process. Special training will be given in inter-faith and ecumenical cooperation.
What is CCOP’s course of study?
CCOP’s purpose is “to train, including with a Christian perspective, a new generation of Observers for the Paris Process so that the Church may make the most effective contribution possible to all subsequent COPs.” Components of the training include:
Pre-COP29 webinars to situate your experience in the history, current status, and future challenges of the Paris Process.
Classes during the COP to introduce and gain practice in the five main activities of a Christian climate observer: advocacy, learning, networking, interpretation & communication, and prayer.
Shadowing experienced observers as they work at a COP.
Attending those events in the COP conference grounds or out in the city (meetings, workshops, press briefings, art installations, etc.) which most suit your interests.
Debriefing daily with experienced Christian observers, including coaching at the end of the week to help you devise your own plan for future climate action.
Devotional and prayer time to explore God’s mind regarding climate change.
Exposure to the 195 different nationalities represented at a COP, including to Muslim activists and Christians in whose region COP29 is being hosted.
What are the desired outcomes of CCOP?
That Christian participants will use COP29 as a means to “immerse” themselves in the world of climate action, becoming deeply motivated to engage further, with perhaps some participants finding a vocational calling to career or ministry.
That these participants, the future generation of Climate Observers, are trained to be as effective as possible in their roles, better equipped to influence decisionmakers and to mobilize the Church for climate action.
That these participants as Christians will have their callings rooted deeply in their faith, so that they may more effectively cooperate with God in his work, more fully deliver what they can uniquely bring in Christ to climate action, and be sustained in the power of the Holy Spirit when they grow weary and discouraged.
Who should apply to CCOP?
Can you imagine continuing on in Christian climate work, where this training or the “credential” of having attended a COP could benefit your future work, whether you ever end up as an official Observer again? If so, please consider applying. Students--university for sure, but also high school students on a case-by-case basis--are encouraged to apply, but so are older NGO workers, ministers, professionals, teachers, clergy, creation care practitioners, etc. The size of CCOP will be limited to the number of observer badges that the UNFCCC grants us, so admission will be competitive.
If you have any questions about whether CCOP may be suitable training for you, please write to info@ccopclimate.org.
At no other event in the world, save the Olympics we suppose, can you rub shoulders with every nationality, surrounding yourself with others who have their own unique perspective but who share your one same passion. Inspiration is in ready supply, and the chance encounters are thrilling. CCOP co-director Lowell Bliss takes a selfie with climate hero, Greta Thunberg of Sweden at COP 24 in Katowice, Poland.
Will there by coursework or homework?
Four-five scheduled webinars, beginning in September, will familiarize you with the history, current status, and future issues of the Paris Process. During the COP, you will meet with other participants for daily presentations. Coaching at the end will help you devise your individualized plan for future climate action. The main work of CCOP will be in the experience accompanied by debriefing with our veteran observers.
Can I get college credit for CCOP?
CCOP is considered “professional training,” and, upon request, you can be issued a certificate of completion, at your request. We are happy to work with your university or college if a semester-long internship or individual study is available to you. Lausanne Base Camp did host an intern at COP 21 who did receive college credit from a major US university, so there is precedent.
Are there any religious requirements?
Though not a requirement, most of our participants will give a general affirmation of the “Lausanne Covenant” available here:
https://www.lausanne.org/content/covenant/lausanne-covenant#cov
We also ask for your affirmation of the LWCCN’s “Jamaica Creation Care Call to Action” available here: https://www.lausanne.org/content/statement/creation-care-call-to-action
Will there be time for sightseeing?
You bet, especially during the weekend but also at times during the week. The host nation’s and the host city’s tourism bureaus are active in the exhibit hall.
Who are the sponsors and who are the facilitators?
CCOP is a collaboration of various partners listed on the home page of this website. The Eden Vigil Institute at William Carey International University will be our administrative sponsor and fiscal agent. Many of our partners have their own accreditation as Observer organizations with the UNFCCC, act as facilitators and may send their own staff and constituents.
FAQ
What are the differences in the dates?
A COP runs for two weeks. A “badge” (or permission for you to enter the COP) is only available for one week but not both. On the application, you’ll be asked to state your preference and availability for either week. Even among our instructors, some of us prefer the first week of a COP because hopefulness and energy level is high and access to people is greater. Heads of State are most likely to show up in Week One. Others prefer the sense of urgency and crowds of a second week, which is also when most Foreign Ministers show up and the work gets done. First week participants are asked to arrive a day before the official opening for registration purposes. All participants are asked to stay for COP’s middle weekend, or “Day Off” when many unique events, including often a climate march, take place in the city, and when opportunities to interact with other CCOP participants is greatest.
Can’t I just show up in Dubai and have my own “climate change experience” at COP 28?
Many people do come to a COP city (like Madrid in 2019 or Glasgow in 2021) without having the UNFCCC observer credentials. There are some events in the city that are open to the public, and you can hang out with such groups as Greenpeace, but access is denied to the COP conference grounds. We are afraid you will find your COP experience disappointing. COPs also tend to be big and overwhelming so that all participants, even those with observer status, benefit from a program or organization that is aware of the many offerings and who can “curate” a schedule.
Do I need a visa to visit Baku?
Yes, you will need a current passport and a visa, often issued through special channels for a COP. CCOP2024 will provide details about how to apply once the Azerbaijani government makes their announcement.
