Reflections from COP29: A Personal Note on Hope

By: Geo Corneby, Green Empowerment’s SE Asia Program Director

“We have a shared humanity that should never be forgotten.”

I was honored to represent Green Empowerment at COP29 in November 2024, the largest global conference on climate action. On a personal level, my experience at COP was transformative, and I wanted to share some reflections and stories with you — our colleagues, friends, partners, and supporters in our Green Empowerment community.

Indigenous Communities: A Deep Commitment

One moment that will stay with me for the rest of my life was when an elderly man from Canada’s First Nations posed a question to a UN Rapporteur on human rights at the end of a panel discussion. He asked whether their communities were included in the UN’s definition of human rights:

Will the UN protect [Indigenous] treaty rights? Are [Indigenous communities] not considered vulnerable, as Canada is classified as a developed nation?

We often hear that Indigenous communities bear the highest risks and costs of climate change, despite contributing the least to its causes. I fear that with its repetition, the gravity of their situation might lose its meaning. At COP, procedural mechanisms have failed to adequately advance the interests of Indigenous communities, or commit the resources necessary for meaningful climate change adaptation. Yet, despite the odds stacked against them, Indigenous peoples are advancing time-tested solutions from their communities. 

Through Green Empowerment’s work, we’ve seen Indigenous groups protecting sea turtles and mangrove forests, enforcing conservation protocols in critical watersheds, and returning to age-old practices of water management.

I once heard an Indigenous leader say:

“We are not resource-starved. We are among the richest people in the world, if only you look at our ancestral lands. The difference is we did not choose to monetize them.”

When the world recognizes and honors their rights, Indigenous communities not only protect critical ecosystems, but they safeguard the future for all of us.

Hope in Action

With our Malaysia partners, I had the privilege of moderating the panel: Indigenous Climate Resilience: The Sabah RE2 Rural Electrification Journey. Our discussion centered on the Sabah RE2 Roadmap, an innovative climate program and an action plan to achieve 100% energy access in Sabah, Malaysia with community-based, renewable energy mini-grids.

Our panel discussion with Adrian Banie Lasimbang (Right Energy Partnership/TONIBUNG), Ayu Abdullah (Energy Action Partners), and Mikael Melin (Sustainable Energy for All) shed light on the many ways that renewable energy bolsters the agency and resilience of Indigenous communities that are on the front lines of climate change. Our consortium partner Energy Action Partners have done an excellent job summarizing the highlights of the discussion which can be found here: COP29 panel highlights.

Renewed Commitment to Our Mission

To our Green Empowerment family, thank you for standing with us and with our partner communities — conservation leaders, forest defenders, and steadfast stewards of the Earth. It was an honor to represent our community partners at COP and their ingenuity and leadership that are behind all our water and energy projects.

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