Progress on climate issues may be slow but COP remains the best mechanism for pressuring governments to make the changes needed to avert catastrophe. COP, or the Conference of the Parties, represents an annual global gathering dedicated to addressing the dire existential threat posed by the climate crisis. This intergovernmental event, however, is a source of considerable controversy, primarily due to the perceived lack of substantial progress in combating the climate catastrophe. Since its inception in 1995, each COP has yielded only incremental reductions in emissions. The grand-scale, systemic transformations necessary to achieve the objectives set forth in the Paris Agreement still appear frustratingly distant. Nevertheless, it’s essential to acknowledge the formidable challenges in reaching consensus on climate issues among 198 participating countries. Remarkably, COP has achieved some pivotal milestones, most notably the Paris Agreement. Therefore, despite its concerningly sluggish pace, COP remains the most potent mechanism for exerting pressure on governments to instigate the profound changes needed to either restrict global warming to 1.5°C or, at the very least, to remain within the 2°C threshold. Formally, COP assumes the role of the supreme decision-making body within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and its subsidiary agreements. The UNFCCC, which came into force in March 1994, seeks to forestall perilous human interference with the climate system. It underscores the necessity of achieving this objective within a time frame that allows ecosystems to naturally adapt to climate change, safeguards food production, and promotes sustainable economic development. The objective is not to halt global warming entirely, which is no longer feasible, but to mitigate and adapt to its negative impacts to prevent greater catastrophe. Today, the UNFCCC boasts nearly universal membership, with 198 countries that have ratified the convention designated as parties. During COP gatherings, all parties convene to scrutinise convention implementation and forge decisions imperative to its effective execution, including institutional and administrative arrangements. These decisions are included in COP output documents such as the “Glasgow Climate Pact” and the “Sharm El Sheikh Implementation Plan”. Decisions are reached by consensus, which enables individual nations to exert substantial, often disproportionate, influence. Over the years, significant resistance has emanated from prominent developed nations such as the US, Russia, China and Australia, often underpinned by economic concerns. In part, this is because the convention primarily assigns the responsibility of leadership in global action to developed nations, which have consented to support climate change initiatives by providing financial aid, knowledge, and technology to less-developed nations. This is because the world’s most vulnerable nations are on the frontline of the climate crisis, suffering disproportionately, yet contribute the least to carbon emissions. The precise scope and mechanisms for such support remain subjects of heated debate, with the Global Environment Facility presently overseeing a system of grants and loans. Notably, COP27 in Sharm El-Sheik established a Loss and Damage Fund to compensate less-developed nations for the harm caused by emissions that have largely come from industrialised nations, although the timeline for its operationalisation remains uncertain, leading many to fear it may come too late for many vulnerable countries and communities. COP meetings convene annually, unless parties decide otherwise. The inaugural COP meeting was held in Berlin in March 1995. The rotation of the COP presidency mirrors the five recognised UN regions (Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central and Eastern Europe, and Western Europe and Others). As a result, there’s a propensity for the venue to alternate among these groups. For instance, Australia has tendered a bid to host COP31 in 2026 in partnership with Pacific Nations. On the ground at COP, there’s a whirlwind of activity, divided between negotiations and the pavilion areas, which are characterised by the simultaneous occurrence of hundreds of sessions. The negotiations predominantly centre on the countries (parties) involved, leaving civil society participants – comprising researchers, non-profit organisations, activists, youth, Indigenous communities, business leaders, and other stakeholders – on the periphery of decision-making proceedings. These stakeholders often find themselves stationed in an expo-style zone adjacent to the formal negotiations, where they showcase their work and attempt to influence proceedings.