[This post is part of a series offered by IECA members attending COP22 in Marrakech.]

This is my 8th consecutive Conference of the Parties (COP) on climate change.  As I have observed the UNFCCC negotiations for the past few years, I have experienced the turmoil of Copenhagen, the salvation at Cancun, the Goundhog Day pace in Doha, and the celebration in Paris.  I arrived in Marrakech from Philadelphia, after the US national election and the National Communication Association conference.  I wondered how the prospect of a Trump US Presidency would affect work at COP 22.

[This post is part of a series offered by IECA members attending COP22 in Marrakech.]

Today, Giles Dodson and I (along with 500 or so others) listened to US Secretary of State John Kerry talk about climate change at the UNFCCC.  Interestingly, we didn't know he was going to be speaking until this morning, but as soon as I saw that he would be talking, I knew I wanted to attend.  I never got to see him speak when he was running for president, so it was exciting to see him talk in person.

While many have well founded fears that a Trump presidency will pull out of the Paris agreements on climate change, John Kerry was inspiringly optimistic.  At one point, he said that he did not believe that actions already put in place would be able to be reversed.  He talked about the importance of the private sector and the many actions already being implemented to address climate change mitigation and adaptation.  He noted that while government leadership is important, actions taken around the world by businesses, communities, and many other actors are essential to dealing with climate change, particularly at the local level.

[This post is part of a series offered by IECA members attending COP22 in Marrakech.]

In addition to what Giles wrote about yesterday´s side event, it is worth mentioning the complex bureaucracy that continues to grow after each COP. It is hard work to navigate in the mist of acronyms. Dr. Saleemul Huq called for a more empathetic and human forms of meetings -beyond the acronyms- which can strengthen cooperation and exchange of knowledge and ideas. This side event was a vibrant example of the latter. I hope the discussion will go on.

Another inspiring meeting was RINGO´s (another acronym) briefing to observers this morning. http://www.ringos.net/  In a collaborative and democratic way the content of a written statement was discussed and revised. I highly appreciated "critical thinking" which apparently is written for the first time in the kind of statements they do, and what they have done (irregularly) since the COP 2002. it also has a bearing on the discussion of the role of universities in capacity building activities that Giles brought up.

Eva