While I was reluctant that COP15 will be closed with a substantial agreement even before my arrival in Copenhagen, I at least hoped to meet a few established people in the world of politics. With a keen eye and acute hearing, I managed to meet ministers, governors, members of press and a small handful of Heads of States, including Danish Prime Ministers Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Swedish Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.

At the COP15, youth delegates had the chance to ask the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, who has a key position in the overall climate change negotiations at the conference. Dr. Pachauri informed that he should have been in Norway at President Obama’s Nobel Prize ceremony, however decided to stay in Denmark to speak at events like this to encourage youth leadership for climate change, stating that “youth can bring change.

As a British citizen living in London, I thought it smart to start my COP15 tour by attending an event related to my own country. Hosted by UK Trade & Investment, a panel of experts explored how the UK’s unique political, structural and economic conditions are perfect for fostering a low carbon future in business and industry. Leading a low carbon transition means business opportunities across all sectors as introduced by panelists who represented a cross section of business industries.

I had met Ed Miliband, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change at the Special Ralph Miliband lecture. This was my chance to really learn what the UK government is doing to combat climate change and how they plan to lead the negotiations at COP15 this December.

For the upcoming 15th Session of the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP15), Worldview Impact and The Environment Council arranged an informal roundtable discussion to discuss youth expectations and perspectives in London.