Dubai: The last 12 days flew by at Expo City Dubai, the venue of the COP28. On the last day of my visit to the Expo to cover stories, I had the most pleasant surprise.
At the Al Forsan Gate, a security guard welcomed me by my name. I was not hanging my pass on my neck for him to get a glimpse of my name. In fact, I was not holding my card. But he said: “Good morning Ms. Anjana.”
It brought a smile to my face. Registering his name - Joseph - I told him that he made my day.
In a nutshell, COP28 spelled connectivity and inclusivity for me – whether among ministers, delegates, journalists or other visitors, there was a special connection. This made the UAE edition of Conference of Parties of UNFCCC a true success.
COP28 was really unique in many ways for the number of “firsts” witnessed at the climate conference. As an example, COP28 hosted the first fashion show to celebrate sustainability in the industry. For the first time a climate conference of such a massive level was made accessible to the public and this truly signified what UAE as a country is all about.
A British family of five just loved their visit to the climate conference. The Laughtons - Katherine, 36, Freddie, 37 and their children Bertie (8), Theo (6) and Barney (2) were thrilled to be exploring the 2023 edition of the Conference of Parties of UNFCCC. Their biggest takeaway was the knowledge they gained as a family at the Knowledge Hub. Bertie vowed to switch off lights every time he left his room.
Another Australian family, the Hamiltons - Gemma, 40, John, 47, and their seven-month-old baby - were also at COP28. It was such a treat seeing the family with their little baby at Dubai Expo City for a climate conference event.
The Laventures too – Sarah and her children Annabelle 9, Sophia 9 and Alexander 6 – cherished their visit. For them, recycling is a big part of their lifestyle – and they unanimously agreed that after COP28, they will make bigger sustainable changes.
