I study the international politics of climate change, but nothing prepared me for the scale of my first COP. The venue in Belém stretched about a mile, with events, exhibits and live negotiations everywhere – a “jungle within a jungle,” as another attendee put it. It was a rare look into how outcomes like the Paris Agreement are written, and what is left unwritten.

COP is a two-week expo and I was there in Brazil for the first week with support from the Salata Institute and my alma mater, the National University of Singapore.

I spent the week surveying and interviewing attendees about climate justice, observing negotiations and attending side events. But it was the serendipitous encounters that taught me the most. Three lessons stood out.

Climate justice is central and multifaceted. Questions of fair process and outcomes cut across issues from North-South finance to inclusive representation. My research examines how people judge the fairness of COP and how that influences international cooperation on climate change. Conversations with youth leaders and negotiators exposed gaps and contexts that I had not anticipated.

Indigenous participation must be substantive, not symbolic. Indigenous people were a visible presence in Belém, but their influence on outcomes was not guaranteed. A Brazilian community leader I spoke with via Google Translate was skeptical that his community’s needs would be taken seriously – a concern manifested in peaceful protests that closed access to the venue on the fifth day. Moving beyond symbolism requires listening, understanding, and turning representation into implementation.

Country pavilions are theaters of soft power. Beyond formal talks, countries project influence through their pavilions and programming. The absence of a U.S. delegation contrasted with crowded spaces furnished by Brazil and China. Sweden billed itself “the climate matchmaker,” and Singapore ran technical workshops on carbon markets. Resource disparities were clear: Smaller delegations, with fewer events, were tucked into quieter corners.

Back in Boston, watching COP wrap up from afar, I’m struck by how quickly theory gives way to the messy reality of negotiation. Attending is a privilege. I hope my research informs future policies that make the process and the outcome more inclusive.

Jing Ling Tan is a doctoral student in the Department of Government at Harvard University.