Wrapping up Copenhagen

The Copenhagen Climate Summit ended not with a bang, but with a whimper.  Whether it was a failure or not depends on whether you're a one-quarter full or three-quarters empty kind of person, but I don't think anyone would declare it a rousing success.

Certainly from the perspective of business, it did not achieve the clarity that we might have hoped for to really accelerate investment in low-carbon technologies and business models. This has been amply reflected in the market prices for carbon allowances in the past two weeks. But neither does it stop us or even slow us down.  Opinions are still divided as to whether it raises or lowers changes for a U.S. climate bill.

On a personal level, I raised the question In my first blog from Copenhagen (yes, if you must nit-pick, it was from Sweden) of whether it will have been worthwhile for me as an employee of EMC and for me as, well, myself.   I must admit - I feel selfish even thinking about it when what was at stake was nothing short of the global ecosystem. But I spent the money, and invested the time, and I owe an answer to my employer as well as to you and me - and my husband.

So here it is: yes. It was worth it. Not an unqualified 'yes', but a definite one.

Without a doubt, the biggest benefit was the networking, which can be further subdivided into several types:

• Direct NGO Networking - I was able to introduce myself and EMC to, and engage in discussion with, people from organizations with which we're working now or may be working in the future. It was an excellent opportunity to lay the groundwork for and build on relationships with various NGOs that could factor in future sustainability initiatives at EMC.
• Peer Networking - I had the chance to spend time with my peers from other companies both within the IT industry and without. As always, I came back with a sack full of good ideas, as well as stronger relationships that could turn into collaborations over time. (I do hope my peers feel the same way!).
• Unfocused Networking - then there were the many people I met with whom I may never cross paths again. But I might. You never know, and sometimes it is the unexpected encounters with people whom you'd once met under conditions of adversity that can prove the most fruitful. At the very least, it expanded my understanding of what's happening around the world, and considering the global nature both of EMC and of my job, that is no bad thing.

Relationships were not the only basis for value from the trip. I learned a lot and validated some of my understanding - in particular about REDD+, about the negotiating process (or lack thereof) undertaken by the UNFCCC, about the implications for business of different aspects of climate legislation (technology transfer and intellectual property rights, border measures, CDM (Clean Development Mechanism), etc.), and about various models and opportunities for partnerships between business and the non-profit community.

On an individual level, it was definitely worthwhile. Completely independent of my role at EMC, I also have the pleasure of serving on the board of an environmental non-profit called EcoLogic Development Fund, an organization focused on community-based conservation in Central America. Everything I said above about networking and learning for my role at EMC will help me do a better job for this worthy organization, too.

And aside from any organizational value, I'm personally glad I went. I'd never before had the pleasure of seeing Copenhagen and its beautiful buildings and striking art. Nor had I stepped foot in Iceland or Sweden. Or met people from Gabon, or Fiji, or Papua New Guinea. My conversations with so many and varied national delegates, representatives of social and environmental organization, students, sustainability professionals, and artists were nothing short of inspiring.

Being exposed to a broader range of cultures, to optimists and idealists who devote their lives and energy to making positive change from inside the system and out, to projects that have made a difference in people's lives, and to first hand stories of both devastation and triumph - these have to have made me a better Director of Sustainability, a better employee, and a better person.

Would I go again? You bet. Only next time, I'm wearing comfy shoes.

Comments

[Kathrin]

Thank you, Wouter. I do indeed feel privileged to be in this role - and wish for all the same things (insight, luck, and strength) for me, for my team, and for my colleagues throughout industry.

Happy New Year,
Kathrin

[Wouter Murrath]

In short: congratulations. From your blog, I can detect committment to the subject, both from private as corporate point of view. I wish you all the insight, luck and strength to create mountains of awareness throughout EMC, even without the success that we've hoped for in Copenhagen. You are in a priviliged position to show the public and the politicians that corporations DO care about this.