Where You Lived, And What You Lived For

My hope for COP29 is that it will spark a fundamental shift in how we perceive the relationship between humans and the natural world. Too often, we separate ourselves from nature, drawing a line between the artificial and the natural, the human and the environment. This dissonance fosters a fragmented and oversimplified understanding of our role on the planet. I hope COP29 can challenge this mindset, encouraging a broader realisation that human innovation and nature are deeply interconnected. Once we recognize this on a larger scale, we can better imagine and implement solutions that are sustainable for the planet and all life it supports.

My fear, however, is that this false separation will persist—that we will continue to address the climate crisis with the same fragmented mindset. By maintaining the artificial boundary between the “natural” and the “human,” we risk failing to confront the root causes of our environmental challenges. Beyond political and practical solutions, I also fear the absence of an artistic or philosophical agenda in addressing the crisis. Without deeper reflection through art, philosophy, and culture, we risk overlooking the emotional and conceptual shifts necessary for lasting change. A purely political approach may fall short without these perspectives to help us reimagine our place within the natural world.