It’s official, today marks my last day working with Climate Tracker. It’s been one of the most exciting, fulfilling things I’ve done in the last three and a half years and has certainly opened a lot of doors and opportunities for me. Thanks to Josh and Chris who saw my potential three and a half years ago, when I had no idea how crazy it is to be working in the climate space.
In 2015, I applied for the Climate Tracker fellowship (then called Adopt A Negotiator) to go to the COP 21 in Paris. That year, I published my very first article on climate change at GMA News Online, “Why PNoy should prioritize climate change before his term ends.” After that, I couldn’t stop writing! I’ve published countless articles that year and my favourite one was this story on the plight of the people of Bataan against coal-fired power plants and this story on why climate change is a matter of human rights.
In September 2015, I was able to join the team with Anna, Andreas, and Chris at the UNFCCC intersessional. It was my first time in Europe and it was also my first time interviewing people inside the negotiations!
After that, I got invited by WEDO to join the October 2015 intersessionals and was a co-trainer on teaching their fellows how to give media interviews. It was part of their capacity building programme for their fellows to get ready for COP 21!
I did not expect to be recognized for anything, as I had only been doing what I have been doing at that time for only a few months, but in that same year, The Guardian also named me as one of the young climate campaigners to watch before the UN’s Paris Summit.
And in November I was chosen to be part of the team as one of the COP 21 fellows! At COP 21, I was there at the historic moment when the Paris Agreement was adopted — where everyone was crying and emotional for all the years of hard work. Of course everyone knew it was only the beginning, but it was a big step forward in ensuring that countries around the world do enough steps for climate action.
After COP 21, I became part of the full-time staff and helped in rebranding Adopt A Negotiator to Climate Tracker. Since then, I’ve gone to more negotiations and even started organising journalism workshops in different countries! I’ve helped organise climate journalism workshops in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and the Philippines in 2016 and 2017 and met many inspiring journalists in the Asia Pacific region!
It’s been a wonderful, exciting, fulfilling 3.5 years with Climate Tracker! But, we all need to expand beyond our comfort zones, explore new things, and continue to learn and expand ourselves. I will still be around, probably volunteering with Climate Tracker. Soon, I will be joining 350.org as Europe Media Campaigner and couldn’t be more excited to be part of big things happening in the climate space later in the year! See you around!
Renee Karunungan 