COP 28 Interview Series

From Food Lover to Agricultural Enthusiast

Beginning in 1995, the United Nations Climate Change Conference helps governments from all around the world to agree on policies that limit temperature rises and adapt to impacts associated with climate change. This year, it was held from November 30th to December 13th in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. I’m Mona, a GYP journalist, and I had the chance to speak to one of the keynote speakers of the Global Youth Philanthropy side event: Hanxuan Wang.

Since 4th grade, Hanxuan has developed a strong interest in climate change. When his teacher presented a slideshow, he knew that he wanted to take action and took part in many small debates. He immediately asked about agricultural systems; these were the main subject of his COP28 speech. When asked why he decided to focus on food production, his answer was simple: “I like to eat a lot, and savor many different foods from around the world. So when I heard that climate change was a severe issue, I decided to focus on food production. This is because food is a very important aspect of our daily lives.” In his perspective, climate change is a global issue, and everyone needs to take action for it to ultimately be stopped. 

Hanxuan mentioned that it seems difficult to have ideal concepts for the combat against climate change to be implemented. As people have grown accustomed to the use of plastic bags, disregarding trash waste, and polluting the water environment, the longer time stretches on, the harder this problem will be to erase. As climate change is a battle for everyone in the long run, why not take action now?

Now endorsed by 143 countries, the 28th Conference Of Parties presently has a great impact on millions of people. The importance of this interview was to remind us that everyone can make a difference, no matter their influence.