BELEM, Brazil – A defining experience of my time in Belem for the UN climate change conference COP30 took place outside the negotiation halls. 

During the summit, which ran from Nov 10 to 22, I watched countries debate the wording of responsibilities and timelines, sometimes focusing on a single phrase or paragraph. 

But it was the encounters I had with the locals living in the nearby Amazon rainforest that helped me realise how these discussions translate into actual consequences for people.

During a learning journey to Combu Island, an island in the Amazon rainforest near Belem, I sat inside a wooden stilt home and listened to locals describing how climate change affected their lives. 

Residents pointed to watermarks showing how the river has risen. A farmer described how acai, a berry consumed in the region, no longer ripens predictably. Parents shared that sudden floods make it difficult for teachers from Belem City to travel to Combu Island to teach local youth. 

Before I left, a resident named Luca placed his ring in my hand as a keepsake of the time we spent together. He said: “Tell your friends in Singapore not to forget about our people.”

The annual UN climate conferences bring around 200 countries together to negotiate how the world should respond to climate change. 

During these meetings, nations review progress made since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015, and discuss other issues, such as the types of support countries need to adapt. 

The decisions made there can influence national policies and shape how communities experience climate impact in their daily lives.

Prior to attending COP30, my understanding of climate change negotiations and agreements was limited to policy readings and the classes I attended as a student at the National University of Singapore. 

However, observing negotiations in person was eye-opening, as the discussions can be co...