An Ode to Canberra and the Spaces Between

By Linda Le, Global Voices Policy COP30 Fellow

I arrived in Canberra for Global Voices' Pre-Departure Briefing on a crisp Monday morning. All my life, I had believed Canberra was a city of government buildings, public servants and official meetings. Yet, what I found was so much more.

In Canberra, I saw a complex web that connects formal institutions with informal human networks. Our Pre-Departure Briefing highlighted that climate progress is not a matter of will but also of navigating a tangle of competing interests, regulatory complexities and political caution.

Recurring themes across the formal sessions included the constant struggle between ambition and the slow-moving machinery of governance. Some of the sessions also covered the role of innovation and courage.

We were also introduced to the complexities of the COP negotiation process: a slow, often frustrating quest for consensus among nearly 200 nations where parties’ attempts to achieve a common denominator may stifle climate ambition if improperly managed. 

What struck me most throughout this was how much the process depends on relationship-building, patience and subtle interpersonal dynamics. I also came to realise that it is in the space between formal negotiations where breakthroughs so often happen - in informal hallway chats, over shared meals and during strategy sessions before, during and after COP. This diplomacy feels both crucial and fragile. It demands skills beyond policy expertise: empathy, cultural sensitivity and patience.

Canberra also revealed the often-overlooked human cost and emotional labour behind climate policy. Conversations with senior parliamentarians, policy advisers and civil society also highlighted that the people behind the politics are equally capable of doubt, exhaustion and despair as anyone else. Understanding this complexity helps temper simplistic narratives that paint policymakers as villains or heroes. Instead, it invites a more compassionate and strategic approach to advocacy where patience is much needed.

However, between these tensions and lessons, the greatest revelation came from the relationships I built with other youth fellows. It is such a privilege to occupy the vantage point we do, with unprecedented access to domestic and global decision-making, and I am forever grateful to Global Voices for creating this space for us to connect.

In a movement often fractured by the scale and urgency of climate change, these personal bonds formed in the spaces between official agendas were transformative. We shared stories from across the country, spoke frankly about our frustrations and hopes and challenged each other to think deeper. I will forever look back fondly on many shared memories in the spaces in between, including wonton soup inhaled in less than five minutes (record-breaking), late-night treks to the local supermarket for fruit (our healthier take on the classic Maccas run) and quiet moments of reflection which stretched into the night long after the formal sessions had ended.

In many ways, Canberra was not just a stop on the way to COP30: it was an invitation to inhabit the space between, as uncertain and complicated as they may sometimes be, and to do so together. After all, the space between is where the future of climate action will ultimately be shaped.

Navigating these spaces demands nothing less than courage and I cannot wait to answer this call.

-------

The views and opinions expressed by Global Voices Fellows do not necessarily reflect those of the organisation or its staff.