In the early hours of Nov 15, before her departure from Brazil's industrial center of Sao Paulo to its port city Belem, where she was scheduled to speak at three COP30 events later that day, Yang Yuntong learned on a WeChat group about the trouble other Chinese attendees were facing due to airline overbooking.
Yang never imagined that she would be at the receiving end of this chaos. But she was. She was denied boarding at the gate, and her frantic efforts to reach Belem resulted in a barely acceptable alternative — a flight departing much later from Sao Paulo's other airport.
What should have been a little over three hours in the air turned into a 10-hour ordeal, and Yang missed all three of her scheduled events. Undeterred, the senior official of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, a Chinese automaker based in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, found another way to participate in the events: she recorded three video messages while waiting for her new flight.
Yang was not the only Chinese attendee to the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to have had such a "dramatic" experience. Many others encountered unexpected travel disruptions and some even faced an evacuation after a fire broke out at the conference venue.
11 月 15 日凌晨，在即将从巴西工业中心圣保罗飞往港口城市贝伦之际，杨韵仝得知了一个消息。她原本计划当天在贝伦举办的三场联合国气候变化大会（COP30）相关活动中发言，却在微信群里看到其他中国参会者因航空公司超售机票陷入困境。
杨韵仝从未想过，自己也会卷入这场混乱。在登机口，她被拒绝登机。几经周折，她才找到一个勉强可行的替代方案 —— 从圣保罗的另一个机场搭乘晚些时候起飞的航班前往贝伦。
原本三个多小时的航程，最终变成了一场长达 10 小时的煎熬，杨韵仝也因此错过了全部三场既定活动。但这位来自浙江吉利控股集团（总部位于浙江杭州的中国汽车制造商）的高管并未气馁，她在等候新航班时录制了三段视频寄语，以别样的方式参与到活动中。
在这场联合国气候变化框架公约第三十次缔约方大会上，有过这般 “戏剧性” 经历的中国参会者并非杨韵仝一人。不少人遭遇了突发的行程中断，甚至有部分参会者因会议场馆突发火灾而紧急疏散。
The challenges notwithstanding, the attendees showcased diverse and creative approaches to engaging with the UN climate conference — from games to songs and traditional painting. These unconventional mediums not only helped forge stronger connections between China and the global climate community, but also encouraged further climate action in China and abroad.
Yang's journey from Hangzhou to Sao Paulo took her almost two days. She first traveled to Shanghai by high-speed train, and then changed flights in Frankfurt, Germany, and Belo Horizonte, the third largest city in Brazil, to reach her penultimate destination before Belem.
Despite all the troubles, Yang, senior director of sustainability, ESG (environmental, social and governance) management and sustainable development of the group, said that representing Chinese automakers at the highest-level annual gathering on climate was "profoundly meaningful" for her company.
"From our perspective as a company, whether we want to promote ESG goals or sustainable development, the issue at the core is always about fighting climate change and reducing carbon emissions. So participation at a COP summit is not an option; it is a necessity," she said.
尽管面临重重挑战，中国与会者仍以丰富多元、富有创意的方式参与这场联合国气候大会 —— 从趣味游戏到主题歌曲，再到传统绘画，形式不拘一格。这些创新的交流载体，不仅推动中国与全球气候治理圈建立更紧密的联结，更带动国内外各方进一步投身气候变化应对行动。
杨韵仝从杭州前往圣保罗的行程耗时近两天。她先搭乘高铁抵达上海，随后辗转德国法兰克福、巴西第三大城市贝洛奥里藏特，最终抵达贝伦之前的倒数第二站。
作为吉利控股集团可持续发展、ESG（环境、社会和公司治理）管理与可持续发展部门的高级总监，杨韵仝表示，尽管旅途波折不断，但能代表中国汽车企业参与这场全球最高规格的年度气候盛会，对公司而言 “意义非凡”。
“站在企业的角度，无论是推进 ESG 目标还是践行可持续发展理念，核心议题始终是应对气候变化、减少碳排放。因此，参与缔约方大会并非可选项，而是必答题。” 她说道。
Diverse participation
多元力量共赴盛会
Yang Peidan, executive director of C Team, an NGO based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, said that although not many Chinese attendees experienced travel difficulties as severe as Yang Yuntong's, she has heard of disruptions caused by flight cancellations due to mechanical problems in the aircraft and by flight delays due to various reasons.
A regular participant in the UN climate summit since 2018, the senior NGO official administers a dedicated WeChat group for attendees almost every year and is, therefore, familiar with the common circumstances Chinese participants face.
She noted that most Chinese attendees had to take at least three flights to reach Belem, so any disruption to even one leg of the trip turned the entire journey into a logistical nightmare. Nevertheless, the turnout of Chinese participants at COP30 exceeded her expectations, she said.
The WeChat group Yang Peidan co-launched with her friends in August reached its 500-member cap surprisingly fast. She said she was also impressed by the diverse Chinese participation at this year's summit, and the crucial role these participants played in amplifying the call for climate action.
One standout example was the Boke Foundation, which showcased its SDG Hero board game. This innovative game, designed to educate users about sustainable development goals through gamified learning, became a hit at the conference, attracting attention from global educators and delegates, according to Yang Peidan.
来自广东深圳的非政府组织大道应对气候变化促进中心执行董事杨培丹表示，虽然遭遇像杨韵仝那般严重行程阻碍的中国参会者不算多数，但她也听闻不少人因飞机机械故障导致航班取消，或是因各类原因延误行程。
自 2018 年起，杨培丹便常年参与联合国气候大会。这位非政府组织资深负责人几乎每年都会牵头组建参会者专属微信群，因此十分了解中国参会者面临的常见困境。
她指出，多数中国参会者都需要至少转机三次才能抵达贝伦，因此，哪怕行程中某一段航班出现变动，整个旅途都会陷入极大的调度困境。不过，本届 COP30 的中国参会人数还是超出了她的预期。
今年 8 月，杨培丹与友人共同发起的参会者微信群，竟在短时间内就满员 500 人。她还提到，中国参会群体的多元构成让她印象深刻，而这些参与者也在呼吁气候行动的过程中发挥了关键作用。
其中一个亮眼案例来自波克基金会 —— 该机构在大会上展出了自主研发的《SDG HERO游戏英雄物语》桌游。据杨培丹介绍，这款以游戏化学习模式普及联合国 17 项可持续发展目标的创新桌游，在会场大受欢迎，吸引了全球教育界人士与各国代表的广泛关注。
Breaking barriers
以创意打破沟通壁垒
Launched by the Boke Foundation in 2021, the SDG Hero program uses fun, game-based learning to teach children and young people the UN's 17 sustainable development goals. The game turns complex global issues such as poverty, climate change and health challenges into engaging problems for players to design solutions.
The game's multilingual interface, including English and Spanish, makes it a prime example of China's cultural output on the global stage, Yang Peidan said.
Her memories of a song especially composed for COP30 by Plant Technology Alliance, a Chinese-initiated global community dedicated to promoting sustainable development transformation through education and innovation, remain fresh.
The song was presented at the conference in video format featuring collaborative relay-style performance by 123 children from around the world, and was also performed in two events participated by children of a local school and delegations outside the summit venue.
波克基金会于 2021 年推出《SDG HERO游戏英雄物语》项目，通过趣味化的游戏学习形式，向儿童与青少年传授联合国 17 项可持续发展目标的内涵。这款桌游将贫困、气候变化、健康保障等复杂的全球性议题，转化为玩家可参与设计解决方案的趣味挑战。
杨培丹表示，该游戏支持英语、西班牙语等多语言操作界面，是中国文化产品走向国际舞台的生动范例。
另一个令她记忆犹新的场景，是由 “pta植物联盟” 为 COP30 量身打造的一首主题歌曲。该联盟是由中方发起的全球性公益平台，致力于通过教育与创新推动可持续发展转型。
这首歌曲以视频形式在大会上亮相，由来自全球各地的 123 名儿童接力演唱。此外，当地一所学校的学生与部分参会代表团还在会场外的两场活动中现场演绎了这首歌。
The lyrics of the song say it all:"Love never ends. Hand in hand, we'll plant the seed. One world, one family we need. Finish meals, waste no more. Share your toys, value what's stored. Turn off taps, save the water. Turn off lights, save the power. Little hands can do so much. Heal the world with gentle touch."
Cheng Dan, co-founder and director of Plant Technology Alliance, who wrote the song, said the idea was sparked by climate-themed music she heard from African attendees at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, last year.
Drafted by March, the song was finalized in May, before being shared publicly to invite participation, she said, adding that the response was enthusiastic, with video submissions from more than 100 countries, which were then curated into a collaborative performance.
The song became instrumental in mobilizing people from across the globe for collective climate action, Cheng noted.
歌曲的歌词传递出满满的暖意与力量：“爱无止境，携手播撒希望的种子。共守一个地球，同属一个家园。光盘行动，杜绝浪费。分享玩具，珍惜所藏。随手关水，节约点滴。及时熄灯，省电节能。小小的双手，能做许多事。以温柔之举，治愈这个世界。”
这首歌曲的创作者、pta植物联盟联合创始人兼总监程丹表示，创作灵感源于去年在阿塞拜疆巴库举办的 COP29 大会上，她听到的一首由非洲参会者带来的气候主题歌曲。
程丹透露，歌曲于今年 3 月开始创作，5 月定稿，随后通过公开征集的方式邀请全球人士参与演唱。活动反响热烈，最终收到了来自 100 多个国家的演唱视频，并被剪辑整合为一支合唱作品。
程丹指出，这首歌曲成为动员全球各界人士携手应对气候变化的重要纽带。
Featuring children from Asia, Africa, Europe and other regions, the music video boasted six languages including Chinese, she said, recalling that many visitors to their booth, where the song played on a loop, asked which country they were from, as the video didn't particularly focus only on Chinese elements.
Cheng said they printed the lyrics of the song, along with a QR code link to the music video, on the back of stickers. Many people who took the stickers later expressed their enthusiasm to learn the song.
"I believe the song's reach extends beyond borders, because music has no boundaries," she said. "It brings together people from different countries and of different skin colors, connecting them and moving them."
Songs serve as an excellent tool for breaking barriers, Cheng said, adding that although many people around her initially showed little interest in climate change, she managed to engage them on the issue with the help of her music.
她回忆道，这支音乐视频汇聚了亚洲、非洲、欧洲等地区的儿童，采用了包括中文在内的六种语言演唱。在联盟的展位上，这首歌循环播放，不少驻足参观者都询问他们来自哪个国家 —— 因为视频并未刻意突出中国元素。
程丹团队还将歌词与音乐视频的二维码印制在贴纸背面，不少领取贴纸的人后续都表达了学唱这首歌的浓厚兴趣。
“我相信，音乐无国界，这首歌曲的影响力也早已跨越了地域的限制。” 她说道，“它将不同国家、不同肤色的人们凝聚在一起，以旋律为桥，联结彼此，触动人心。”
程丹认为，音乐是打破沟通壁垒的绝佳工具。她坦言，身边不少人起初对气候变化议题兴趣寥寥，但通过音乐的感染力，她成功让更多人开始关注并参与到这项事业中。
Jiang Xinyu, who is majoring in English at Tsinghua University and is a representative of the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate, also turned to art to advocate for climate action at the summit, choosing traditional Chinese painting as a bridge to build connections.
The alliance was launched in 2019, with Tsinghua as its inaugural chair.
Despite attending an exchange program in Canada, Jiang's journey to Belem was no less demanding than that of her peers at Tsinghua. She flew from Toronto to Bogota in Colombia, and then to Sao Paulo before arriving in the host city for COP30.
The significant time difference between China and Canada made it extremely challenging for her to coordinate with other representatives of the alliance. As a result, by the time she arrived in Belem, her peers had already planned their events.
清华大学英语专业学生、全球高校气候联盟代表江欣雨，也选择以艺术为媒在大会上倡导气候行动。她将中国传统绘画作为沟通桥梁，搭建起中外文化交流的纽带。
全球高校气候联盟于 2019 年发起，清华大学是联盟首任主席单位。
尽管当时正在加拿大参加交换项目，江欣雨前往贝伦的旅途难度却不亚于清华校内的其他参会同伴。她从多伦多出发，先飞往哥伦比亚首都波哥大，再转机圣保罗，最终才抵达 COP30 主办城市贝伦。
中国与加拿大之间的巨大时差，让她与联盟其他代表的协调工作异常艰难。因此，当她终于抵达贝伦时，同伴们早已完成了各项活动的筹备工作。
Understanding nature
以画为媒感悟天人之道
Initially, Jiang planned to only exhibit her traditional Chinese painting skills at the China pavilion. But later she decided to also hold a side event themed on the art to promote Chinese culture among a wider audience.
"The attendance surpassed my expectations," she said, adding that their pavilion was packed to capacity, and many attendees who did not find a seat preferred to stand rather than miss the event.
In her lecture, Jiang introduced Travelers Among Mountains and Streams, a painting by Fan Kuan of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127). When viewed from a distance, the painting appears to feature only lofty mountains, but upon closer inspection, one can see a line of tiny travelers making their way.
"The painter's focus was primarily on nature itself, with humans representing only a small, humble part of the natural world,"Jiang said. "Such a depiction reflects the philosophy of 'inhabitable and traversable' nature, offering a meaningful reference for how modern people should understand the relationship between humanity and the natural environment."
起初，江欣雨只计划在中国馆展示自己的国画技艺。但后来，她决定举办一场以国画为主题的边会活动，向更多人推广中国传统文化。
“活动的参与人数远超我的预期。” 她说道，展馆内座无虚席，许多没能找到座位的参会者宁愿站着，也不愿错过这场活动。
在讲座中，江欣雨向现场观众介绍了北宋画家范宽的传世名作《溪山行旅图》。她解释道，这幅画作远观只见巍峨群山，气势磅礴；近看才会发现，山间隐约可见一行渺小的旅人行进的身影。
“画家将创作重心放在自然本身，而人类在画面中仅占一隅，是苍茫天地间渺小而谦卑的存在。” 江欣雨表示，这样的创作手法，蕴含着 “可居可游” 的山水意境，也为现代人理解人与自然的关系提供了深刻的启示。
During the lecture, Jiang posed a question to which she didn't hope to get a reply, and yet she did. "What kind of truth do you think this traditional Chinese painting seeks to reflect?" she asked.
A foreign attendee replied that the sense of freedom conveyed in the painting expresses the artist's in-depth understanding of nature. She also noted that the painting is not merely a straightforward depiction of what the artist saw, but rather an integration of his own thoughts and perspective.
"I realized that art truly transcends borders. It is something that can be appreciated equally by all," Jiang said.
It took Liu Shuo, climate and energy director of Onewo Space-Tech Service Co, more than 40 hours to reach Belem from Shenzhen, where her company is headquartered. She first traveled to Hong Kong, next boarded a flight to Doha, Qatar, and then another to Sao Paulo, from where she went to Belem.
讲座中，江欣雨提出了一个问题，原本并未期待得到太多回应，没想到却收获了暖心的答案。她问道：“你认为这幅中国传统画作想要传递怎样的哲理？”
一位外国参会者答道：“画作中流露出的悠然意境，传递出画家对自然的深刻体悟。这幅画并非对实景的简单复刻，而是画家个人思想与视角的凝练与升华。”
“那一刻我深切体会到，艺术真的可以跨越国界，它的魅力能被世界上每一个人平等地感知与欣赏。” 江欣雨感慨道。
万物云空间科技服务股份有限公司气候与能源总监刘硕，从公司总部所在地深圳出发，耗时超过 40 小时才抵达贝伦。她先乘车前往中国香港，随后搭乘航班飞往卡塔尔多哈，再转机圣保罗，最终辗转抵达贝伦。
"All of us who made it to COP30 are among the world's true climate advocates, precisely because getting to Belem is so difficult," she said, noting that this shared predicament of Chinese attendees allowed them to bond deeply, laying the groundwork for future cooperation.
In July, Liu's company launched the Zero-Carbon Partner Initiative, which has drawn participation from leading companies in the new energy and energy storage sectors. She said she expects the number of participants to expand further based on the contacts she made at the summit.
"At COP30, I managed to connect with some companies. We plan to arrange exchange visits to better understand each other's products and programs, and to explore potential opportunities for collaboration," Liu added.
“能够顺利抵达贝伦参加 COP30 的人，都是真正的全球气候行动倡导者 —— 毕竟，来到这里的旅途实在太艰难了。” 刘硕表示，正是这段共同的波折经历，让中国参会者们结下了深厚的情谊，也为未来的合作奠定了坚实的基础。
今年 7 月，万物云发起 “零碳伙伴计划”，已吸引新能源、储能领域的多家龙头企业加入。刘硕表示，依托此次大会上建立的人脉网络，她期待未来能有更多伙伴参与到计划中来。
“在 COP30 期间，我与多家企业建立了联系。接下来，我们计划组织互访交流活动，深入了解彼此的产品与方案，探寻潜在的合作机遇。” 刘硕补充道。
(Using AI translation)
（使用AI翻译）
