Formal agendas of climate summits can provide a rich source of material for creative writers. The craft of imaginative storytelling can help cut through jargon and render the ecological stakes more immediate, relatable and urgently felt.
Every year, I facilitate an intensive university course on reimagining climate futures through eco-focused creative writing. In 2024, that short course coincided with the UN climate summit, Cop29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. That was a controversial choice for climate talks, as the host nation stated it intended to expand its gas production by up to a third over the subsequent decade.
