The first of a series of special episodes on the UN Conference of Parties in Brazil - COP30 - the world's biggest climate shindig. I mean conference. In this first episode we hear three perspectives on what it's like to go to a COP (70,000+ people went to the one last year in Baku...that's a lot of sandwiches...), what goes on there and why it matters.

Dr Francis Mwesigye is a Chief Economist at Uganda Development Bank; Andrew Aijuka is a journalist and multimedia producer with InfoNile; and Peninah Atwine of Environment Alert represents the collective interests of Ugandan civil society groups. Together they begin to paint a picture for us of this extraordinary annual gathering of world leaders, thought leaders and innovators; governments and non-governmental organisations; lobbyists, academics, chancers and pretty much every other specialism you can think of.

You can find out more about the Uganda Development Bank here:

Peninah Atwine is a Program Office for Environment Alert - you can find out more about that organisation's work here:

Thanks to our guests on this episode - do get in touch if there's something to do with COP that you've always wanted to ask.

[email protected]

And thanks. See you next time.