Capitalizing on the momentum generated by the passionate debates of the previous 
day, the Emerging Leaders and Catto Fellows began the session they were to lead this morning with an intense desire and intent to alter the course of global environmental governance. Expressing what many of the staff involved in ongoing research for the GEG Project had felt, a number of those at the center of the sessions today stated that they felt a sense of frustration at how the discussions of the previous two days had repeated much of the debates of the 1970s and 1980s. As members of the Secretariat, we were unexpectedly given the privilege to be able to address those present and to participate more directly in discussions as Phase II began. We were considered to be a part of the group of emerging leaders in a certain capacity. Having received the statements of those who spoke before us as a strong affirmation of our own convictions, many of us also expressed frustration at what we perceived to be the stagnation of the GEG debate. However, we were sobered somewhat by the insightful commentary of Joe Ageyo, who offered that there had been many accomplishments brought about by earlier generations, and that we should expect new ideas from ourselves, not necessarily those who had already come before us.
Both the activity that followed lunch as well as an invigorating afternoon hike proved absolutely fascinating. The energy and desire for change in the room was palpable, as the emerging leaders identified and discussed various projects they wanted to pursue as part of their personal commitments to global environmental governance—with the assistance of Ambassador John W. McDonald, Christel McDonald, Bill Ruckelshaus, Ambassador Lumumba Di-Aping, Robert Berg, Asad Kahn, Adnan Amin, Araya Asfaw, Andreas Kraemer, just to name a few. On perhaps the most hopeful day of the Global Environmental Governance Forum, small, intensive discussion groups formed on Accountability, Communication, and a host of other action-oriented ideas for change—demonstrating that the GEG Forum had indeed “inspire[d] and foster[ed] renewed global environmental governance leadership” as intended.
