This blog offers a critical reflection on the communication and working culture at UNFCCC COP23, based on participant observation in the Bonn Zone. The author describes a prevailing atmosphere of consumption, superficial networking, and one-way knowledge transfer that, in his view, leaves much of the conference’s collective potential untapped. At the same time, the article points to emerging alternatives—such as dialogic and participatory formats like the Talanoa Space—and argues for a fundamental shift toward more reflective, interactive, and co-creative modes of engagement to better address the challenges of climate change.