Indigenous Cultural Property Law is a complex and evolving area of law that encompasses a wide range of issues related to the protection of Indigenous knowledge. The laws in this area are designed to recognize the unique relationship that Indigenous peoples have with their cultural heritage and to ensure their rights to their cultural heritage are respected and protected. I developed a particular interest in Indigenous Cultural Property Law at COP 27, which was often mentioned in conversations with Indigenous leaders and environmental activists. As I reflect on the critical takeaways from COP 27, I decided to amplify a set of claims using Indigenous Cultural Property Law as a framework.
Category: COP 27
COP27: A reflection on the Role of Business and Environmental Justice in International Climate Policy
What role can and does business play in providing just solutions towards a more sustainable future? I reflect on this in the context of COP27.
A Sustainable Future Requires a Holistic Approach to Action and a Willingness to Question our Existing Models
"We're in a moment where there is a lot of focus on energy transition...That transition...has to be about more than fuel switching. It has to be about switching models, how you use resources, who gets access to energy that you're creating...how profits are distributed...We risk having the same model that's driven profit over people, continuing …
The Inflation Reduction Act Goes on the Road: Reflections on U.S. Messaging to the World at COP27
The call for developed countries to fund resilience and disaster relief in countries bearing the brunt of climate impacts is clear. At COP27, the U.S. did not have an answer to these calls. Academic institutions are an ideal starting place for conversations about loss and damage, and funding strategies for these funds. While mitigation efforts …
Will more energy be a strength or weakness? Global South Perspectives from COP-27
COP-27 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, was unique not only because it was in Africa but also because it felt like a COP for Africa. The continent of Africa and much of the Global South has long been left behind in almost every modern-day metric and index - GDP, HDI, Gini, etc. These countries are grappling with poignant issues of food, …
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Ambitions for Implementation at COP27
This year the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) hosted the 27th the Conference of Parties (COP27), and delegates from around the world descended onto Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, a small city located at the southernmost point of the Sinai Peninsula with intentions of advancing a broad range of climate solutions. Because COP27 was …
Oil & Gas vs. Everyone Else
On a warm afternoon during the week leading up to UN COP 27, I met with the other Unversity of Michigan delegates on the steps of the School for the Environment and Sustainability’s Dana Building to talk about our upcoming trip and the themes of this COP. One theme being promoted by the IFCCC was …
Loss and Damage Funding: The Case for the US to Pony Up
In front of a room of 50 people, flanked by six adult panelists, an 8-year-old boy sat silent and stone-faced; this was hardly the most challenging obstacle he’d faced. At COP27, 2022’s United Nations Climate Conference of 45,000 people, this young boy was one of relatively few chosen to share his story to conference attendees. …
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Power Dynamics and Activism at COP27
Attending COP27 was an immensely inspiring and frustrating experience. I focused heavily on climate justice during my time at the conference, and while frontline communities and environmental justice advocates made themselves heard in protests and side events, their perspectives were barely incorporated into negotiations. This was not surprising; accompanying the fervent energy towards finding climate …
Climate Blue 