The United Nations Conference of Parties (COP) primarily centers the priorities of national delegates and their resulting climate commitments, however subnational parties, including states and cities, have risen to the spotlight of COP30. During week 1, leadership from the states of California, USA and Baden-Württemberg, Germany met at the Germany Pavilion to reaffirm their sister-state …
Continue reading COP30’s Subnational Climate Leadership Spotlight
The Amazon River as seen from the shores of Belém Setting the Scene in Belém Nestled in the heart of the Amazon delta, a region where rain forest, river systems, and dense urban life converge, Belém set the stage for a unique crossover between worlds and their respective policies. While COP 30 was branded as …
Continue reading The Aqueous Agenda: My Experience Beneath the Waves of the COP30 Ocean Agenda
I have to admit that I was quite giddy and star struck sitting in my first informal negotiation at my first COP. Delegates sat in front of their microphones and placards with their country’s name. We all had headsets on, allowing us to understand the big, formal words spoken in six languages. I remember learning …
Continue reading What’s more impactful: negotiation rooms or grassroot movements?
Attending COP30 in Belém was transformative not just because of the negotiations I sat on, but because it fundamentally shifted how I think about the relationship between global climate policy and corporate climate strategy. Coming from a background in sustainability systems, ESG reporting, and decarbonization planning, I found myself constantly linking what was happening in …
Author: Allison Baumgartner, University of Michigan, School of Public Health Introduction. Last November, delegations and observers gathered from across the globe to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP) to discuss and reach a consensus on climate change goals and national commitments. As a global health epidemiologist, the second …
The packed bus lurched forward as I gripped the railing, trying to steady myself in the dense crowd of delegates, activists, and observers leaving the venue at COP29 in Baku. Exhaustion hung in the air, but so did an unspoken camaraderie. A gentle tap on my arm—a man with kind, tired eyes and a red …
Continue reading Hope in the Margins: Conversations That Move Climate Action Forward
Triple Nuclear Energy Capacity by 2050 This has been a huge year for the nuclear industry, especially considering the events that took place at COP28. The effects of climate change continue with rapid and severe environmental alterations, such as escalating global temperatures and more extreme weather events, which are already affecting ecosystems, human health, and …
For context, Conference of Parties (COP) is a gathering of the world’s governing bodies and leaders where they meet to discuss regulation, and policy that attempts to mitigate, adapt, and build resilience against climate change. I would argue that the goal of COP is to resolve the issues brought forth by climate change, others would …
Continue reading Global StockTake, Loss and Damage, Nuclear at COP28
By: Haley Neuenfeldt Amidst the whirlwind of discussions and negotiations at COP28, there was an unmistakable energy that set it apart from the pessimism of climate policy discussions. It wasn't just about drafting policies or hammering out agreements; it was about something much bigger—transformation. And at the heart of this transformation were the vibrant exchanges …
Continue reading COP28 Chronicles: Transformative Tales of Energy, Finance, and Collaboration
Going to COP28 was both an honor and a moral dilemma. As I embarked on the journey to attend the conference in Dubai, I was acutely aware of the paradoxical nature of the conference: the urgency to address the climate crisis and the carbon footprint generated by thousands of individuals traveling to and from a …
Continue reading Feeling Empowered: Communities Collaborating to Drive Climate Action at COP28
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