As Huskies polish up their final projects and hunker down for exams, 11 students will be on their way to Madrid, Spain—no, not for an early holiday, but to attend the annual UN Climate Change Conference COP25 starting December 2, 2019. Taking place under the Presidency of the Government of Chile, with support from the government of Spain, COP25 aims to work towards fully operationalizing components of the Paris Climate Agreement.
The delegation will be led by School of Law and School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs professor Shalanda Baker. Last year, faculty lead and School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs assistant professor Laura Kuhl directed a delegation of students in Katowice, Poland, where delegates gained experience with intersectional climate stakeholders, complex international political tensions, and system- and ecosystem-based strategies to adapt to and mitigate climate impacts. Delegates returned equipped to contextualize the US’ role, and withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, in an international context.
“Seeing the work being done by the other nations and by individuals finding a way to make a difference, I realized that the US is just one country in the mix of the entire international community,” Julia Davidoff, a 2018 student delegate, told News@Northeastern. “It also means we are getting to a point where the world isn’t going to wait for us. Other countries aren’t looking at us for guidance anymore.”
“Serving as a delegate to the UN climate negotiations is an incredible opportunity for students to participate in the premier international climate change forum that brings together governments, UN agencies, NGOs, the private sector and academia,” said Dr. Kuhl. “Students will have the opportunity to observe formal negotiations, participate in conference sessions, and collaborate with other delegations, including youth delegates, from around the world. This year is a critical time for international climate policy, as negotiators seek to finalize the details on the operationalization of the Paris Agreement and build ambition ahead of 2020, when countries will submit new and updated national climate action plans.”
COP25 will take place over the course of two weeks between December 2nd to December 13. For more information on the conference, visit the UN Climate Change Conference’s website. For a recap of last year’s student delegate experience, visit the Global Resilience Institute.
COP25 is led by Professors Laura Kuhl and Shalanda Baker, and sponsored by Northeastern University’s School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs, College of Social Sciences and Humanities, School of Law, College of Engineering, and College of Science.
COP25 Student Delegates:
WEEK ONE
- Keyon Rostamnezhad, International Affairs and Economics, 4th year undergraduate
- Laura Bernstein, Sociology and Environmental Studies, 5th year undergraduate
- Danica Cotov, JD, 3rd year Law Student
- Ava Gallo, Environmental Studies and International Affairs, 4th year undergraduate
- Nicole Jacobs, MS Environmental Science and Policy, 2nd (?) year graduate
- Stephanie Demetry, JD, 2nd year Law Student
WEEK TWO
- Cecelia Bolon, Environmental Studies, 3rd year undergraduate
- Carlie Clarcq, Political Science, 3rd year undergraduate
- Lizzy Warner, Civil and Environmental Engineering, PhD
- Maggie Dolan, Environmental Studies and International Affairs, 4th year undergraduate
- Noa Dalzell, Political Science and International Affairs, 4th year undergraduate
