COP29 provides UChicago students with unique perspective on climate change and policy

She added that the event also allowed UChicago attendees to broaden their climate horizons. “They're able to hear perspectives that otherwise might be difficult to hear in the U.S., especially from people who are from the Global South or who are experiencing climate hardship or displacement firsthand.” 

Katherine Tu, a student at Harris Public Policy, said attending COP29 allowed her “to gain a more holistic perspective of climate policy,” including the importance of patience and compromise.

“From waste management advocates in East Africa, clean technology enterprises in northern Europe, to investors in the World Bank and delegates from Bangladesh, it was truly a “Conference of the Parties,” where everyone spoke for their best interest,” she said. “Although it may be frustrating at times to hear the inertia from long negotiations, it was a necessary process to ensure long-term success…It was a great opportunity to be in the same space to witness the change.”

Having grown up in France, second-year College student Iris Badezet-Delory saw one of the most historic pieces of environmental legislation, the Paris Climate Accords, come together in her home country. Attending COP29 allowed her to deepen her knowledge and gain further understanding on how countries are continuing to put those words in action. 

“I was inspired by the innovative initiatives I encountered, particularly in green transportation and carbon capture,” she said “and gained valuable insights into the importance of holding both governments and private sectors accountable in financing the transition.” 

As a third-year College student majoring in political science and human rights, Seri Welsh was specifically interested in seeing how the conference would discuss displaced persons and environmental justice communities. “COP29 provided a unique opportunity to witness global environmental issues being discussed by those with the greatest power to drive change,” she said. 

It was clear to her, though, that groups that are the most affected are the ones that are least able to make impactful moves. “A recurring theme of frustration emerged, particularly from developing countries and island nations. Their grievances centered on the slow progress and lack of meaningful commitments from the world's highest-emitting nations. Superficial, ‘greenwashed’ solutions that prioritize comfort over bold action will fall woefully short of what is needed to address this global crisis.”

Third-year student Elijah Jenkins spent time talking with representatives of small island nations and leaders of Indigenous communities. Himself an Indigenous Pacific Islander of Chamorro heritage, these conversations hit close to home. 

“Attending COP29 was eye-opening, especially on the final day when I listened to a SIDS panel that revealed the deep disconnect Pacific leaders feel about the lack of community-centered approaches to climate change financing,” he said. 

The COP experience also allowed UChicago’s student body president to see what needs to happen for these groups to be represented appropriately. “It deepened my understanding of how urgent it is to align climate action with human rights, and how critical it is to ensure that vulnerable communities are genuinely included in these conversations, rather than being sidelined by political and economic interests.”

The event illustrated the global scale and impact of climate change, according to fourth-year College student Elena Tiedens.

“COP is powerful because it recognizes the need for a global solution to a global problem, but this global solution should not flatten the globe into a single entity but recognize the inherent inequalities and differences in energy production and development, and the very way in which people conceive of the world around them.”

Sam Marsden, a PhD student in the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, called COP29 “an incredible experience” He said the event showed both the problems and promise of building a sustainable future. Marsden is currently working on research that focuses on ways to make new forms of recyclable plastic. 

“On one hand, it has been great to observe the diplomatic and bureaucratic barriers that hinder timely and major decisions from being made. On the other hand, I was able to form connections that directly pertain to my area of focus and learn about important efforts being made on a smaller scale to help change the future one baby step at a time."