The United Nations’s 29th annual climate change conference, or COP29, is the birthplace of current and future international climate policy, bringing together over 50,000 participants from nearly 200 countries. In November, UChicago’s Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth sponsored a delegation of 25 UChicago students—15 undergraduates and 10 graduate students—to attend the conference in Baku, Azerbaijan.
COP is divided into two zones: the Blue Zone, where negotiation between government officials takes place, and the Green Zone, a hub for climate organizations, corporations, students, and activists. In the Green Zone, UChicago delegates attended panels and networked with industry leaders and other attendees.
The Green Zone offered various topic-specific events for attendees to choose from. Emmanuel Mayani, a second-year at the Harris School of Public Policy, participated in a wide variety of discussions.
“I attended many events and many talks over there that touched on the challenges that small island states are facing—how tourists could be incentivized to empathize more with the challenges of the small island states,” Mayani told the Maroon. “We also discussed how companies will do a lot of environmental harm and then try to carry out a few sustainability projects and then amplify the impacts of that.”
For third-year undergraduate Seri Welsh, COP29 offered the opportunity to explore her interest in environmental policy.
“Within classes, I have learned a lot about the policy side of the environment, but it’s not something that you can really fully conceptualize unless you’re in person watching the negotiations take place,” Welsh said.
Sam Marsden, a Ph.D. candidate at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, had the opportunity to engage with new aspects of sustainability at COP29, such as the economic considerations of divesting from fossil fuels.
“I have a very scientific, technical perspective on things,” Marsden said. “[At COP29], I was able to learn more about the practical economic side of things, and that was a little disappointing, because I want to live in this ideal world where we have the technology and we implement it, rather than [having] the technology but [having] to play into all these other considerations as well.”
COP29 also serves as a platform to network with others either in or entering the climate field. Amid the 50,000 conference participants, Keya Debnath, a second-year at the Harris School of Public Policy, met the owner of a climate change organization based in Chicago. After a single coffee chat, she left with a potential future job offer.
Marsden added that while the learning and networking experiences at COP29 were invaluable, there was a notable divide between the discussions in the Green Zone and the impactful decisions being made in the Blue Zone.
“We were able to connect with other young people, but we weren’t able to have the conversations where it really mattered,” Marsden said.
However, on a broader scope, Mayani felt that the conference attendees’ motivation to fight climate change was inspiring.
“I was humbled, and my passion for sustainability was rekindled,” Mayani said.
