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Edinburgh experts join UN climate summit

Academics from the University are taking part in this year’s United Nations climate change conference, COP29.

A sign for COP29, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, on display in Baku, Azerbaijan.

A delegation from Edinburgh is travelling to Baku, Azerbaijan, where they will participate in a range of events during the two-week summit. Delegates include Professors Luca Taschini and Peter Higgins, and Lucy Young from the Edinburgh Earth Initiative.

A series of related events are also taking place on campus before, during and after the conference.

Annual summit

The central aim of this year’s summit – which takes place from 11 to 22 November – is to tackle climate change with greater urgency and ambition.

Delegates from around the world – including world leaders, organisations, activists and academics – will convene for two weeks of negotiations, discussions and global collaboration.

Events will explore a range of themes including health, finance, equity, clean energy, science and technology.

Conference sessions

Members of the University delegation, the fifteenth time Edinburgh has been present at the event, will participate in more than a dozen conference events, including a session exploring governance, legal and finance innovations for just transitions.

Another event involving University experts will examine how partnerships, policies and investments could help decarbonise the iron and steel industries.

Edinburgh academics will also participate in an event exploring the role of sustainability teaching in university settings. The event is led by the U7+ Alliance, an international coalition of universities - which Edinburgh joined in 2019 as a founding member - that aims to help address pressing global challenges.

Scotland Beyond Net Zero – a coalition of Scotland’s universities, including Edinburgh, working on research and leadership on climate change – will present at a British Council event in Baku. An information and networking session will also be hosted in partnership with the British Council.

On-campus events

Ahead of the summit, the University hosted a COP29 simulation event with more than 90 pupils from 13 schools. The 16-18 year-olds took on the roles of world leaders, corporate lobbyists and international media for a four-hour negotiation that mirrored the real-world climate talks.

The Edinburgh Climate Change Institute (ECCI) will host a COP Cafe event series throughout the conference, featuring a live stream from the summit.

On Tuesday 12 November, the Edinburgh Earth Initiative will hold an academic panel discussion how to inform global climate policy by contributing to UN climate reports, and will host related training and networking sessions.

Academics who attended COP29 will reflect on the outcomes of the summit at a post-conference event on Tuesday 10 December hosted by Scotland Beyond Net Zero.

Wider engagement

The University has longstanding connections with the annual COP summits, dating back to COP15 in Copenhagen when it began sending official delegations.

As in previous years, the University is sharing one if its delegate passes with a partner institution from the Global South, the University of Ibadan in Nigeria. This is in recognition of the importance of these partners being in attendance at the conference.

The University is also running a free online course – Learning for a Sustainable Future: Live at COP29 – in parallel with the summit. It will explore what COP29 is, and why there is an urgent need for collaborative action to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet. More information and details of how to sign up: https://www.onlinecourses.ed.ac.uk/all-courses/learning-sustainable-future-live-cop29.

Climate targets

The University has set itself ambitious climate targets in recognition of the importance of climate change mitigation and adaptation. These include becoming a net zero university by 2040.

Edinburgh has divested fully from fossil fuels and is a member of a Responsible Investment Network, which examines how universities can invest more ethically.

The Edinburgh Earth Initiative acts as a focal point for the University’s world-leading research and innovation on climate and nature, drawing on its expertise across numerous disciplines. It aims to catalyse globally significant transdisciplinary research, innovation and partnerships on behalf of the University.

The initiative leads a fellowship programme that gives students the opportunity to work on strategically important climate projects. To date, 54 students have been made Edinburgh Earth Fellows.

Current actions are not sufficient to address the climate crisis. COP is an opportunity for the global community to come together, assess progress or lack thereof, and agree a plan to significantly accelerate action towards the Paris Agreement goal to limit global temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Universities play a critical role in informing these actions – from advising on methods for monitoring emissions to developing new renewable energy technologies to working with communities to ensure a just transition.

Professor Lindsay JaacksDirector of the Edinburgh Earth Initiative

Related links

Edinburgh Earth Initiative

Edinburgh Climate Change Institute (ECCI)

Scotland Beyond Net Zero

Zero by 2040

Learning for a Sustainable Future: Live at COP29

Image credit: Aziz Karimov/Getty Images