While most UChicago students were buckling down for finals during the first week of December, 19 were in Dubai attending the 28th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, otherwise known as COP28.
12 were undergraduates, a threefold increase from the contingent of four that attended COP27 in Egypt last year.
Supported by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago, the University’s Office of Career Advancement, the Booth School of Business, the Law School and the Harris School of Public Policy, students spent a week listening to panel discussions, exploring tech innovation showcases and learning about the global effort to combat climate change. They also had the opportunity to network with leaders in government, industry and non-governmental organizations.
COP28 came at a critical moment in the fight against climate change—2023 has seen unprecedented floods, wildfires, heat waves and drought worldwide. The conference brought 197 nations and territories together to review emission inventories and assess progress towards the goal of halving global emissions by 2030.
For third-year student Ava Hedeker, the conference represented a glimpse into the future of urban planning. COP28 was held in Expo City, an area of car-centric Dubai featuring pedestrian-friendly, sustainable infrastructure that reflects the unrelenting Middle Eastern sunlight in an effort to cool surface temperatures.
"One unexpected but positive aspect of attending COP28 was becoming inspired by the sustainability of the host city,” she said. “As an aspiring urban planner, it was quite exciting seeing the implementation of a 15-minute city in Dubai, and seeing firsthand ways that the infrastructure increases the site’s albedo [reflection] effect.”
Rohan Mathur, a fourth-year student who spent 10 years living in the United Arab Emirates, was particularly interested in a panel featuring financial leaders, who discussed the role of their institutions in promoting transitions to greener technologies. He learned about partnerships in Indonesia which work to replace thermal power plants with renewable energy sources, using carbon credits as currency.
Mathur also got acquainted with nature capital development and how new financial disclosure requirements can incentivize massive investments to expand forests, improve the quality of soil and encourage biodiversity.
"I enjoyed hanging around with and exchanging points of view with the passionate and clear-eyed group of Maroons that I had the privilege of traveling with,” he said. “I also really enjoyed introducing them to Dubai and the multicultural mosaic that is the UAE."
Having grown up in Houston, one of the world’s largest energy hubs, third-year student Natalie Larsen said that she was eager to witness firsthand how international diplomats address the global issue of climate change.
She was drawn to panels discussing the interconnectedness of climate and conflict, particularly one led by Abdallah Al-Dardari, a former Syrian government official, on "Climate Peace and Security.”
“Climate and conflict exacerbate the other—environmental disasters force migration, limit resource access and destabilize governments while political conflict impedes collective action to mitigate or adapt to climate crises,” Larsen said. “Given the high stakes, addressing both problems brings high rewards, bringing a powerful potential for improvement.”
Second-year student Haley Coleman said that she is a strong believer in global cooperation, and that she looked forward to COP28 “affirming [her] faith in diplomacy.”
But she couldn't ignore some contradictions that were evident at the conference—an overt display of green initiatives juxtaposed with what she described as hollow sustainability efforts left her grappling with the authenticity of the messages conveyed.
Nevertheless, Coleman said she had meaningful conversations with a diverse range of attendees, from artists to entrepreneurs, highlighting the power of dialogue in fostering climate solutions.
"This conference taught me that cultivating a sustainable mindset, universally, indiscriminately, is the key to climate change,” she said. “It is hard to deny that [COP28] represents one of the only spaces where the president of an oil company will sit across from environmental activists, eye to eye, and talk about decarbonization.”
Aman Majmudar takes notes at COP28
Fourth-year student Aman Majumdar echoed Coleman’s observations on the strong spirit of collaboration at COP28.
“Despite their different occupations and origins, [diplomats, businesspeople and scholars] converged in wanting to find solutions for the climate crisis, revealing that hard problems attract interdisciplinary, nuanced efforts,” he said.
Majumdar was particularly moved by an address by John Kerry, the United States’ Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, who underscored the urgency for action.
