Law & Justice students supported Pacific delegations during two weeks of intense climate negotiations.
Three UNSW Law & Justice students worked alongside government officials under significant pressure at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, providing legal expertise in one of the most complex international policy environments.
The conference was marked by late-night negotiations, intricate legal texts and major announcements. For the students, it was a unique opportunity to see international law in action and understand the realities of global climate diplomacy.
Dean of Law & Justice Professor Andrew Lynch highlighted why the faculty invests in these opportunities.
“Global experiences like COP30 allow our students to apply their legal knowledge in real-world settings and contribute to solutions for pressing global challenges. These opportunities prepare graduates to think critically and act effectively on issues that matter,” he said.
Eliza Northrop, Director UNSW Centre for Sustainable Development Reform, who coordinated the initiative, said the students demonstrated exceptional professionalism.
“We are proud of how these exceptional students navigated a challenging and confronting environment. They were a real asset to the countries they were embedded with supporting negotiators working under immense pressure. They did this while dealing with the reality of the long days and intense focus required in the pursuit of agreement.
Fourth-year Bachelor of Laws (LLB) student Tom David described the experience as transformative, saying it gave him “exceptional insight into the work of negotiators and the legal, social and political influences that motivate actors within the international climate framework.”
Working with Fiji, he said, was particularly rewarding because it showed him “where issues of climate meet issues of international law.”
Masters of Laws student Alice Edle Von Lendenfeld reflected on the contradictions she observed at COP30.
“While speeches highlighted the urgency of global cooperation, negotiations were often inefficient and even hostile,” she said.
“Yet, civil society and industry showed real passion and innovation for climate solutions. It was an intense learning experience that revealed the challenges of finding consensus among 194 parties.”
For Maggie Bell, a third-year Juris Doctor (JD) student on exchange from UC Law San Francisco, the experience underscored the grit required in international diplomacy.
“Being in the rooms where climate action is negotiated gave me a deep respect for the negotiators,” she said. “Watching textual iterations and hearing parties debate red lines helped me understand the complexity of driving progress on this critical issue.”
Main image: UNSW Law & Justice students Maggie, Tom and Alice, COP30 venue Belém, Brazil.
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