Experts are joining this year’s COP30, in Belém, Brazil, contributing in person and online to the global push for climate action.
The annual United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP) isn’t only where nations negotiate climate agreements, it’s also where world leaders, scientists, activists and organisations come together to share ideas, forge partnerships and build momentum for global action.
At this year’s COP30, a UNSW delegation of academics and industry specialists working across climate science, energy, policy, justice and community resilience is contributing both in person and online.
“If we are to accelerate meaningful action on climate change, universities will need to play an important role,” said Chaseley Cameron, who coordinates the UNSW’s UN climate event engagement and is Global Director of the International Universities Climate Alliance (IUCA). UNSW founded the IUCA in 2020.
“Universities are uniquely placed to bring disciplines, sectors and regions together. With global collaboration, knowledge sharing, research and education, we can generate deeper insight and fairer, faster climate solutions.”
UNSW at COP30
UNSW is co-hosting and contributing to several official COP30 side events – smaller sessions that run alongside the COP negotiations and foster collaboration among researchers, activists and policymakers.
One highlight, part of the UN Human Rights Justice and Human Rights Days program, is a discussion focusing on Indigenous wisdom and inclusive governance for climate justice.
The discussion builds on an event UNSW co-hosted earlier this year as part of an international initiative, the Global Ethical Stocktake Dialogue.
“The Global Stocktake looks at what the world has achieved since Paris. The Ethical Stocktake asks whether we’re doing it in a way that is fair, inclusive and just,” said Jane Sloane, Director of the Global Policy Initiative at UNSW and virtual delegate to COP30.
“We’ve joined this initiative by the Government of Brazil in convening community voices and Indigenous leaders to ensure those most affected by the climate crisis are also shaping the response,” she said.
Jane said the initiative would feed into COP30 through a global visual roadmap outlining local and Indigenous aspirations for climate equity and governance.
“The importance of the global ethical stocktake is that it fosters a ‘heart and mind’ shift, channelling the collective imagination from so many forums into specific, equitable actions. This includes ensuring that climate commitments have the degree of moral courage required for a transformed world,” she said.
In another collaboration, Associate Professor Fengshi Wu – who is participating in the on-the-ground delegation in Belém – will have her short documentary screened at the Australian Government Pavilion.
The film, produced with peers across Asia and the Pacific, follows six women researchers reconnecting with their communities and engaging in climate conversations across Australia, Brazil, Indonesia and the Solomon Islands. The collaboration is supported by UNSW GRIP 2024 funds and a Social Impact Amplifying grant from the Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture.
COP conferences also provide a vital opportunity for science and technology to directly inform global policy. UNSW’s Industry and Innovation team will be in Brazil highlighting research that’s shaping COP discussions on clean energy, climate justice and adaptation, showcasing how Australian innovation can contribute to global solutions.
At the Australian Green Metals Forum on 17 November, hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Dr Rahman Daiyan from UNSW will join a panel with Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen MP and industry partners to discuss how innovation and technology can underpin Australia’s emerging green-metals supply chain.
Looking ahead, UNSW is also preparing to mobilise and coordinate efforts with Australia in partnership with the Pacific if its bid is confirmed as the host of COP31, building on lessons from Brazil to co-host events, showcase innovation and deepen global and regional partnerships.
For those following the negotiations remotely, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) provides extensive online access, including live webcasts and recordings of side events:
- webcast and press materials
- recordings of side events
- participate virtually in events via UNFCCC social media accounts.
UNSW experts are also available to give comment and analysis to media covering COP30.
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