A large delegation of students from Michigan Technological University, led by professors Mark Rouleau and Roman Sidortsov, plus professor emerita Sarah Green and adjunct professor Shardul Tiwari, will depart November 30th for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates and the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28). Known as the COP, or Conference of the Parties, this event marks the 28th time that people from around the world will meet to fast-track the energy transition and slash emissions, transform climate finance, and put nature, people, lives, and livelihoods at the heart of climate action.
Welcome to Just North and Beyond: A Pop-up University Pavilion
Michigan Tech will be at the center of the action, co-hosting a pavilion “Welcome to Just North and Beyond: A Pop-up University Pavilion.” It is a product of collaboration between American, British, and Norwegian universities dedicated to achieving sustainable development through the lens of energy, environmental, and climate justice. Organized by Michigan Technological University (US), UiT – the Arctic University of Norway, and University of Sussex Business School (UK) and in collaboration with the EU-funded JUSTNORTH Horizon 2020 project, the pavilion will bring a wealth of complementary knowledge, expertise, and insights on and from northern regions deeply impacted by climate change.
“Our delegation to this year’s U.N. climate meeting really shows the strength and breadth of Michigan Tech’s energy transition and climate change work,” said Roman Sidortsov, associate professor of energy policy who is leading the Tech contingent. “We are working with colleagues at other universities to organize an exciting set of presentations, minicourses, and press conferences highlighting their perspectives on climate, environmental, and energy justice, policy, and governance.
“It’s going to be exciting to spread the word on the work we’ve been doing on the potential for underground storage of hydroelectric power and how we can move communities off a dependence on carbon-based energy systems,” Sidortsov said. “Presenting the work at a global conference like this, where there’s going to be people from all over the world, is exciting because they’ll see what we might be able to help them with toward transitioning to alternative energy sources. The work is new and is just starting to be implemented and proven in an actual installation, so the more people who see it, the more benefit it would be for everybody.”
“I’m excited to bring 16 students from my Energy and Climate Policy class to this year’s COP,” said Mark Rouleau. “This is an amazing opportunity for them to see global climate change negotiations firsthand and to directly participate in a wide variety of discussions surrounding this issue. These students will have the opportunity to attend a number of different talks and presentations from renowned experts focusing on different components of the issue, such as financing solutions, impacts on present and future generations, energy transitions to a more just and sustainable world, and so much more.”
Focus on Energy, Environmental, and Climate Justice
This is Michigan Tech’s fourth COP. It is rare for a university to host a pavilion. Michigan Tech is one of a handful of universities with observer status and delegate privileges. “We are the lead of a network of institutions and put forth a highly competitive proposal focused on energy, environmental, and climate justice,” said Shardul Tiwari in the Department of Social Sciences, who will co-lead the Michigan Tech delegation of four faculty and staff and 16 students from the College of Sciences and Arts at Michigan Tech. COP28 runs from November 30 to December 15, 2023. If you are planning to be at the COP with blue zone access and would like to present at the pavilion, submit your idea.
About COP28
Michigan Technological University is one of a handful of universities taking a leading role at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) from November 30 to December 12, 2023. Hosted by the UAE at Expo City Dubai, COP28 is the largest climate change-focused event in the world. COP28 aims to unite the world towards agreement on bold, practical, and ambitious solutions to the most pressing global challenge of our time. You can read more about the Huskies’ presence at COP28 in the Huskies at the UN Climate Conference (COP) blog.