The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is an international treaty addressing climate change and reducing greenhouse gasses. It provides a framework countries can follow to collaborate on climate-related issues. Part of its role entails organizing annual international conferences of the parties (COPs) that focus on topics such as climate mitigation, adaptation, finance, and more. At COP 21 (2015), countries adopted the legally binding Paris Climate Agreement, which set a goal of reducing global emissions to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. This agreement is reaffirmed each year as countries work toward advancing key elements including nationally determined contributions (NDCs) consisting of climate action plans and GHG reduction targets for each country, and climate finance for developing countries. The UNFCCC also hosts preparatory meetings such as sessions of its subsidiary bodies (SBs). The SBs play a crucial role in preparing for each COP, preparing draft decisions and recommendations for the conference.
Lund University is an observer of the COP process and the SBs. Observers have several roles; from lobbying and contributing to the positions of parties to acting as watchdogs and reporting on the progress of negotiations. The Lund University delegation consists of researchers and students alike, allowing for experiences to be shared across faculties. As students of the 30th batch of the Master's Programme in Environmental Management and Policy at the International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics, we are excited to translate theoretical knowledge into practice – the very thing that the Institute is known for! Another key component of life at the Institute is its international focus. With student participants coming from diverse backgrounds, this year’s representatives bring varied experiences and perspectives to the university delegation.
Hanka Kirby (to the left) reflects on her background as a key motivator for her interest in climate stating, "Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, a city plagued with deep-rooted, systemic inequalities, I have not been able to ignore the disproportionate impacts of climate change - whether this be increased heat-related mortality in Southern minority communities, or a rapidly rising sea-level faced by Small Island Nations who have done little to nothing to cause a changing climate. I developed a specific passion for climate justice, and for watching the role the UNFCCC’s Loss and Damage initiative plays in remediating some of this burden. I am so excited for the opportunity to represent Lund University as I follow the process this year at the Bonn Climate Conference, SB60."
Emma Hundertmark (to the right) is one of the Swedish students in Batch 30. “As a former student and part of Uppsala University's delegation to the COP in 2017, I have continued to follow the development of the Paris Agreement and its rulebook in the years since. When a study from Lund University on the climate justice ambition of the COPs came out in the fall of 2023, I became interested in participating in the University's conversations about the negotiations. I am so happy to have the opportunity to be part of the delegation to SB60 and the chance to share it both with Hanka and the other students at the Institute.”
