UChicago at COP

The Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth strives to build future leaders in energy and climate change. Doing so requires providing students with critical real world experiences. That’s why the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Growth is proud to partner with UChicago Career Advancement to sponsor delegations of UChicago students to attend international climate change conferences convened annually by the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. By attending these conferences, students have the opportunity to learn from and network with leaders in government, industry and NGOs.

The first sponsored delegation traveled to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2022 to attend COP27. The conference offered sessions on a diverse range of topics, including green finance, transit decarbonization, climate-smart agriculture and water reclamation. Students had the opportunity to choose the sessions that best aligned with their career interests. Additionally, they met with notable representatives, including the Director for Private Sector Engagement from the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Chief Executive of Sustainable Food Trust, and Founder and CEO of Insect Feed Technologies. They also met a delegation from the Congo working on rainforest conservancy, solar panel installation, and energy transitions in local villages, and have since discussed future collaborations. More on reflections from the COP27 delegates…

The second sponsored delegation traveled to Dubai, United Arab Emirates in December 2023 to attend COP28. The delegation, made up of 19 College, Booth, Harris and Law students, had the opportunity to learn from and network with leaders in government, industry and NGOs. Reflections from the COP28 delegates…