UCL at COP – COP16 and COP29 delegations announced

UCL at COP16 – Biodiversity

CBD COP16 marks the Sixteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and will take place from 21 October – 1 November 2024, in Cali, Colombia. 

The theme of COP16 is 'Peace with Nature' and during the two weeks UCL colleagues in Cali and beyond will have the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions that will shape the future of the biodiversity crisis.

COP 16 will be the first Biodiversity COP since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at COP 15 in December 2022 in Montreal, Canada. This was signed by 196 countries and makes commitments to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030. There will be a focus on reviewing the implementation/ further development of this Framework. 

UCL’s commitment to COP16 

This is the first time UCL is sending an accredited delegation to COP16 and to celebrate this colleagues from across UCL are uniting around a new biodiversity campaign. This involves extensive connections across disciplines, institutions, and across biodiversity as we map out a safer, healthier future for us and the rest of nature.

Professor Jon Bridle, Director of the Centre for Biodiversity and Environment Research (CBER), Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment (GEE) highlights the importance of UCL’s contribution:

“UCL researchers join delegates at COP16 at a time when global biodiversity loss is widespread throughout the planet's species and habitats, and we face the collapse of the systems that are essential for human health and development, and resilience to ongoing climate change. It is great to see our collaborative research from across UCL making a real – world difference, with the hope that we can generate solutions to this emergency, and start living on this planet as if we intend to stay here.

Selected by a panel of key academic and professional services colleagues from across UCL, we are pleased to share UCL’s first COP16 team: 

See the COP16 team

• Dr Izzy Bishop, Lecturer (Teaching) in Ecology, Genetics, Evolution and Environment
• Dr Simon Chin-Yee, Lecturer in Development, Political Sciences
• Professor Mariana Mazzucato, Professor in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value, Founding Director of the UCL Institute for Innovation & Public Purpose 
• Sarah Doyle, Head of Policy, Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose

And attending via other delegations:

• Luca Kuehn von Burgsdorff, Director's Senior Policy Advisor, UCL Institute for Innovation and Public Purpose (IIPP)

Explore the COP16 team

UCL at COP29 – Climate

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 29th Conference of the Parties otherwise known as COP29, will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan on the 11 - 22 November 2024.

COP29 is an important milestone for climate finance, as this is the year the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance is due to be agreed, this will be the successor to the last funding pledge made in 2009. Alongside this, there will be key negotiations on a variety of critical climate challenges.

Research provides vital understanding of the challenges and opportunities of addressing the climate crisis. Organisations like UCL can provide scientific evidence that can help shape policy recommendations and ensure a positive future for the planet.  Each year colleagues from UCL participate in COP, both physically at the conference and in the past two years virtually, now that the UNFCCC offer a virtual attendance route.

UCL's commitment to COP29

Each year, UCL demonstrates its commitment to tackling the climate crisis by assembling a dedicated team of experts from across the university to participate in COP. This team embodies UCL's pledge to make a substantial impact on the global stage. They engage in negotiations, discussions and events, working tirelessly over two intense weeks to drive meaningful, real world change. 

Selected by a panel of key academic and professional services colleagues from across UCL, we are pleased to share this year’s COP29 team: 

See the COP29 team

• Goksu Danaci, President and Chair of the Board of Trustees at Students' Union UCL
• Professor Michael Grubb, Professor of Energy and Climate Change & Deputy Director, UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources 
• Dr Jonathan Barnes, Research Fellow in Climate Change Adaptation, Risk and Disaster Reduction
• Dr Roberto Cardinale, Lecturer, Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction
• Professor Nicola Walshe, Executive Director of the UCL Centre for Climate Change and Sustainability Education, and Pro-Director Education at the UCL Institute of Education
• Professor Jolene Skordis, Professor, Institute for Global Health
• Professor Jacquie McGlade, Professor of Natural Prosperity, Sustainable Development and Knowledge Systems, Institute of Global Prosperity
• Dr Simon Chin-Yee, Lecturer, Political Sciences
• Professor Priti Parikh, Professor of Infrastructure Engineering and International Development, Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction
• Professor Mark Maslin, Pro-Vice-Provost UCL Grand Challenge of Climate Crisis, Geography

UCL colleagues attending via other delegations

• Dr Pedro Schilling de Carvalho, Lecturer in Financial and Environmental Law Faculty of Laws

UCL's new Grand Challenge of Climate Crisis further embodies this work. Last year during COP28 we were pleased to announce the appointment of our Pro-Vice-Provosts for the Grand Challenge of Climate Crisis, Professors Lisa Vanhala (UCL Political Science) and Mark Maslin (UCL Geography).

In a joint statement they say:

“"COP29 will host critical discussions on financing countries and communities to reach net zero middle century while also adapting to the impacts of climate change. We are sending an outstanding and diverse group of UCL climate experts to COP29 to translate knowledge into action and nurture new partnerships.

The UCL Climate Crisis Grand Challenge is committed to fostering innovative interdisciplinary solutions to climate change: from developing sustainable aviation to increasing food security to building inclusive climate resilient infrastructure to better climate policy-making. UCL's breadth of expertise is unparalleled, and we are looking forward to see the new opportunities COP29 will create for the whole UCL community."

Following on from the success of Mary McHarg, the Student Union Affairs Officer, in championing the student voice at COP28. Goksu Danaci, the current President and Chair of the Board of Trustees at Students' Union UCL, will be representing our students at COP29 in week 1. Goksu will be an ambassador for our students, ensuring that their voices are raised on a global stage, connecting with other youth groups and telling the story of COP from a student perspective.  

Goksu expressed her passion, stating:  

“I am committed to representing the voice of students of UCL at COP29, and am looking forward to contributing to youth dialogues around climate action.

Explore the COP29 Team

For more information regarding UCL at COP please see our dedicated webpages

How you can get involved:

UCL Staff can join the UCL Climate Hub Teams Group for COP updates

UCL students can join the Student Sustainability Forum to hear from members of UCL’s COP teams and make their voice heard. Register to attend here

Are you attending COP29 on a non UCL ticket? Let us know via this form

Are you planning an event, attending a panel or representing UCL at a COP related activity? This can be at UCL, or in Baku. Let us know via this form

The Climate Podcast is now back for season 5, with a special episode getting under the skin of COP29. Make sure you subscribe wherever you listen to your podcasts. More about the podcast

Please direct any queries about UCL at COP16 or COP29 to Dr Becca Burns, Strategic Co-ordinator: Environment, from Research Innovation and Global Engagement, who is supporting UCL’s attendance at these meetings. Or feel free to reach out to the relevant UCL team member or colleagues listed as supporting these activities. 

For any media relations please contact Michael Lucibella in the media relations team.