UBC’s delegation will take part in the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties being held in Baku, Azerbaijan this November.
Monday, October 21, 2024 - 12:16

Following the fourth annual open competition managed by the UBC Sustainability Hub and the Office of Global Engagement, a delegation of 14 students and faculty will be participating in-person and virtually at the 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan from November 11 to November 22, 2024. This is the largest group of virtual UBC delegates to attend a COP event. 

The annual Conference of the Parties (COP) brings together countries, civil society, companies and people on the frontline of climate change to accelerate action. UBC holds “Official Observer” status and is allocated a set number of ‘badges’ that provide access to the negotiations and events. 

There was a large reduction of in-person badges this year for many observer organizations in higher-income countries, including UBC, as the United Nations made important changes to badge quotas to facilitate more equitable regional representation. In future years, badges may continue to be distributed in a similar manner. 

Taking part in COP29 exemplifies our commitment to UBC's Climate Emergency Task Force Report recommendations, enabling us to drive change beyond our institutional boundaries and promoting a culture of engagement and advocacy for climate action. 

By participating in COP29, UBC delegates will deepen their understanding of how global climate negotiations work, enhancing their research, programs, studies and activism. In return, we request that they share their experiences from this global gathering with the wider UBC community. Stay tuned for stories and events from delegates during and after COP29 to hear about their experience. 

As recommended by the Climate Emergency Task Force report, the delegate selection process is an open and transparent competition for all students, faculty, and staff. The COP29 delegates were chosen through a rigorous selection committee from the Sustainability Hub and the Office of Global Engagement. 

UBC Delegates to COP29

UBC Delegates include ten students and four faculty members. 

In-person Observer Delegates:  

Aida Mohajeri, PhD student, Educational Studies, Faculty of Education

Aida is an Educational Studies PhD student, settler, and guest on the traditional, ancestral, unceded, and stolen territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. Her research explores the intersections of unsustainability and systemic inequities. Her past experiences include research and policy in the non-profit, federal government, and education sectors. Aida holds an Ed.M. from Harvard University and a BA from Villanova University.

Carol Liao, Associate Professor, Peter A. Allard School of Law

Dr. Carol Liao is Associate Professor at UBC Allard Law and the UBC Sauder Distinguished Fellow of the Peter P. Dhillon Centre for Business Ethics. Her research focuses on corporate law and sustainability, climate governance, and social justice. She is the Co-Director of the UBC Centre for Climate Justice and the Chair and Principal Co-Investigator of the Canada Climate Law Initiative; she is also a Steering Committee member of the UBC Climate Solutions Research Collective. In 2024, she received the UBC Public Humanities Engagement Award and was named as one of Canada’s Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers by Canadian Lawyer.

Chunyu Pan, PhD student, Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry

Chunyu Pan graduated with a BSc (2021) from UBC, majoring in environmental sciences. He is now continuing his studies at UBC and is currently in the fourth year of his PhD in forestry. Pan's research interests are the global carbon market, forestry and bamboo carbon offset projects, and their relationships with climate change. His current research focuses on the quality, additionality, and effectiveness of forest-based carbon offset projects, particularly applying this knowledge to bamboo forests.

Guangyu Wang, Professor, Forest Resources Management, Faculty of Forestry

Dr. Guangyu Wang is an Associate Dean and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia. He leads the Forest Carbon Lab, which specializes in forest carbon sequestration modeling, carbon accounting, and the global carbon market. His research focuses on striking a balance between forest ecosystem service provision, including commodities and carbon credits, and enhancing the role of forests in human well-being.

Virtual Observer Delegates: 

Aldo Voto, Bachelor of Arts, Psychology and Microbiology, Faculty of Arts

Aldo is a 4th year Psychology Major, minoring in Microbiology with a focus on Sustainability. Born and raised in Honduras, Aldo immigrated to Canada, bringing him a deep understanding of environmental and social injustices that have shaped his academic and professional pursuits. Aldo is an extremely passionate leader whose journey has led him to a career in municipal government, where he has had the privilege to work towards a positive change for his community.

Dean Rohman, Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, Faculty of Arts

Dean Rohman is a third-year Political Science student with an interest in environmental law, Indigenous law, and climate policy. He has worked with West Coast Environmental Law and has volunteered with the UBC Sustainability Hub, CityHive Vancouver, Fresh Roots, and the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation. Dean is passionate about creating climate policy reports, facilitating workshops, leading youth-centered initiatives, and educating various age groups about climate impacts through community outreach and engagement. Throughout his climate work, Dean has learned to deeply value and appreciate centering collaboration, marginalized voices, and Indigenous knowledges when finding solutions and seeking justice within the climate crisis.

Emilie Wang, Doctor of Medicine Undergraduate Program, Faculty of Medicine

Emilie Wang (she/her) is currently pursuing her medical degree at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She did her undergraduate degree at UBC, specializing in environmental health, with a strong foundation for interdisciplinary research, systems thinking, community engagement, and knowledge translation. She is dedicated to contributing to the field of planetary health through various avenues, and is passionate about equitable healthcare access, especially for newcomer populations. She proposed and piloted a curriculum redesign with UBC's Faculty of Science for a more inclusive systems-thinking focused course on sustainability, and she is currently actively involved in the Mental Health and Climate Change Alliance (MHCCA) as a national youth advisory board member.

Michael Monclou, PhD student, Economics, Philosophy and Political Science, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Michael Monclou is a lawyer with an MA in History, and is currently a PhD student in Global Studies at UBC Okanagan. Monclou is experienced in research, public service, and community work focused on human rights, transitional justice, and land access for Indigenous and campesino communities in contexts of inequality.

Nika Martinussen, Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering Physics, Faculty of Applied Science

Nika (she/her) is a white settler who grew up in Treaty 1 (Winnipeg, Manitoba), and is currently an undergraduate student in the Engineering Physics program. During her time at UBC, Nika’s experiences include being a Sustainability Ambassador, working as a co-investigator with Professor Pam Wolf on an Engineer’s Canada report on reconciliation within the engineering academy, and implementing Decolonizing the Engineering Curriculum into an open educational resource. Further, she has had the opportunity to work in developing clean energy projects for remote, Arctic communities with the National Research Council and Polar Knowledge Canada at the Canadian High Arctic Research Station. Currently, she is leading research on the air pollution emissions, exposures, and environmental (in)justices of Canadian industrial facilities who have been enforced for violating environmental regulations.

Robert Szilagyi, Associate Professor & Principal’s Tier I Research Chair, Chemistry, Irving K. Barber Faculty of Science

Robert Szilagyi was born, raised, and educated up to the Ph.D. in Chemistry level in Hungary at University of Veszprem, at that time the largest Chemical Engineering University in Europe. After two postdoctoral stays at Emory University, Atlanta GA and Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, he rose to the academic ranks of Associate Professor at Montana State University in theoretically oriented, structural and mechanistic inorganic and organometallic chemistry. Now at The University of British Columbia – Okanagan campus, Szilagyi leads the Iron-Sulfur+Carbon NanoScience Laboratory. His research described at elementologia.org is focused on materials science and engineering with implications to environmentally challenges we face locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. He nurtures a large network of collaborations in JP, HU, SK, CZ, PL, CA, US with research projects around the globe where the sun does not have a chance to set on.

Stephanie Yan, Bachelor of Applied Science, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science

Stephanie Yan, a chemical and biological engineering student, is driven by curiosity and a passion for exploring the intersection of engineering and environmental activism. She has worked with various non-profits and organizations to amplify youth voices in climate conversations, including speaking at Toronto City Hall, showcasing a climate education video with National Geographic, and leading conference workshops. In 2022 and 2023, Stephanie served as a panelist at Canada’s United Nations Local Conference of Youth, discussing climate justice and politics.

Zeina Baalbaki, Lecturer, Civil Engineering and Chemical and Biological Engineering, Faculty of Applied Science

Dr. Zeina Baalbaki is an Engineer and an educator with blend of experiences in environmental consulting, research and education. She has developed and taught nine different environmental-related courses at three post-secondary institutes across Canada. Currently a Lecturer in the Civil and Chemical & Biological Engineering Departments at UBC, she has played a key role in developing UBC’s new Environmental Engineering program. Notably, she built and has been teaching the 8-month capstone design course, starting with the first graduating cohort (2022) and continuing to present, while fostering strong industry collaborations in capstone projects. Leveraging educational funds, she has integrated climate-related concepts and introduced simulation and modeling tools into the program. Prior to joining UBC, she worked in environmental consulting for 5+ years leading water management projects. She earned her Ph.D. from McGill University (2016), where her research focused on examining and predicting the fate of emerging contaminants in wastewater systems.

Brinnae Cooper, Master of Community and Regional Planning, School of Community and Regional Planning

Brinnae is a Master of Community and Regional Planning student with interests in creating healthier, more inclusive cities through environmental planning, climate change mitigation, and disaster risk reduction. She currently serves as the Professional Development Coordinator for the Planning Student Association. Prior to UBC SCARP, she received her Bachelor of Science with Honors in Biology, Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Chemistry, minor in Spanish, and certificate in Data Analysis at Drury University. While at Drury, she played on the women’s soccer team and served as vice president of the Honors Student Association.

 

Avery Chan, Master of Community and Regional Planning, School of Community and Regional Planning

Avery is a current Master of Community and Regional Planning (MCRP) student. He previously completed a BSc in Environmental Sciences at UBC and has worked for a variety of local governments and non-profit organizations across BC. Coming from a background in public engagement and ecological research, he is broadly interested in planning for more sustainable cities through climate-informed land use and strategic planning. Currently, he works as a research assistant with the Urban Nature Design Research lab, helping with research on urban blue spaces and park usage.

Engagement at COP29

Climate Action as the Fourth Mission of Higher Education

Date: Saturday, November 16, 2024
Time: 13:00 – 14:00
Location: America Is All In Action Center

Dr. Carol Laio will join a COP29 panel on U.S. higher education's partnerships with Canadian and Mexican institutions to accelerate cross-border climate action. 

Indigenous Content in the Sixth IPCC Assessment Report and its Present and Future Implications to Indigenous Peoples Globally

Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Time: 16:55 – 17:55
Location: Indigenous Peoples Pavilion

Dr. Pasang Yangjee Sherpa, Assistant Professor, Department of Asian Studies, is organizing and speaking at this session.

Food Systems Firestarter: Igniting Connections and Sharing Ideas

Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Time: 14:00 - 15:30
Location: COP29 Action on Food Hub Pavilion, Blue Zone

A dynamic and highly interactive session designed to advance resilient and sustainable food systems, moderated by Sid Mehta, Adjunct Faculty member in the Master of Food and Resource Economics (MFRE) program at UBC's Faculty of Land and Food Systems.

Advancing the Quality and Integrity of Forestry Climate Nature-Based Solutions: Challenges, Innovations, and Strategies

Date: Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Time: 18:30 – 20:00
Location: SE Room 9, COP29 UN Climate Conference Blue Zone
Learn more about this event

PhD student Chunyu Pan and Dr. Guangyu Wang, along with their co-organizers, will host an official side event at COP29 focused on enhancing the integrity and credibility of forest carbon offset projects.

 

 

Stay updated on COP29 

UBC’s COP29 delegates are planning exciting ways to stay in touch during and after their activities in Azerbaijan. For more information, keep an eye on the climateemergency.ubc.ca website for the latest news and events, and sign up for our newsletter. 

Unpacking COP29: A Panel Discussion is being hosted by the Climate Solutions Research Collaborative on November 7 from 4:00-5:30pm online.  

As a global leader for sustainability, UBC is tackling the unprecedented challenges of a changing planet. Our UBC COP29 delegation plays a crucial role in this effort, so please join us in wishing them success as they advocate for greater action on one of the most pressing issues of our time.