GCSE at COP28

It will take nothing short of global collective action to minimize climate change impacts. From 30 November to 12 December, 2023, GCSE joined tens of thousands of public, nonprofit, and private representatives at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP) 28 in Dubai, UAE. To learn more about the UNFCCC, please visit their website.

As a UNFCCC official observer organization, GCSE learned from and contributed to global conversations on how governments can leverage the best available climate science to inform decision-making. At COP28, strong emphasis was placed on reviewing the Global Stocktake of progress on climate action, creating a just transition towards a green economy, halting biodiversity loss, transforming food systems, and urging nations to properly finance these climate commitments.

COP28 will bring countries together to deliver the way forward on climate action, commitments on mitigation, adaptation and finance will need to be revised, to be in line with delivering on the Paris Agreement. - Simon Stiell, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, and Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President-Designate, in a joint statement.

To learn more about the COP28 Presidency's leadership and priority areas, please visit their website.

Live From Dubai, UAE

Throughout COP28, the GCSE team and delegation members shared updates from the conference and our delegation through our digital communications and social media content. Follow GCSE on LinkedIn (Global Council for Science and the Environment) to see our updates on activities from our delegates and others.

Onsite Events

GCSE, in partnership with 12 higher education and higher education-related organizations, hosted the Higher Education Pavilion in the Blue Zone at COP28. This pavilion space served as a catalyst for conversations on the role of higher education in multilateral climate negotiations and in advancing climate action solutions that span boundaries.

View images of events that the GCSE delegation and collaborators participated in.

Panelists standing together in the pavilion space — *Panelists from the **Creating the Next Generation of Boundary-Spanning Climate Leaders** session*

Moderator with panelists — *Moderator and panelists from the **Empowering youth engagement in climate action, solutions, and policy addressing global challenges** session*

Panelists in the pavilion — *Panelists from the **Transdisciplinary Research for Climate Solutions** session*

*Panelists from the **Inventing the Net Zero World** session*

Panelists speaking — *Panelists from the **Built Environment** session*

View more event information here.

Our Delegation

This year, GCSE was honored to bring a transdisciplinary and intergenerational delegation of global citizens working to advance GCSE's mission to "span boundaries of knowledge and decision-making to address environmental and sustainability challenges". View our f ull delegation who participated in COP28 both on-site and online below.

Ms. Laaylitya Acharya - Founder, The Nereid Project

Ms. Rebecca Abitimo - Member, Rise Up Movement

Mr. A. Karim Ahmed, Ph.D. - Adjunct Professor, University of Connecticut Health Center

Ms. Crystal Chissell - Executive Director, Global Council for Science and the Environment (GCSE)

Ms. Katherine Gerbode-Grant - Senior Associate, The New York Climate Exchange

Ms. Isabella Guinigundo - Student, The Ohio State University

Mr. Stephen Hammer - Chief Executive Officer, The New York Climate Exchange

Ms. Sagal Hashi - Student, The Ohio State University

Mr. Adrian Jeremiah Kaliisa - Local Coordinator, Rise Up Movement

Ms. Olivia Marrero - Student, The Ohio State University

Mr. Leonard Mugisho - Climate Activist, Rise Up Movement - Democratic Republic of Congo

Ms. Liz Nelson - Program Manager, Global Council for Science and the Environment (GCSE)

Ms. Esther Obonyo - Associate Professor and Executive Director of the Global Building Network, The Pennsylvania State University

Ms. Alex Ramey - Program Manager, Global Council for Science and the Environment (GCSE)

Ms. Erica Smithwick - Director of Earth and Environmental Sciences Institute, The Pennsylvania State University

Mr. Joseph Sserwadda - Accountant, Rise Up Movement

Ms. Cordelia Van der Veer - Student, The Ohio State University

Mr. David Wamani - Member, Rise Up Movement

Learn more about the GCSE Delegation

About GCSE

The Global Council for Science and the Environment (GCSE) is a nonpartisan nongovernmental organization established in 1990, with the mission to improve the scientific basis for environmental decision-making. GCSE serves its mission by bringing together diverse institutional members from around the world to advance collaborative research and engagement on critical environmental challenges, while growing representation, equity, and access. We work with scientists, educators, decision-makers, business leaders, and officials at all levels of government, to mobilize knowledge for transformational change for people and planet. Learn about our mission and approach.

GCSE is an accredited organization with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and holds consultative status with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

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