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 @ COP27
It will take nothing short of global collective action to minimize climate change impacts. GCSE joins tens of thousands of public, nonprofit, and private representatives at the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP) 27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. As a UNFCCC accredited organization, GCSE will learn from and contribute to global conversations on how governments can leverage the best available climate science to inform decision making. Strong emphasis will be placed on urging nations to shift gears from negotiation to implementation of climate commitments.
Live From Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt
Throughout COP27, the GCSE team will be sharing updates regularly from the conference and our delegation through our daily news brief, The Daily Dispatch, and social media content. Follow GCSE on LinkedIn (Global Council for Science and the Environment), Twitter (@GCSEGlobal) and keep up with #GCSECOP27 to see live updates on activities from our delegates and others.
To our friends and colleagues who are attending COP27 or want to follow along with the GCSE delegation, please complete the survey below to share your contact information and/or join the GCSE COP27 mailing list.
Focus Areas for COP27
Each year, the COP Presidency sets an agenda for climate discussions and negotiations. This year, the key word is “implementation.” Building on the discourse of last year’s COP26 in Glasgow, this COP will center on how to translate climate goals into concrete action. Although the 2-week conference will span topics from climate migration to energy transitions, important focus areas for this year will be:
Mitigation and Adaptation |
Climate Finance |
Loss and Damage |
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In climate policy, mitigation broadly refers to preventing greenhouse gas emissions (and therefore the severity of climate impact) through measures like energy efficiency upgrades and transitioning to clean energy. Adaptation measures help communities adjust to the realized or anticipated effects of climate change, such as bolstering coastal infrastructure to withstand rising sea levels, or strengthening risk management plans for extreme weather. According to the IPCC 6th Assessment report, climate mitigation strategies have progressed around the world since the signing of the Paris Agreement. However, substantially more investment is needed to help nations adapt to existing and expected changes in weather and climate. |
Investment in both mitigation and adaptation strategies requires immense and sophisticated financial mechanisms at every scale. Past climate treaties, including the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement, have recognized that developed nations, which have the greatest financial resources, have contributed the most to climate change. Developed nations are therefore expected to provide financial assistance for adaptation and mitigation in developing nations. At COP15 (2009), developed nations pledged a collective $100 billion to support an international climate fund, but have since fallen short of this commitment. The Egyptian Presidency will revisit these commitments at COP27. |
According to UN News, “loss and damage” will also be a focal point at COP27. Loss and damage refers to compensation for the growing cost of natural disasters and disruptions that are more intense and frequent due to climate change. Nations that have contributed the least to climate change are frequently the most vulnerable to its impacts, and therefore experience greater loss and damage. These nations call for just compensation from higher-emitting, developed nations. |
Membership with GCSE
GCSE membership allows you to connect and collaborate with fellow leaders in the field, cultivate research collaborations and funding opportunities, and engage across science and decision-making at all levels of governments and multilateral institutions. Visit our membership page to review member benefits, or email membership@gcseglobal.org for more information.
Get involved in GCSE Programs and Initiatives
GCSE invites you to get involved and help span the boundaries between science and decision-making.
GCSE Applied Solutions
GCSE’s Applied Solutions program is working to grow systemic capacity that links scientists and decision-makers. These connections will provide capacity to local governments and help transform the institutional relationships between universities and local communities to benefit sustained climate resilience. Learn more here.
Pathways to Accreditation
GCSE is spearheading an initiative to support accreditation of sustainability and sustainability-related programs in higher education. This work will build on exceptional scholarship in sustainability education using an approach that centers justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion. Learn more here.
Resilience Learning Collaborative
GCSE’s resilience learning collaborative centers on mapping and analyzing resilience education. Learn more here.
Managed Retreat Learning Collaborative
The GCSE Managed Retreat Learning Collaborative provides an opportunity to network and collaborate with scholars interested in how communities vulnerable to climate change move and adapt to its impacts. Learn more here.
Science as Actionable Knowledge
In partnership with NASA, GCSE is leading the Science as Actionable Knowledge pilot program, which supports a cohort of researchers as they pursue applications-oriented scientific research, to enhance user uptake and use in decision-making. Learn more here.
Conference and Events
GCSE offers high quality opportunities for researchers around the world to learn, convene, and connect with one another, both virtually and in-person. Past events have included conferences, international summits, and expert-led webinars on a variety of subjects. See past events here, and upcoming events here. Learn more here.
Support GCSE
Contribute to GCSE and its advancement of science-based solutions to critical environmental challenges through research, communication, and education. You can make a one-time contribution or set up recurring donations on a monthly basis.
Donor Privacy Policy
GCSE does not share or sell a donor’s personal information with anyone else and does not send donation requests on behalf of other organizations.
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).