BU and Pardee Scholars at Copenhagen Climate Summit

Boston University and Pardee Center researchers were well represented at the global climate change negotiations held at Copenhagen, Denmark, the last two weeks.

A Boston University delegation of 15 was led by Prof. Adil Najam, Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future. Prof. Adil Najam was also officially a delegate on the national negotiation delegation from Pakistan, as an advisor to the Pakistan Minister for the Environment.

The Pardee Center was also represented at Copenhagen by Dr. Miquel Munoz Cabre, post-doc Fellow at the Pardee Center and leading the Center’s work on climate change negotiations. Dr. Munoz is a veteran of such negotiations and was at Copenhagen for its entire length, also representing the IISD’s Earth Negotiations Bulletin.

Dr. Pablo Suarez, Pardee Center Visiting Fellow, was also active at Copenhagen and was a panelist in multiple side events, including on geoengineering, on climate information for humanitarian response, and on the role of private sector in adaptation.

The Pardee Center is a designated UN observer organization for the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). The Copenhagen negotiations, which attracted a parade of world leaders over its two days, was officially the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC.

A number of other researchers and scholars from Boston University were also at Copenhagen, including Professors Paul McManus and Nalin Kulatilka from the School of Management, and a number of Boston University graduate and undergraduate students.

The Boston University and Pardee Center contingent at Copenhagen remained active in the events and discussions. Prof. Adil Najam was quoted in a number of media interviews and Dr. Miquel Munoz was also interviewed by the media (see video here). In addition BU students wrote different blog posts on their experience at Copenhagen.