COP31: A Turning Point for the Planet?

It is against a backdrop of rightwing populists around the world rolling back on international cooperation, and reneging on treaties, the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures invited applications for Official Observers of COP31, both in person and online. The University of Sheffield is one of only a small number of UK universities invited to observe and take part in the annual climate conference. 

The number of applications received demonstrates a keen and sustained enthusiasm to witness these negotiations, and a shared hopefulness that global meetings of this scale can bring about the change needed.

Brazil has just published a roadmap to de-fossilisation off the back of their hosting last year, which shows that these events can have an impact wider than just during the two week conference itself.

We look forward to sharing more of our delegates' thoughts after they return.

Reflecting on their forthcoming visit, this year's COP31 Observers say:

I am excited and grateful for the opportunity to attend COP31 as an in-person observer and experience firsthand how international climate negotiations and policy discussions take place. I am particularly interested in understanding how countries negotiate their climate priorities, what key issues shape the global climate agenda and how decisions are reached. I also hope to explore how policymakers, industry and academia can work together to turn climate commitments into practical action. I am especially looking forward to discussions on the circular economy, climate justice, community participation and the role of indigenous and local knowledge in developing inclusive climate solutions. I hope to connect with people from different countries and backgrounds, learn from their experiences and perspectives and bring back valuable insights to share with the wider university community.

Alka Ranjan

PhD student - Sheffield University Management School

COP31 is the sixth COP I will attend. While it is easy to be cynical about the state of geopolitical affairs and the COP process, which many argue has not delivered any tangible outcome, we need to recognise that this is the only space where high-level representatives of 194 countries get together in recognition of the gravity of human-induced climate change. Progress is slow and the processes bewildering even for an experienced attendee like me. Yet intentions such as the decision to 'transition away from fossil-fuels' are milestones considering fossil fuels continue to supply approximately 70% of global final energy consumption. Falling costs of renewable energy and storage technologies move such statements into the realm of probability and I'm excited to see how finance and market mechanisms can be adjusted in support of a just transition.

Colin Nolden

Senior Research Fellow - Sheffield University Management School

I am looking forward to attending COP31 this year; it is such a valuable and exciting opportunity. I will be attending the first week, where one of the main themes is improving climate literacy, which I believe is a crucial topic. Even in academic spaces, the true impact climate change will have on us is not yet fully understood. I have been helping run seminars with Sheffield’s Water Centre, one holding a screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing, and hope to share what I learn at COP31 via this platform.

Emily Blackburn

PhD student - School of Mechanical, Aerospace, and Civil Engineering

I’m going to COP31 in Week 2. My PhD investigates carbon capture clusters and how communities in the UK experience them. The UK likes to present its cluster model abroad as a template, and COP is where that happens. I’m particularly looking forward to the days on green industrialisation, just transition and local knowledge, and investment-ready projects. I’m going as a social scientist with a keen sociological eye and a notebook, paying attention to how decisions actually get made and how carbon capture and other climate technologies are talked about. I’m hoping my notebook will be overflowing with observations by the end of the week! I’ll come back with reflections for my thesis and for colleagues in Sheffield.

Ryan Hartfield

PhD student - School of Sociological Studies, Politics and International Relations

I’m pleased to have been accepted as a virtual delegate for COP31 through the Grantham Scholars programme at the University of Sheffield. As a PhD researcher studying air quality in UK schools, I’m particularly looking forward to the discussions on health, the built environment, and children and education, and considering their relevance to my research. Thank you to the Grantham Scholars programme for this opportunity.

Richard Beaumont

PhD student - School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering