Conference of the Parties (COP)

As part of our long-standing status as a registered observer for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) COPs, University of Sheffield academics and students have been attending COP for a number of years to share our expertise and knowledge with global leaders. 

Our representatives at COP are available for media comment about their research and the experience of attending the conference. For more information contact the University Media Team.

COP29

In 2024, University of Sheffield representatives will be present at COP29 to share our research and help contribute towards the aims of the conference. We prioritise PhD and early year researchers who have a research interest in COP as attendees, helping them to build their knowledge and understanding of global climate politics and communicate their experience back to the wider University and public audiences.

Participants

Agnes Rydberg, School of Law 

Siti Nurlisa Binti Ahmad, Materials Science and Engineering

Fanran Meng, School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering 

Colin Nolden, Energy Institute 

Hibba Saeed, Management School 

Kathryn Schoon, Faculty of Social Sciences 

Sally Thomas, School of Education 

Shriya Bajaj, Geography 

Rahima Babayeva, Energy 2050 and School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering 

Online Participants

Anna Fedotova, Civil and Structural Engineering 

Andy Nichols, School of Mechnical, Aerospace & Civil Engineering 

Issi Steeley, Biosciences 

Emma Melissa Cantello Saville, Research, Partnerships & Innovation 

Kennedy John Offor, Electronic and Electrical Engineering 

Preeti Raghunath, Sociological Studies 

Rizwana Lala, Division of Population Health (School of Medicine and Population Health) 

Rosalind Farrow, Finance Department 

Yang Sarah Binti Mohamad, Chemical and Biological Engineering

Alexander Fletcher - Research, Partnerships and Innovation

COP29 will focus on several key goals, with an overarching emphasis on climate finance. One major objective is to establish a New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) for climate finance, intended to replace the unmet $100 billion annual funding promise made in 2009. The aim is to secure more financial support from wealthier nations to help low-income countries mitigate and adapt to climate impacts. 

Representative Training

This year, the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures has hosted a series of training sessions to ensure our delegates heading to COP29 are fully prepared for the event. The training series was funded by the Grantham Centre's GO Fund Initiative and hosted by a former COP28 observer who wanted to pass on his experiences to future COP attendees. 

The sessions covered everything from outlining the negotiation process to debunking COP language. It also included sessions around the local culture and tips on how to deal with eco-anxiety. The aim is to enable attendees to have a meaningful presence at COP and to make the most of the time available to them. 

Read more about our training and preparation for COP29 here

COP29 Events and Analysis

There are events happening across the University to get involved with before, during, and after COP29. Look out for more events throughout the course of COP29 and after. We also recommend watching this video, produced by the faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University, which demonstrates the vital role the humanities play in shaping a sustainable future. 

One of our COP29 representatives, Dr Agnes Rydberg, Deputy Director of the Sheffield Centre for International and European Law, has written an opinion piece on financial and loss and damage discussions at COP29. 

Read the piece here

Previous COPs

Information about our attendees and activities at previous COPs can be found here.