At COP27, Penn showcased its diverse climate expertise on the world stage
By: Marilyn Perkins, Michele W. Berger
More than 30 representatives from the University traveled to Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for two weeks of negotiations at this year’s United Nations climate change conference.
Penn played its largest role yet in this year’s United Nations climate change conference, COP27. The conference, held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, from Nov. 6-20, and attended by more than 30,000 people, included policy discussions, climate events, and negotiations that resulted in a deal to fund “loss and damage” related to climate change. In its third year with accredited observer status, the Penn delegation contributed to both the negotiations at the center of the conference, including significant work on loss and damage conversations, and the series of events at its perimeter, called the “blue zone.”
“Penn has real expertise on climate solutions, so it’s really important for us to participate in these international venues where finding solutions is the number one priority,” says Cornelia Colijn, executive director of the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy and one of two heads of Penn’s delegation, with Michael Weisberg, the Bess W. Heyman President’s Distinguished Professor in the Department of Philosophy.
More than 30 representatives from across the University—including the Kleinman Center, Perry World House (PWH), School of Arts & Sciences, Penn Carey Law School, School of Veterinary Medicine, Stuart Weitzman School of Design, Penn Institute for Urban Research (Penn IUR), and more—participated in COP27.
“Penn is an international leader in the fight against climate change,” says President Liz Magill. “Focused research and teaching on all issues related to climate is a top institutional priority across the University, and it’s a testament to our broad expertise on climate change that so many from Penn could share their knowledge and insights in front of an international audience of this caliber. This type of engagement is crucial to finding solutions to one of the biggest challenges we face today.”