Colleagues from the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) are part of the leadership team for Climate Exp0 - the first virtual conference from the COP26 Universities Network and the Italian University Network for Sustainable Development (RUS).
Supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and Cambridge University Press the IPR are working with Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge, across a team of over 80 committee members in the organisation and delivery of the conference.
Climate Exp0 is also supported by the 2021 UN Climate Change Summit (COP26), which is due to take place from 1-12 November in Glasgow this year, and will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Running from 17-21 May 2021, Climate Exp0 takes place at a critical juncture in the COP26 pre-meetings and negotiations, and is part of the All4Climate Italy 2021 official pre-COP26 initiatives.
Online, free and open to all, it marks a unique occasion at which global policymakers, academics, practitioners, students and members of the public will gather together to collaborate, share and debate climate change policy, ahead of the COP26 negotiations in November.
The programme, now available online, features the latest thinking and most relevant international climate change and policy research across five themes including Green Recovery; Nature-based Solutions; Mitigation Solutions; Adaptation and Resilience; and Finance and Regulation.
Addressing one theme each day, it showcases an impressive range of over 200 international speakers and contributors confirmed so far, featuring over 10 from the University’s student and academic community, including the Departments of Psychology; Architecture and Civil Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; and Physics.
IPR Head of Policy Programmes and Communications, and Co-Chair of Climate Exp0, Amy Thompson, adds:
"Being part of the Climate Exp0 team has been a real privilege. Now is such a critical time to bring together leading international policymakers, academic experts and students who are working on climate change research.”
“We hope to enable the latest research in this area to have a really positive impact and influence on the COP26 negotiations in November. I am also so delighted to see so many of our Bath colleagues involved in the programme.”
The programme for Climate Exp0 is available in full online, and registration is now open.
About the COP26 Universities Network
The COP26 Universities Network is a growing group of more than 55 UK-based universities and research centres working together to raise ambition for tangible outcomes from COP26, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland in November 2021. The Network will create lasting partnerships and legacies that reach beyond this single event.
The Network's mission is to ensure that the UK academic sector plays its role in delivering a successful COP26, getting all players on track to deliver a zero-carbon, resilient world. They aim to do so by easing access to evidence and academic expertise for COP26 for government, NGOs, and other actors, and by taking action.
About RUS
RUS is the first experience of coordination and sharing between all Italian universities committed to the topic of environmental sustainability and social responsibility.
The main goal of RUS is to spread the culture of sustainability, both within and outside the Universities, sharing skills and experiences, with the aim of increasing the positive impact in terms of environmental, ethical, social and economic actions which are currently implemented by each university, so as to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs, and to strengthen the recognisability and the value of the Italian experience on an international level.
About COP26
COP26 is the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference, scheduled to take place from 1 – 12 November in Glasgow.
The COP26 summit will bring parties together to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.