COP28: Reading engagement in world climate summit

Research colleagues, students and the Vice-Chancellor will all have a presence at COP28, as we continue to exert our influence on the global issue of climate change.

The annual climate summit begins on Thursday (30 November), running until 12 December. It will bring together world leaders in the United Arab Emirates to share the latest research on climate change and make commitments on climate action.

Our involvement

A team of Reading delegates, led by the Walker Institute, will again be in attendance in Dubai to host climate events, present research on climate adaptation, net zero, climate education and more, and provide expert advice to policymakers.

Other colleagues and students, including Vice-Chancellor Professor Robert Van de Noort, will participate remotely by joining online events and fringe meetings.

Remote participation will again be enabled through Walker’s COP Climate Action Studio (COPCAS) initiative, allowing PhD researchers and others at Reading and other universities to join COP policy discussions with researchers worldwide. To find out more about COPCAS, email the Walker Academy.

Delegates from Space4Climate, a research partnership whose members include the Institute of Environmental Analytics based at the University, will also be hosting events highlighting the capability of UK space-based technology to monitor and address climate change.

• See more details about Reading side events and follow our COP involvement on the Partnering for the Planet website.
• Read more about Walker’s research into climate change and tropical diseases, which will be highlighted at one of its side events.

  About COP28

  COP stands for Conference of the Parties and is held annually to review progress against the aims of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change - the international treaty to limit human impact on Earth’s climate.

  The Walker Institute has led the University's COP involvement for almost a decade, making us an official accredited observer, which allows our experts to provide impartial scientific advice to UK Government negotiators and explore potential research partnerships and funding opportunities.

• Read more about Walker’s COP involvement on our Research blog.

Enabling policy action

Professor Rosalind Cornforth, Director of the Walker Institute, said: "COP28, the 2023 climate COP, is a defining moment for the world. We must come together - scientists, policy makers, and communities - and accelerate action on climate change, ensuring adaptation finance flows to developing countries. Failure to do so is not an option.  

“Such agreements made at COP must be informed by strong evidence, so we are proud to be at the forefront of providing the latest climate research and pioneering transdisciplinary approaches bringing climate and livelihoods research together to address the adaptation gaps.

“Our aim is to enable meaningful policy action on climate risk and adaptation that help communities worldwide build resilience to climate change. Our work at COP28 will focus on sharing evidence-based metrics to rapidly advance the implementation of adaptation plans."