COP30: Bel茅m, Brazil
COP30: Bel茅m, Brazil
Nov 10, 2025 鈥� Nov 21, 2025
From November 10th through November 21st, our COP30 delegation represented the BC community in Bel茅m, Brazil. The delegation consisted of听six faculty, five graduate students, nine undergraduate students, and听one staff member, representing colleges and departments across campus. Delegates were competitively selected from a pool of approximately 150 applications by a committee of faculty, staff, and students from across campus. The Schiller Institute is committed to producing outreach programming that extends the University's investment in sending a delegation to COP and allows students, faculty, and others to benefit from our COP programming.听
Our signature event is the COP Symposium, which took place on Friday, March 13.听Please see below for more details. Additional programming included听BC alum and Former US Climate Negotiator, Catherine Goldberg, giving a lecture about her past as a delegate and climate action and COPs moving forward; and Broadcast from Belem events where delegates remotely connected with the campus while on-the-ground.听
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COP30 Delegates
BC Alum and Former US Climate Negotiator to Give Insights Through Campus-Wide Lecture
Catherine Goldberg, 鈥�16, has attended the last six COPs negotiating on behalf of the United States. She will be lecturing on campus on Oct 2 about her past as a delegate and climate action and COPs moving forward.
Education for Empowerment: Shaping the Next Generation of Climate Innovators
Emma Brace, Assistant Professor of Engineering, moderated a panel at the United Nations SDG Pavilion titled "Education for Empowerment: Shaping the Next Generation of Climate Innovators." Fellow delegate Abby Bergman, a PhD student in the Lynch School's Department of Formative Education, was one of the panelists, along with students and faculty from MIT, Tufts, Tecnol贸gico de Monterrey (Mexico), and Climate Interactive. The panel was featured in the pavilion's newsletter.
COP30: Climate, Power & Indigenous Voices
Three of our delegates, Dr. Shelley White and students Mackenzie Meyer and Margaret (Mengyun) Jiang, shared their experiences attending COP30 in the Global Public Health and the Common Good newsletter. Their reflections highlight the current climate crisis as well as the importance of examining its effects on Indigenous peoples.听
Former Topekan goes to the COP30 United Nations summit in Brazil听
Boston College engineering听professor Emma Brace attended the UN COP30 climate听change summit in Brazil. Brace, a Topeka High School alumna, found the summit surprisingly听similar to her high school Model UN experiences. She encourages educators to discuss climate change with students and advises students to pursue their passions.听
Broadcasts from Bele虂m Week 1 November 13, 2025
Boston College students and faculty attended the UNFCCC's Conference of the Party (COP30) in Bel茅m, Brazil.
Join our week one of the Boston College COP30 delegation as they share their experiences and reactions at the global climate negotiations.
Broadcasts from Bele虂m Week 2 November 20, 2025
Boston College students and faculty attended the UNFCCC's Conference of the Party (COP30) in Bel茅m, Brazil.
In this recorded panel, our Boston College COP30 delegation as share their experiences, triumphs and disappointments at the global forum. Hear how they respond to the questions live from the BC community.
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COP 30 Education for Empowerment: Shaping the Next Generation of Climate Innovators
November 18, 2025
This 60-minute moderated panel will feature faculty experts and student leaders exploring the critical role of North American higher education in using knowledge creation and interdisciplinary initiatives to accelerate climate action, fulfill the Paris Agreement and SDG 4, and foster student agency and community solutions.
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Climate Reveal Podcast: S2 E1 UN COP30 - BC Heads To Brazil
In an all-Eagle kickoff to Season 2, we talk with two Boston College professors who traveled to Brazil to attend UN COP30. Hanqin Tian, Professor of Global Sustainability at Schiller Institute, and Director of the Center for Earth System Science & Global Sustainability (who attended the first week of the conference) and Tara Pisani Gareau, Director of Environmental Studies Program, and Professor of the Practice in Earth & Environmental Science at Boston College (who attended the second week of the conference), join us in studio to talk about what they saw, heard, and learned, and what events like COP30 mean in the ongoing response to the climate crisis.
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COP30 Symposium听
Friday, March 13, 2026 | 10am - 2:30pm
245 Beacon Street听
The event took place throughout the building. See the program below for location and speaker details.听
3rd Annual Boston College COP Symposium
Bringing the Global Climate Summit to the Heights
The Schiller Institute for Integrated Science and Society, in collaboration with Boston College鈥檚 student and faculty delegates to COP30, is proud to host our 3rd Annual COP Symposium.
The Schiller Institute manages Boston College鈥檚 official status as an observer organization to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)鈥攖he international environmental treaty tasked with coordinating the global response to climate change鈥攁nd oversees the university鈥檚 participation at the annual Conference of the Parties, or COP. As the world鈥檚 leading climate change conference, COP serves as the primary arena for global negotiations, where world leaders, scientists, and advocates gather to establish policy and track progress toward international climate goals.
A core component of our programming is working to ensure that Boston College鈥檚 observer status and participation in these global summits benefit the entire BC community, not just the group selected to attend each year. Our annual symposium is a vital part of that commitment, conceptualized by our student and faculty delegates as a way to bring the insights and momentum of the global summit back to the Heights. We designed this event to function as a "mini-COP"鈥攁 high-energy, interdisciplinary space for dialogue, workshops, and connection. We believe one of the most impactful aspects of the actual COP is the serendipity鈥攖he chance encounters at a refreshment table or the unexpected conversations between sessions that lead to new connections and collaborations. We hope you will join us 鈥� you never know who you might meet!
The day鈥檚 programming is structured to mirror the diversity of the international conference, featuring a panel discussion, a formal presentation, poster sessions, and multiple workshops and interactive exhibits. Throughout the event, attendees will have the opportunity to network with numerous climate professionals and hear firsthand accounts from BC鈥檚 own delegates.听
Themes we will cover this year include:
- US Climate Commitments and Action
- Green Careers and Building Climate Skills
- Climate Stories and Art
- Indigenous Climate Action
- Outcomes of COP30 and Looking Ahead to COP31
- Local Implications
By bridging the gap between global diplomacy and local action, the symposium offers a unique platform to interpret the implications of COP within our own context. We invite you to join us for this day of collaborative learning and networking as we work together to translate global climate momentum into campus-wide impact.
Sara Ascher, World Resources Institute
Sara Ascher is the Senior Project Manager for the National Climate Action Team. She helps build better systems for knowledge sharing, communication and collaborative teamwork to assist in reaching the Climate team's and WRI's mission and goals.
Sara is an ordained clergy person in the Unitarian Universalist tradition. Prior to coming to WRI, she served as a congregational minister and then as the Executive Director of the International Council of Unitarians & Universalists. Her multicultural and intercultural program and strategy development, collaborative team leadership and adaptive project management provide a solid foundation for her work at WRI.
Sara holds a Master of Divinity from Andover Newton Theological School at Yale Divinity School and a second Masters in Global Affairs from The Fletcher School at Tufts University.
She lives outside of Boston, Massachusetts with her spouse, David.
Tracy Bach, RINGO and Dartmouth College
Tracy Bach is an expert in climate change law and policy with over 15 years of experience in international negotiations. A professor of law and public policy, Bach鈥檚 work has focused on climate change, voluntary carbon markets, international environmental law and human rights, and health care and environmental health law. She has served as an international consultant to the United Nations Development Programme and UN Environment Programme, and as a workshop teacher for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). At Tuck, she teaches The Private Sector in International Climate Negotiations Practicum and serves as an adviser to the Center for Business, Government & Society and Revers Center for Energy, Sustainability, and Innovation. She has led Tuck student delegations to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change summits since 2019.
Danielle DeLuca,听Cultural Survival
Danielle DeLuca, Senior Development Manager, has been managing Cultural Survival鈥檚 working in fundraising at CS since 2019, after 10 years working across program areas. Based in Guatemala between 2009-2014, Danielle began her time at CS with the Community Media Program, where she trained alongside our Guatemalan team doing legislative advocacy to advance Indigenous freedom of expression. In 2012, she began working in our Advocacy Program in defense of Indigenous land and resources through campaigns and work at the United Nations. Between 2013 and 2017, she helped to establish the Indigenous Rights Radio program.听 She speaks English and Spanish and holds a degree in Cultural Studies from McGill University, in Montreal, Canada, and a certificate in Fundraising Management from the Lily School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Contact Danielle at danielle@cs.org.
Catherine Goldberg,听Net Zero Industrial Policy Lab
Catherine Goldberg () is a听Senior Fellow with the听Net Zero Industrial Policy Lab听at Johns Hopkins University where she advises countries on how to develop strategic green industrial policy. She is also a Senior Advisor with America Is All In and was part of All In鈥檚 COP30 delegation.听She has nearly a decade of experience shaping international climate and energy policy and negotiations under both Democratic and Republican administrations. From 2016 鈥� 2025, Catherine served in the U.S. Department of State鈥檚 Office of Global Change, where she led negotiations under听the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), G7, and G20, and worked closely with U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry.听Her expertise is in coordinating climate/trade measures, industrial policy, and supporting workers and communities impacted by countries鈥� transitions to net zero. She earned a Master鈥檚 of Public Policy from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a B.S. in Geological Sciences from Boston College (Class of 2016). At BC, she was on the women鈥檚 rowing team and minored in International Studies.听
Mariana Kiimi ,听Cultural Survival
Mariana Kiimi (Na 脩uu S脿vi/Mixtec), Advocacy Associate, is from San Juan Mixtepec in Oaxaca, M茅xico. She holds a Bachelor's degree in International Relations and a Master's degree in Migration Studies from Universidad Iberoamericana. Mariana has participated in research projects regarding human rights, migration, cultural diplomacy, and experiences and perceptions of COVID-19. She has also volunteered at migrant shelters in Mexico City during the arrival of caravans from Central and South America. She is fluent in Spanish and English and is learning Mixtec to have a deeper connection with her community. She loves embracing and promoting her culture in different fields. Reach Mariana at mariana.kiimi@culturalsurvival.org.
Edson Krenak Naknanuk,听Cultural Survival
Edson Krenak Naknanuk (Krenak), Brazil Program Manager, is an Indigenous activist, writer, and scholar from Brazil. He is currently a doctoral candidate in Legal Anthropology at the University of Vienna, Austria. Since 2019, Edson has been supporting Cultural Survival's programming in Brazil as a key strategic region. As an accomplished writer, his work has received significant acclaim. He is the recipient of the 10th Tamoios National Prize for Indigenous Writers for his book "O Sonho de Borum." His tale, "Kren and Pockrane, Why There Are Not Twins among the Krenak People," is featured in the UNICEF-nominated anthology "N贸s: Antologia de Contos Ind铆genas," among other academic publications on Indigenous knowledge, Indigenous perspectives on Just Transition, and climate issues.
His global advocacy is reflected in his leadership roles with several international organizations, including:
- Securing Indigenous Peoples Rights in the Green Economy (SIRGE) Coalition: Executive Committee - Cultural Survival Representative
- Society for the Anthropology of Lowland South America (SALSA): Member at large (2024鈥�2027) co-creating a network of indigenous scholars and academics working with Indigenous communities in South America
- Global Tailings Management Institute (GTMI): Board Member to support Indigenous Peoples and communities impacted by tailings and pos-mining.听听
Edson is fluent in Portuguese, Spanish, English, and learning Krenak and German. Contact Edson at edson.krenak@cs.org.
Gaia Larsen, World Resources Institute
Gaia Larsen is Director of Climate Finance in WRI鈥檚 sustainable finance team. An attorney by training, her work focuses primarily on shifting investments toward protecting people and the environment
At WRI, Gaia has focused on several issue areas, including the governance of international finance and how to shift domestic and international public funds toward just and effective climate action. She leads global research and convening to help further effective integration of climate into financial governance globally and nationally.
Prior to joining WRI, Gaia was a fellow at the Institute for Policy Integrity at New York University.
Gaia holds a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.
Djalma Ramalho Aran茫 Caboclo,听Cultural Survival
Djalma Ramalho Aran茫 Caboclo (Aran茫 Caboclo), Brazil Program Associate, is an Indigenous artist, researcher, and strategic communicator from the Jequitinhonha Valley in Minas Gerais, Brazil. A screenwriter, designer, and linguist, his work moves across advocacy, audiovisual creation, language revitalization, and territorial defense, with a strong focus on Indigenous and Quilombola rights, climate justice, and the impacts of extractive industries on traditional communities. Djalma holds a degree in Languages, Literature, and Linguistics from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) and is currently pursuing a Master鈥檚 degree in Multilingualism, Language Policies, and Bilingual Education, where he is contributing to the revitalization of the Aran茫 Caboclo language. His work brings together art, research, and political advocacy to amplify community voices in both national and international spaces. Contact Djalma at djalmarg@culturalsurvival.org听
Tia-Alexi Roberts,听Cultural Survival
Tia-Alexi Roberts (Narragansett), Communications and Editorial Assistant, is an enrolled member of the Narragansett Indian Nation and is a multi-talented individual who actively promotes her Indigenous culture .She uses various platforms, such as podcasting, and her employment with Cultural Survival and Native Pride Productions to shine a light on Indigenous arts, cultures, and creators. Currently pursuing a Communications degree at Southern New Hampshire University, Tia has launched her own podcast, "The Art of Being Indigenous," and comes to Cultural Survival with the goal of fostering strong connections and cultivating Native communities. Contact Tia at tia.roberts@culturalsurvival.org.听
Camila Paz Romero,听Cultural Survival
Camila Paz Romero (Quechua), Keepers of the Earth Fund Program Associate, was born in Chile and lives in Wallmapu, the ancestral territory of the Mapuche Peoples. She has worked with several organizations advocating for Indigenous rights, the protection of their territories, and Mother Earth. Camila holds a degree in Anthropology from the Austral University of Chile and an International Diploma in Design and Management of Public Policies based on the Rights of Indigenous and Afro-descendent Peoples. Her work has centered on amplifying Indigenous voices, particularly youth and women, in national and international instances, such as the United Nations, to ensure their full and effective participation in decision-making and policy development processes. She currently follows and actively participates in the discussions on climate change and biodiversity. Contact Camila at camila.romero@culturalsurvival.org
Trigg Talley,听America Is All In
Trigg Talley () is America Is All In鈥檚 Special Representative and was a core part of All In鈥檚 COP30 delegation. Trigg is a former U.S. climate diplomat who served for nearly two decades at the U.S. Department of State, where he played a central role in shaping U.S. engagement in international climate negotiations and program funding and implementation. He was the Director of the State Department鈥檚 Office of Global Change and served as Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change, helping coordinate U.S. policy across agencies and representing the United States at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), IPCC, Green Climate Fund, G20, and G7, among other multilateral fora. He was also responsible for managing millions of dollars in foreign assistance for clean energy, forests and nature, and adaptation programming. From 2019 - 2020, Trigg was a visiting fellow at the East West Center in Hawaii working on local sustainability issues and Pacific Island engagement. As of this year, he is also a professor of practice at the Center for Global Sustainability at the University of Maryland.
FRIDAY - MARCH 13 | 245 BEACON STREET听 | |
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| 10:00 AM | OPENING PANELUS Climate Commitments and Action, Outcomes of COP30, and Looking Ahead to COP31
Location: Schiller Institute Convening Space (Room 501) |
| 11:05 AM | WORKSHOPS, POSTER SESSION, & INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS
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| 11:50 AM | LUNCHLocation: Schiller Institute Convening Space (Room 501) |
| 12:15 PM | KEYNOTE ADDRESSIndigenous Climate Action
Location: Schiller Institute Convening Space (Room 501) |
| 1:15 PM | WORKSHOPS, POSTER SESSION, & INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS
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| 2:00 PM | NETWORKING AND WRAP-UPClose the day with networking and light refreshments听 Location: Schiller Institute Convening Space (Room 501) |
Campus Map and Parking:
Parking is available at the nearby Beacon Street and Commonwealth Avenue Garages.
Boston College is also accessible via public transportation (MBTA B Line - Boston College).