COP fika: Looking behind the scenes of International Negotiations for our Planet

This event brings together researchers from different faculties at Lund University that have been involved in international environmental negotiations. During these negotiations, hundreds of diplomats and thousands of civil society representatives discuss strategies and measures to protect our eco-systems, the atmosphere, and oceans from negative human impacts. In so-called Conferences of the Parties (COPs), national governments aim to stop biodiversity loss, mitigate climate change, and combat global plastic pollution. While these negotiations have started as rather small diplomatic events, they have grown to mega events. Despite intensive negotiation rounds with night sessions and struggles about single footnotes, however, it seems that not much could have been achieved over the past few years. Global greenhouse gas emissions are still rising, biodiversity loss is gaining speed, and current rates of plastic pollution are unprecedented.

Against this backdrop, we take a critical perspective and share our personal experiences from our participation as observers in these international environmental negotiations.

Agenda

10:00h-10:20h: Mingling with coffee and tea

10:20h-10:30h: Welcome and introductory remarks with short PPT

10:30h-11:15h: Sharing of personal experiences of the panellists

11:15h-11:45h: Questions and open discussion

Speakers

• Moderator: Fariborz Zelli, LU Department of Political Science
• Maria Blasi Romero, LU Centre for Environmental and Climate Science (personal experiences from CBD COP15)
• Thomas Hickmann, LU Department of Political Science (personal experiences from UNFCCC COP15, COP18, COP21)
• Karl Holmberg, LU Department of Political Science (personal experiences from INC-1 on plastic pollution)
• Aysegul Sirakaya, LU Department of Law (personal experiences from CBD COP 14, COP 15)
• Giulia Testa, Coordinator of the Nordic Youth Biodiversity Network and Coordinator of the European Young Rewilders (personal experiences from CBD COP15)

Registration

Participation is free, but registration is needed for the coffee/tea & cake. To register, please send an email to Maria Blasi at maria [dot] blasi_romero [at] cec [dot] lu [dot] se and indicate if you have any food allergies. 

The event is organized by researchers from BECC. BECC is a collaboration between Lund University and University of Gothenburg in Sweden. BECC brings together more than 350 scientists from the natural and social sciences to perform research on the combined consequences of anthropogenic emissions, climate and land-use changes on biodiversity and ecosystem services on multiple scales, to provide a scientific basis for the sustainable management of ecosystems and biodiversity. www.becc.lu.se

This event is part of Sustainability Week 2023, an annual event organised in collaboration between Lund University and Lund Municipality. This year, over 60 lectures, guided tours, exhibitions, and more are arranged.
For more information about the programme, visit hallbarhet.lu.se