Cornell University works with Tonga on climate change report [1]
Monday, October 7, 2019 - 17:07. Updated on Tuesday, October 8, 2019 - 19:50.
Cornell University students are working with the Tongan government on a climate change report for the upcoming United Nation’s Conference of the Parties (COP25), to be held in Santiago, Chile, in December.
The students, who visited Tonga earlier this year to look at the impact of climate change, met with Tonga’s permanent mission in New York City during Climate Week in September.
The Cornell Chronicle [2] reports that Tonga's Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Mahe Tupouniua, Deputy Chief of Mission, Suka Mangisi, Assistant Crown Council, Rose Kautoke, and Tonga’s representative for the UN Law of the Sea convention, Siosiua Utoikamanu, met with the students.
Over the next two months, Lily Bermel (21), Read Barbee (20), Master’s student Louis Chua, Kevin Li (20) and Katherine Ratner (20), will create the report for Tonga and other Pacific nations, to help them address the problems associated with climate change.
The work is part of Cornell University’s Global Climate Change Science and Policy [3] class.
Lily Bermel said the class provided “opportunities that are mind-boggling.”
“This is a life-changing opportunity to be able to work directly with another government of another nation.”
“As students, we literally can make a very real impact,” she said.
In addition to Tonga, other students in the same class will also work with the governments of Armenia and Zambia, and nongovernmental organizations Carbon180, the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture, and the World Bank.
They are assisting Carbon180 to prepare for the upcoming COP25 meetings in Chile.
Student Hannah Contreras credited this to a Cornell sponsored carbon dioxide reduction panel where they met the organization’s managing partner, Giana Amador.
“This introduction was significant for our collaboration,” she said.
“[It] added to an already eye-opening experience of direct interactions with alumni and industry professionals shaping carbon dioxide reduction technology and policy at the national level.”
The collaboration aligns with Tonga’s pledged commitment to the SAMOA Pathway (SIDs Accelerated Modalities of Action) a 2014 framework signed by small island states to affirm the challenges of climate change, development and sustainability.
Sustainable Development
While in New York, the students attended the International Conference on Sustainable Development [4] (ICSD) held at Columbia University.
Here, the World Bank, UN World Food Program, and other groups, presented on the need to develop climate services to help farmers manage climate change risks. The student’s shared some of Cornell University’s work on climate smart agriculture.
Students also attended the annual Columbia International Investment Conference [5] which looked at the need for sustainable and responsible corporate practices.
Student Sean McCarthy (20) said in essence, it seems the first move is to create the legal environment explicitly in favour of sustainability.
“But once that is done by the government, businesses and investors must take the helm and coordinate with the government to ensure ethical and sustainable investing and business practices,” he said.
Overall, student Claire Song (21) said the ICSD showcased real-world impacts of sustainability adaptation and mitigation students discussed in class.
She was impressed with the Indonesian delegation that unveiled major progress in plastic reduction.
“The overarching takeaways: exposure to a great number of resources for sustainable development education and opportunities.”
Hundreds of Cornell University students joined students from Ithaca College and Ithaca High School in the worldwide Global Climate Strike last month.
Cornell University is an Ivy League research university in Ithaca, New York.