Once again this year, students from CSB and SJU had a front row seat as leaders from around the world searched for ways to combat the global impact of climate change.
A total of 10 students attended this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 30), which ran from Nov. 10-21 in Belém, Brazil.
CSB and SJU students first attended the conference in 2009. But in 2015, the schools were granted formal observer status for the event, which has enabled annual student participation in large numbers every year except for 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19.
This year, students attended in two groups with five on hand for the first week and five more there for the second.
“It’s an opportunity you don’t find at too many other places,” said Troy Knight, an associate professor of environmental studies at CSB and SJU. “A number of other schools are also represented at the conference, but it’s usually graduate students. It’s much rarer for undergraduate students to have an opportunity like this.
“We have our students complete a research project that requires them going out and doing interviews with experts on their topic. They conduct research for a good chunk of the semester prior to the conference. Then they have the chance to get out and speak with the people who are working on those issues.”
Seeking such input from global leaders doesn’t just add weight to their research. It also builds skills that will come in handy as they pursue their future careers.
“It was a confidence building experience for me,” said CSB junior Ella Chiroux, who was looking at the effects of hydrology, agriculture and burning on The Pantanal – a natural region in South America that includes the world’s largest tropical wetland area.
“During my first interview, I was talking with an expert on wildfires. And after my first question, they said they were really impressed. That made me feel a lot more comfortable about my own ability to have a conversation with people on that level.”
SJU senior Jonah Seifert didn’t realize how big a deal that kind of access was until he was actually at the conference.
“I’ve known people who’ve gone to COP every year I’ve been at Saint John’s so it seemed like a normal thing to me,” said Seifert, an environmental studies major. “I signed up and applied to go. But once I was there, and I was interacting with all these researchers and delegates, I saw how amazed they were to see undergraduates. That’s when I realized the kind of access we have isn’t as normal as I thought it was.”
CSB sophomore Abby Schunk, a biology and environmental studies double major, said the experience helped expand her worldview.
“Here we are at a small school in Central Minnesota, but we’re interacting with experts and leaders from around the world in a way that couldn’t happen anyplace else,” she said. “It really does help broaden your perspective. People were so surprised when I told them how young I was. But they were excited to see a new generation getting involved and being passionate about these subjects.”
SJU junior Gabe Evenocheck, an environmental studies major, also appreciated being in the room as global policy was being shaped.
“Being in Brazil and experiencing a completely different culture while watching global climate policy get made in real time – that alone was worth the trip,” he said. “One of the most interesting parts was sitting in on an actual negotiation session and seeing delegates from hundreds of member countries speak and offer contributions. It’s one thing to read about the UNFCCC process in a textbook but watching it actually happen gives you a much better sense of how climate policy actually gets done.
“I also got to do a one-on-one interview with Dan Ioschpe, Brazil’s High-Level Climate Champion for COP30. That’s not a meeting you’re scheduling from Collegeville.”
For SJU senior Kobe Forbes, a student from The Bahamas, such climate change discussions hit particularly close to home.
“The whole reason I became a physics major goes back to when I was first introduced to the effects of climate change after Hurricane Dorian caused destruction across our islands,” said Forbes, who is looking at pursuing a career in electrical engineering.
“I saw the sea level rising and overflowing onto our streets in a way even my mom had never seen before. It’s not like we’re a wealthy country that can just fix itself automatically. When something like that happens, it takes years to recover from.
“Meanwhile, hurricanes and storms get stronger every year,” he continued. “So it’s very important to me that we’re able to find technology that can reduce the amount of emissions.
“That’s why I was so glad to have the chance to be at a conference like this where those issues are being worked on by people from all over the world.”