Engaging Students in Climate Diplomacy
Students are selected into the UN Climate Negotiations course (ECO 4530/5530) and program through a competitive application process. The program is offered through the Walker College of Business and welcomes students from all disciplines. The course familiarizes students with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the annual Conference of the Parties (COP). Each fall, a delegation of students and faculty from App State travel to the COP and participate in the negotiations.
COP 31 Delegation
Meet App State's student delegation to the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP) in Antalya, Türkiye, with travel November 6-15, 2026.
Summer Carrozza
Program: BSBA Management (Sustainable Business)
“It is easy for some world leaders to neglect the fact that this climate crisis affects the entirety of the world, not just select nations. This cause provides humanity a chance to unite under one single goal- protecting our planet and its life. As the global energy demand grows rapidly, investments in low-carbon and renewable energy sources are crucial in order to offset the harm caused by the rapid expansion of energy-intensive technology and data centers. Globally, stronger accountability is essential to address the large corporations that have long profited from environmental harm. At COP31, I am interested in discussions about how renewable energy can help manage current world challenges such as the global energy crisis, along with this era of water bankruptcy. Remembering Alanis Obomsawin’s famous quote, “When the last tree is cut, the last fish eaten, and the last stream poisoned, you will realize you cannot eat money.”
Asher Fazal
Program: MS Applied Data Analytics (Sustainability Analytics)
“Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney described the rules-based international order of Western hegemony as a fading illusion. I share his analysis and his conclusion. In this new era, he says, "Collective investments in resilience are cheaper than everyone building their own fortresses," and climate change represents the ultimate test of resilience. COP 31 offers a critical opportunity to strategize collective investments that prepare communities for rising sea levels, increasing temperatures, water scarcity, and extreme weather. I am interested in understanding how nations can collaborate while accounting for differing levels of economic development and climate vulnerabilities within a changing international order.”
Sarah Johnson
Program: BS Sustainable Technology
“Experiences in advocacy and fieldwork in the United States and abroad have shown me that climate change is a direct threat to people's daily lives, livelihoods, and futures, which requires globally coordinated solutions that are scientifically sound and socially equitable. My interest in renewable energy and sustainable development has inspired me to better understand how international negotiations influence the policies, funding, and resources available to communities, particularly those on the frontlines of climate impacts. I am looking forward to participating in COP 31 to learn firsthand how global agreements can help bridge the gap between innovative climate solutions and the support needed to implement them in vulnerable communities around the world.”
Ella Lowman
Program: BA Global Studies, BA French & Francophone Studies
“Climate change is a highly nuanced issue that transcends borders and sectors, making international cooperation essential to addressing its many facets. With an interest in global health, understanding the implications of global policy and processes regarding climate change is imperative. The symbiotic relationship between the state of global health and climate change has long been apparent, from global pandemics to climate anomalies, to food and water quality, and an increase in vector-borne diseases. At COP31, I’m interested in how health is enfolded into negotiations, especially in disproportionately impacted regions, as well as how actionable, unambiguous policy is realized within a consensus-based process.”
Aleisha Whipple
Program: MA Geography & Planning
“Climate change intersects a multitude of sectors, populations, and regions, with communities around the world increasingly experiencing more frequent and severe weather events that threaten environmental, economic, and public health outcomes. Through my research on post-disaster mental health and social vulnerability, I have developed a strong interest in how climate policy and international negotiations can advance climate justice while supporting disaster preparedness and community resilience. I am particularly interested in how adaptation and recovery efforts can better protect public health, including mental health, and reduce the disproportionate burdens that climate-related disasters place on vulnerable populations. Attending COP31 would provide an invaluable opportunity to learn how global climate negotiations translate into policies and commitments that strengthen equitable resilience and recovery for communities most affected by climate change.”
Jack Yordy
Program: MS Applied Data Analytics (Sustainability Analytics); MS Political Science
“Climate change is the defining coordination problem of our era, positioned at the intersection of physical science, economics, and politics. Addressing it effectively requires a robust toolset: research and analytics to quantify the scope and complexity of the problem, and political science to identify viable pathways to policy solutions. COP31 will be my introduction to the essential processes of international cooperation and navigation of competing geopolitical interests. These are precisely the kind of tools I want in my skillset, and the problems I aim to understand and contribute to.”
Faculty
Meredith Pipes
Director of Global Engagement
Meredith Pipes is the director of Global Engagement for the Walker College of Business. In this role, she promotes international opportunities and serves as director of the international business major. Her experiences abroad have profoundly shaped her understanding of the world and she loves seeing students broaden their perspectives through interactions with new ideas, new places and people different from themselves. Meredith earned a Master's degree in Latin America Studies from the University of Kansas.
Dr. Dave McEvoy
Professor and Chair, Economics
Dr. McEvoy serves at the Organization Head for App State's involvement in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. His research is focused on the design and effectiveness of international environmental agreements. Dr. McEvoy has graduate degrees in environmental economics from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and the University College London.
Past Delegations
Get Involved
Email mcevoydm@appstate.edu.
In the Press
Jan. 23, 2023
An Appalachian State University delegation of students and campus leaders returned from the recent United Nations climate change conference in Egypt with a shared sense of hope and purpose, an eye-opening firsthand look at international policymaking — and a job offer.
The trip to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to attend the 27th Annual Conference of Parties (COP27) in November marked the second consecutive year that App State was represented at the event, which is held by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The 12-day conference drew over 40,000 delegates representing 198 countries engaged in the global response to climate change.
- App State students join global climate action at COP 29 - Dec. 6, 2024
- COP 28 App State delegates Mia Altieri and Grace Gliwa speak at the 2024 Energy Summit - May 30, 2024
- Podcast episode: AppState at the United Nations Climate Conference - April 28, 2023
- Honors College Students Travel to Egypt - Honors College Appstate - Nov. 30, 2022
- Three App State leaders attend climate summit in Scotland - Watauga Democrat - Nov. 11, 2021
- AppState leaders reflect on COP 26 conference - Watauga Democrat - Nov. 30, 2021