From November 6-18, the world will come together in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, for the climate change negotiations at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) annual Conference of the Parties (COP). This year, the University of Waterloo, through the Waterloo Climate Institute, is an official observer to COP27 and will send an in-person delegation of top student leaders and faculty researchers to bear witness to the negotiations at a pivotal moment in our collective goal to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.
Join our host, Professor Ian Rowlands, and the delegates for a discussion on the crucial issues that need to be tackled at COP27 and Canada’s role in the negotiations. This will also be a chance to learn about the expertise that each of the delegates brings to the table, spanning topics of health, governance, energy, and communications.
Meet the host
Ian Rowlands is a Waterloo Climate Institute member, Professor in the School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, Associate Vice-President, International, as well as a Waterloo COP21 delegate and COP25 delegate. Ian has administrative, research and teaching interests in climate change, energy management strategies, international education, and strategic planning.
Week 1 delegation
Zahid Butt is an institute member and assistant professor at the School of Public Health Sciences. His research interests focus on syndemics of infectious diseases, infectious disease epidemiology, spatial epidemiology, global health, big data analytics, and public health informatics.
Week 2 delegation
Sarah Burch is the institute's executive director and associate professor, Geography and Environmental Management. She's an expert in transformative responses to climate change at the community scale, innovative strategies for making progress on sustainability, and the unique contributions small businesses can make.
Alexandra Ho is a Master of Climate Change student with a background in Psychology & English Literature. She focuses on understanding the relationships between climate change communications and behavioural choice-making as well as the impacts of climate change on mental health and psychological wellbeing, particularly among youth.
Isra Saeed is a PhD candidate in sustainability management. Her research focuses on the eradication of energy injustice in Sub-Saharan Africa. She also works for UWaterloo's Graduate Student Association as its equity coordinator, advocating for on-campus initiatives to support gender and racial equity.
Register now
About the event
There is no cost to sign up for this in-person event taking place in EC5 room 1111. Registration is open to the University community and the broader public. Doors will open at 2:30 p.m. and the event will begin at 2:45 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided.
For more information or questions about registration, please email climateinstitute@uwaterloo.ca.
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