Delegates from Northwestern, including two from Weinberg College, attend the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow

a lone small plant growing out of the ground in a drought

Delegates from Northwestern, including two from Weinberg College, will be at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow over the next two weeks. The faculty and student participants will join nearly 200 world leaders and tens of thousands of negotiators, government representatives, and citizens to observe, share knowledge from their own research and bring back insights to broaden perspectives and share with the Northwestern community.

Diana Elhard, a political science Ph.D. candidate, will conduct dissertation research while at COP26. Her work focuses on equity in climate finance distribution and the role vulnerability to climate change plays in shaping financial outcomes. She will also build on her past visits and that of other teammates to various delegations around the world.

“COP has become a site where academics and scholars are more present in delegations,” Elhard said. “Some of their roles are to share their expertise. For me, I’m excited to share more about this experience and the value of studying sites of international negotiation with the Northwestern community. I had the opportunity to attend my first COP during my final year of my undergraduate experience, which led me to the questions that I am pursuing now as a Ph.D. student.”

Similarly, Mallory Megumi Fallin is a sociology Ph.D. candidate who will attend COP26. She will observe how health equity is being integrated into climate change priorities globally as a piece of her dissertation research.

Read more about the delegates attending COP26 in Northwestern Now.