As the world turns its focus toward COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, King’s College London is taking an active role in fostering international dialogue and research-driven climate action.
King’s involvement includes hosting the high-profile Post-COP29 Outcomes Forum: Pathway to COP30 and participating as an officially recognised non-governmental organisation (NGO) Observer, with a delegation of experts from various disciplines. This engagement underscores King’s commitment to advancing climate knowledge, policy and action at this critical climate summit.
The annual post-COP Forum, a collaboration between the Policy Institute, King’s Climate & Sustainability, the Climate Action Coalition and Diplomat magazine, will reflect on the achievements and next steps following COP29. Held shortly after the conference, the event will bring together an influential cohort of policy makers, ambassadors, business leaders, academics and civil society leaders.
The Forum will digest the outcomes of COP29 and foster forward-looking discussions on implementing these global climate agreements and ambitions for COP30. This analysis will explore the tangible impacts of these agreements over the coming year, spanning issues from climate finance to carbon market mechanisms.
In addition to hosting the post-COP Forum, King’s is officially admitted as an NGO Observer to the COP negotiations and has nominated delegates to attend the Intersessional meetings and COPs. Coordinated by King’s Climate & Sustainability and the Centre for Climate Law & Governance, the King’s delegation comprises an interdisciplinary team of academics and students who bring diverse expertise to the conference:
- Dr Hillary Briffa: As a Senior Lecturer in National Security Studies, Dr Briffa’s work examines climate security for small island developing states, addressing threats like sea-level rise and advocating for equitable access to climate finance. Her research with Dr Clement Sefa-Nyarko examines the drivers behind national energy transitions (NETs) across geopolitical contexts, and directly relates to COP29’s focus on Article 6.
- Fanny Dreyer: A master’s student in climate change, Dreyer’s work emphasises indigenous knowledge integration within climate adaptation strategies, amplifying the significance of environmental justice and the role of indigenous communities in global climate resilience.
- Şimal Efsane Erdoğan: Specialising in climate law and finance, Erdoğan’s research delves into the role of EU public procurement law in environmental management, aligning with the European Green Deal. Her work on just transitions and climate finance is especially pertinent as nations prepare to submit Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) for 2035.
- Anna Goodden: Focused on climate resilience, Goodden investigates UK flood resilience policies, examining how different definitions of resilience impact community support. Her engagement at COP29 will bring valuable insights on global strategies for resilience.
- Richard Kalu: A PhD researcher on the climate-security-social justice nexus, Kalu’s work highlights the intersections of climate injustice and conflict in Nigeria. His research aims to draw attention to the need for inclusive climate policies that address historical inequities.
- Anna Romano: An MA student in Global Media Industries, Romano specialises in strategic communication for ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) initiatives. Her work focuses on helping businesses align with climate goals while maintaining transparency, a topic increasingly relevant amid greenwashing concerns.
- Dr Clement Sefa-Nyarko: A lecturer and expert in energy justice and resource governance, Dr Sefa-Nyarko aims to analyse the political dynamics of energy transition conversations and assess their impact on global climate goals.
- Dr Gefion Thuermer: Dr Thuermer is technical coordinator of the IMPETUS project, which fosters citizen science across Europe. At COP29, she will advocate for population and citizen science to inform climate policy.
King’s commitment to climate action beyond COP29
At King’s, we are rapidly scaling our response to the climate emergency. We're doing this through transformative multidisciplinary research and by embedding sustainability into our teaching, partnerships, impact and operations.
Driving forward the pace of research, education and action to enable societal transition to environmental sustainability is a whole-university strategic priority. By harnessing our connections and expertise, we are influencing evidence-informed climate action and supporting just and fair transitions to net zero.