Central Minnesota College Students Secure Spot alongside Global Leaders at UN Cop28 Conference to Address Climate Change

(KNSI) — A group of central Minnesota college students will rub elbows on climate change with the world’s leaders at the annual United Nations Cop28 Conference.

Twenty students from the College of Saint Benedict and St. John’s University are heading to the COP28 summit, which kicked off Monday, November 27th, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. CSB/SJU students have been going to the event since 2015. Ten are already there, and the rest will leave on Monday.

They are going as observers only. Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Corrie Grosse explained the position is still significant. “The special thing about us is that most institutions that have observer status only take graduate students. We’re pretty unique in being able to take undergraduates, and very rarely do colleges have a whole program built around the experience to help the students get so much out of it.”

Two students who went last year as undergraduates are going back as seniors. Environmental studies major Jalayna Smith-Moore is excited to return and listen to world leaders craft climate change policy. “Being there it’s a really overwhelming, not in a bad way. But it’s a very overwhelming experience to be a fly on the wall. There’s just so much going on. This year, it’s great because there’s more of a push to actively seek out going to those higher level negotiations.”

Political science major Fredi Ponce Parra learned a valuable lesson last year. “Everything in general moves slow, just because of all of the parties that are involved in making global decisions for climate change. And everyone has different interests and what they want to do or what they want to see in the future.”

The World Climate Action Summit features country pavilions, presidential appearances, hundreds of panel and roundtable discussions, and cultural events. There are also sanctioned protests that the students can participate in.

The University of Minnesota sends a group of graduate students, and Macalester College also provides access to undergraduates.

Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to visit Dubai within the next few days to attend the summit.

There’s an application process to attend the event; all participants write a research paper about it.

Here is a list of all students taking part in the conference:

Week One:

Katie Boyer, junior, political science, Richmond, Minnesota
Finn Dolezal, sophomore, economics, Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota
Mac Franklin, sophomore, psychology/sociology, St. Paul, Minnesota
Nick Mertens, senior, environmental studies/political science, Maple Grove, Minnesota
Claire Moonen, senior, political science/pre-law, Delano, Minnesota
Karyn Morrissey, sophomore, environmental studies/biology, Waupaca, Wisconsin
Thomas Odenthal, sophomore, global business leadership, Albany, Minnesota
Luke Rausch, junior, global business leadership, White Bear Lake, Minnesota
Caroline Wehseler, senior, political science/pre-law, Spicer, Minnesota

Week Two:

Jennifer Agustin Ambrocio, senior, Hispanic studies/political science, Bloomington, Minnesota
Chloe Anderson, senior, Environmental Studies, Rosemount, Minnesota
Cassie Johnson, senior, Environmental Studies, St. Cloud, Minnesota
Wes Kirchner, senior, political science, Eveleth, Minnesota
Evan Mattson, senior, political science, Aurora, Minnesota
Cullen McMahon, senior, political science, Duluth, Minnesota
Fredi Ponce Parra, senior, political science, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Lauren Sitzman, sophomore, biology, Omaha, Nebraska
Jalayna Smith-Moore, senior, environmental studies, Richfield, Minnesota
Lauren Thamert, sophomore, biochemistry, Owatonna, Minnesota
Mason Voshell, senior, environmental studies, Ogilvie, Minnesota

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