Beyond COP29: How Higher Ed Can Drive Year-Round Climate Action

As the year’s most critical climate change summit, many expect world leaders to show up and deliver action at COP 29. While many wonder where the world leaders stand on climate change issues, universities, business schools, and their students are gathered in Baku, Azerbaijan, where they are stepping up as key players in the climate movement.

As educators and students, we understand that academia’s role goes beyond just the two weeks of COP. It’s a continuous, collaborative effort that spans every day of the year, creating solutions and inspiring climate action fuelled by a passion to make a difference.

The role of higher and business education in climate leadership

Higher education has long been at the forefront of climate research and environmental science. Recently, the focus has shifted from niche programs to organisation-wide sustainability initiatives. Universities worldwide commit to action and embedding climate-focused education into every discipline, from business and law to engineering and the arts. Universities are also committed to their net-zero pledges and sustainability plans, setting an example of climate leadership.

Moreover, the sector is great at collaborating. An example is the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC), present at COP29 with a pavilion highlighting the best solutions, hosting discussions on higher education and global youth-led activism. Participants share progress and challenges from their countries to overcome barriers, fostering cross-border and inter-sectoral cooperation beyond the event itself.

Academia as the bridge between the public and private sectors

Higher education is incredibly well-positioned to advise businesses and governments through its research. Many universities and business schools are pushing the climate agenda to a new level of ambition through work locally with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), decarbonisation strategies, and research on the latest technologies. An example of this is the Oxford Net Zero researchers who are attending COP29 this year.

In this way, researchers can directly contribute to the most pressing challenges in policy and business and influence global discussions. Students gain a considerable advantage from working with professors who know the policy and science of what is needed to affect change. Collaborative research projects and hands-on training can inspire students, teach them about sustainability, and help contribute to business practices that align with COP goals. Experiential learning is invaluable as students gain skills that prepare them for meaningful careers in fields committed to environmental and social impact.

Students as agents of change today and decision-makers of tomorrow

Students can lead change through campus-led climate initiatives, research opportunities, and industry collaborations. They can be empowered to participate in the global climate dialogue, translating the principles of COP29 into action. Higher education can shape these brilliant minds through courses with an interdisciplinary approach considering both the Global North and Global South. At Oxford, through the Impact and SDG Labs, we can implement solutions in projects with external businesses and partners.

Students also learn from their peers. COP29 is a powerful call to action and a global stage for different perspectives around adaptation, mitigation, and decarbonisation. Higher education is increasingly fostering environments that encourage students to connect with climate issues personally and professionally by accrediting students to attend COP as observers and climate journalists at their local newspapers.

COP29 reminds us that solutions to climate change will require commitment, innovation, and local solutions from many. Today’s students will be tomorrow’s decision-makers, and we must equip them with the best resources to make science-based decisions.

A hopeful invitation to learn (and act) more about sustainability

In a world where volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity are constant, feeling doomed and that nothing will change can be familiar. However, considering what is at stake, we must maintain hope.

Climate action is urgent, demanding, and necessary for the most vulnerable communities, such as small islands and developing states. If you are a student or a professional who wants to learn more and get involved, here are some suggestions:

1. LISTEN—Follow the COP topics in the media. Stay alert to what is happening through channels such as Climate Tracker, which provides local news and developments; ClimaTalk, with its publications and factsheets; or the ICPH newsletter, which gives you updates straight to your inbox.
2. LEARN—Take climate courses and opportunities to strengthen your skills. Good examples are Mastering International Climate Negotiations: All You Need to Know, the Oxford School of Climate Change, or the Young Negotiators Academy, which equips you with year-long training to attend COP and represent your country as a young negotiator.
3. ACT—Join the civil society movement or relevant student groups/societies in your area. Thousands of NGOs work year-round on climate issues – find your local one, follow them on social media, and start collaborating from a local to global approach. For example, in Oxford, we have the Oxford Climate Society (which recently sent a delegation of students to COP29) or the Oxford Sustainable Finance Student Society.

This way, you can be involved in COP discussions all year round, and when next year in Belem, Brazil, we can all reflect on what has changed, what impact has been made and what more needs to be done. So, what can you do by then?

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Valery Salas Flores is a student on the MSc in Sustainability, Enterprise and the Environment at the Smith School of Enterprise & Environment at the University of Oxford.