COP30: Scientists share expertise from Brazil and Reading

Environment, climate and energy experts from the University of Reading are set to contribute to vital climate conversations at COP30, held this year in Belem, Brazil. 

Professor Emmanuel Essah, Head of the School of the Built Environment at the University of Reading, will be present at the UN’s climate conference as an official observer throughout the duration of the event. 

The conference is significant as it marks ten years since COP21, when 195 nations signed the Paris Agreement - a legally binding international treaty that commits parties to limit global warming to well below 2 °C, and preferably below 1.5 °C, above pre-industrial levels. 

Professor Emmanuel Essah said: “COP30 is the first conference since the 1.5 °C temperature target was breached for the first time. 

“We are living in a rapidly warming world, where climate action has so far had limited impact. The conversations we will have in Brazil will focus on how we adapt our communities, our infrastructure and our environment to a world that is becoming more vulnerable to the extremes of climate change.”

The Pearl launches

As COP30 gets underway today (Monday, 10 November), The University of Reading launches The Pearl - People & Place - Evidence-Based Adaptation for Resilient Livelihoods - a new interdisciplinary research group within the Department of Meteorology.

Building on the Walker Institute's legacy, The PEARL brings together scientists, policymakers and communities to turn climate research into practical action. As one of the World Climate Research Programme's founding My Climate Risk hubs, The PEARL helps some of the world's most vulnerable regions prepare for climate change.

Professor Rosalind Cornforth, who leads The Pearl, said: "Our work pushes science beyond a model and into the meeting room. It’s about generating new methods for understanding risk and testing them in real time with people making the toughest choices. At COP30 we will be sharing what that looks like - how locally grounded science-based evidence, empathy and innovation can come together to support fair and timely action on climate resilience.”

First actions will include hosting The Pearl Academy’s COP Climate Action Studio (COPCAS)  from Monday 10 November to Friday, 21 November. Through this, Reading’s doctoral students will again take part in observing climate negotiations remotely from Belem. Over two weeks, they will track events, interview delegates, and share reflections through blogs and podcasts. The Studio is part of The Pearl Academy’s interdisciplinary training programme, designed to equip the next generation to bridge science, policy and practice in real time.

The Pearl’s approach has already informed adaptation planning in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Its partnerships continue to shape how climate risk is understood and governed globally, placing people and place at the heart of climate action, reflecting the mission of the COP30 Presidency.

On Wednesday, 12 November, The Pearl will co-host an online COP30 event, in collaboration with Space4Climate, UK Space Agency, and the Royal Meteorological Society, that will focus on the value of satellite climate intelligence for strengthing the UK's climate resilience. Speakers include Professor Rosalind Cornforth and Professor Emmanuel Essah. Sign up to the event: Strengthening UK’s Climate Resilience: Unlocking Socio-Economic Value Through Satellite Climate Intelligence

Expertise elsewhere

The University of Reading has experts available for comment and interview throughout COP30 on the various themes set to be discussed at the conference. 

To arrange interviews, contact the University of Reading Press Office on 0118 378 5757 or pressoffice@reading.ac.uk. 

Image: COP30 via UNClimateChange on Flickr