On November 12, 2024, the Global Alliance of Universities on Climate (GAUC) held the opening ceremony for its official pavilion at COP29. Representatives from GAUC member universities, members of the GAUC COP29 Youth Delegation, and leaders from the GAUC secretariat gathered to celebrate the occasion.

LI Zheng, the Secretary-General of GAUC and Dean of the Institute of Climate Change and Sustainable Development (ICCSD) reviewed major accomplishment of GAUC’s talent cultivation endeavor in his welcoming remarks. “At GAUC, we are dedicated to addressing climate change through education, research, and public engagement. COP29 has reminded us of the vital role that higher education and youth play as drivers of innovation and societal transformation in this fight. Through seminars and collaborative initiatives like ‘Climate x’ Campaign, we aim to make climate action an integral part of global conversations and inspire lasting change.”

Located in H32, Green Zone, the GAUC Pavilion at COP29 aims to provide scholars and students from its member universities, as well as global youth dedicated to addressing climate change, a hub to present their latest progress, exchange ideas, and inspire further actions.

Bob Ward, Policy and Communications Director at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment (Grantham Institute) at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), addressed the event and spoke highly of GAUC’s talent cultivation program. “There is no more important role in society than educating and training future generations, and universities are absolutely critical to that process. Since its establishment, GAUC’s youth education activities have been a particular highlight over the past five years. I want to pay real tribute to Tsinghua for having had the vision to create GAUC in 2019,” Bob stated. He then illustrated GAUC’s unique value: “GAUC serves a very important function by providing a way for institutions from different continents to engage in constructive dialogue, collaboration, and friendship. We are not on track to deliver the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement. I urge all of us within the GAUC community to redouble our efforts  and use these next two critical years to drive forward strong agreements in pursuit of this hope.”

Carola Koleck, Assistant Professor at Sciences Po, then shared her suggestions on how to make the most of the COP experience with the young delegates of the GAUC COP29 Youth Delegation. “We all have our particular research projects. While we focus on our academic interests, it's very important to share what we know and to have a space to come together and work collaboratively. I appreciate GAUC for bringing people together from very different universities, backgrounds, and research interests,” Carola said. “COP can be quite an overwhelming event, but at the same time, it’s a unique opportunity. I would recommend you to be open and flexible. Follow something you would never otherwise hear about or explore, even if it has nothing to do with your research or discipline. Use it to exchange ideas, and use it to learn.”

ZHANG Jian, Deputy Secretary-General of GAUC and Vice Dean of ICCSD, moderated the remarks session. AN Najiang, Program Officer of GAUC, then introduced GAUC’s program for COP29 and hosted the ice-breaking session for the members of GAUC’s COP29 Youth Delegation.

This year, nearly 880 students from 79 countries and over 500 universities enrolled in the ‘Climate x’ Leadership Training Program. They gained valuable knowledge from GAUC’s curriculum and developed leadership skills by organizing local community climate events. As of the opening of COP29 on November 11th, the ‘Climate x’ Campaign has inspired over 100 youth-led climate activities worldwide during Global Youth Climate Week. These youth-driven events reached over 20,000 participants and attracted more than 270,000 online viewers. Ultimately, 28 students from 9 universities and 10 countries were selected for the GAUC COP29 Youth Delegation.

During COP29, the GAUC Pavilion will host around 50 events, organized by members of its Youth Delegation, scholars from its member universities, and representatives of its global partners.

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