Business, government, and NGO leaders convened in Baku, Azerbaijan for the annual United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP). For the first time, the University of Notre Dame, with the support of the offices of Notre Dame Global and Notre Dame Research, sent a team of faculty observers.
"COP29 has been called the 'finance COP' given its focus on developing strategies to help countries reduce emissions and work toward effective responses to climate change impacts," said Jessica McManus Warnell, Faculty Director of the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership (NDDCEL) and a teaching professor of management and organization. "An important next step is translating pledges into action by determining how resources will be provided, and which metrics are needed to ensure meaningful impact."
Assessment tools are critical as businesses and policy makers navigate challenges of lowering risk and enhancing readiness in the face of climate change.
Danielle Wood, Director of Notre Dame's Global Adaptation Initiative (ND-GAIN) notes, "Thoughtful decision-making in the face of our current global challenges requires data-informed insights to help us to move forward. Decision-support tools, such as those provided by ND-GAIN, help to guide leaders to effectively respond to the policy agenda set at the COPs—whether in mitigation or adaptation—for more impactful and sustainable actions."
Sessions at COP29 included remarks and delegations from a diverse range of companies and organizations including Deloitte, CISCO, the World Economic Forum, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, McKinsey, Ashoka, and many others.
COP30 is scheduled for November 10-21, 2025, in Belém, Brazil. "Our goal for 2025 is to engage a select number of Notre Dame students to join the faculty team in observing these high-level talks. These negotiations help set the stage for policy and practice toward more sustainable global communities," said McManus Warnell.