COP29 Climate Negotiation Simulation Event, Belfast

On 19 November 2024, to coincide with the United Nations COP29 summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, we will host a COP29 climate negotiation simulation. Approximately 150 students will come together for this special event which gives young people the opportunity to experience negotiating a climate deal. Playing the part of world leaders, Non-Governmental Bodies (NGOs) or Media, students will be tasked with taking part in a real-life climate simulation, aiming to produce a global agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Students will be given a brief in advance of the event which they are to work on in groups throughout the day. 

This event comes under the Climate Strand of our work in Youth Connect, British Council's global youth leadership programme which supports young people to develop the skills, inspiration and connections to tackle major challenges, such as climate change, employability and inequality. Playing the part of world leaders, Non-Governmental Bodies (NGOs) or Media, students take part in a real-life climate simulation, aimed at producing a global agreement to limit the rise in global temperature to pre-industrial levels.  

WATCH HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR 2022 Event

Aim of the event

The event is aimed at 16-18 year olds across all subject areas. By participating in the event, students can find out about UN-style negotiations and experience what its like to negotiate a climate deal.

How the events work

Using materials developed by Climate Interactive and MIT, students represent either a country, region or lobby group. In order to agree measures to limit the rise in global temperature to below 3 degrees C., students engage in a robust negotiation simulation. During the negotiations, their inputs are fed into a computer programme, which uses real-life data to model what the consequences of the proposals would be. This gives them the opportunity to better understand how climate negotiations such as the UN Climate Change Conferences (COP) operate and give them the opportunity to work with students from other schools in reaching a consensus on the issue.

How many schools can attend each year?

The event is limited to 30 schools (2 students each) .

Contact

For more information on the programme, please contact: Elaine Nesbitt, International Education Portfolio Manager -  iepni@britishcouncil.org

See also