Reflections from COP 29 and Ambitions for COP 30: A Journey Toward Climate Action

Through dedicated work of Office of International Affairs (OIA), in partnership with Planetary Health, the Office of Sustainability, the Department of Family Medicine, and CMPA, McMaster University made significant contributions to the global climate dialogue through engagements and discussions with stakeholders participating at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in  Baku, Azerbaijan, between November 11-22, 2024.  

Read more: 

McMaster researchers to share expertise in climate justice, sustainable healthcare at COP29 – Brighter World 

McMaster University Joins Global Climate Dialogue at COP29 – McMaster Global  

Two McMaster researchers, Dr. Bonny Ibhawoh, vice-provost, Office of International Affairs, and Dr. Myles Sergeant, an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Family Medicine, executive director of the Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care and co-lead of PEACH Health Ontario (a provincial initiative cultivating and sustaining partnerships across health care facilities to support climate action) were among the global experts at the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) lending their expertise to critical conversations around climate change. 

Dr. Bonny Ibhawoh held bilateral consultations with key stakeholders and shared preliminary findings from a study he is working on for the United Nations around climate, justice and the right to development.  The professor of legal history and global human rights serves as chair of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development in the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva.   Bonny Ibhawoh, in his article published in The Conversation, speaks about climate justice through conversations that would include parties who have suffered the most to address their needs on  climate and environmental goals. His analysis centred around climate (in)justice and going beyond current initiatives as a critical platform for collective climate action, offering a space for multi-stakeholder deliberations and for civil society groups to engage meaningfully with state parties on climate negotiations.  “Climate justice must be integrated into all aspects of the global political economy, including development financing, technology transfer and international trade policies.” he stated. Read more on his reflections here.
 

Dr. Myles Sergeant, who is deeply entrenched in efforts locally, provincially and nationally to mitigate the effects of climate change within the healthcare system, was part of the COP29 Canadian Pavilion’s session on decarbonizing healthcare  in collaboration with the Canadian Medical Association .  Myles  took part in several events at the conference where he connected with Canadian and international representatives from government, not-for-profit, and industry, and learned about international projects and research. He focused his attention on personnel that do similar work to what is being done with McMaster’s Planetary Health and organizations that could serve as potential partners in the future. Listen to the Dean of Faculty of Health Sciences interview with Myles work here. 

Both researchers were part of the impactful global conversations with global leaders on climate solutions sharing expertise on planetary health, sustainability and human rights highlighting McMaster’s vision in the global arena.    

Looking ahead, COP30 in Belém, Brazil, set in the heart of the Amazon, presents an opportunity for McMaster to further engage in important climate discussions. The Office of International Affairs is already planning for McMaster’s participation in COP 30. If you are interested in contributing, please reach out to amira.elmasri@mcmaster.ca.