6 App State students observe world climate policymaking at UN climate conference

BOONE, N.C. — An Appalachian State University delegation of students and campus leaders returned from the recent United Nations climate change conference in Egypt with a shared sense of hope and purpose, an eye-opening firsthand look at international policymaking — and a job offer.

The trip to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, to attend the 27th Annual Conference of Parties (COP27) in November marked the second consecutive year that App State was represented at the event, which is held by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The 12-day conference drew over 40,000 delegates representing 198 countries engaged in the global response to climate change.

App State Chief Sustainability Officer Lee Ball, Dr. Dave McEvoy, chair of the Department of Economics, and Dr. Martin Meznar, associate dean for global and civic engagement in the Walker College of Business, attended the event in Scotland in 2021. McEvoy returned with a clear resolve to teach a course that he had been trying to integrate into the Economics department for four years. The result was ECO 4530/5530: UN Climate Negotiations, culminating in the capstone study abroad opportunity to participate with App State as an observer organization at COP27.

App State is included among the Research and Independent Non-Governmental Organizations (RINGO), one of nine NGO constituencies recognized by the convention.

"After a rigorous, multiyear qualification process, App State is now included in a group of official observers at this preeminent annual conference, giving our students a front-row seat to the complex problem-solving taking place," said App State Chancellor Sheri Everts. "Creating classroom-to-actualization experiences is part of what sets App State apart as the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, and these kinds of experiences prepare our students to be skilled problem-solvers in the future."

As observers at the conference, students “who are really interested in policy can dig in very deep,” McEvoy said. “If all you want to do is get a sense of what each country is thinking on a high level, you can do that as well.”

McEvoy said he appreciates the resources and support from the Walker College of Business for the course, and he’s proud of the students who represented App State.

“On the first morning of the conference, RINGO observers met to introduce themselves and share information. Other universities may have had similar numbers of participants, but they didn’t all arrive at the meeting together,” he said. “We were there every morning, as a cohort — other attendees recognized App State when we left.”

Ball, who leads App State’s strategic efforts to strengthen resilience and sustainability, joined McEvoy and his students in his second year at the conference. As an educator, Ball said he is interested in increasing climate literacy.

“These six students had a transformational experience, with their understanding of climate policy work strengthened,” Ball said. “Their dedication to climate change is of utmost importance because of the urgency of the problem.”

Ball said the students who attended COP27 brought back a resolve for change and new connections through the networking opportunities available there.

“The global perspective on climate change is just as much a key to climate success as personal responsibility, as well as local, state and national responsibility,” said Ball. “Change needs to happen at every level.”

When asked about his hope for the future, Ball said, “I don’t think I could do this work without hope. I’m an idealist, an optimist, and I’m strongly encouraged when I see this work being done across the world — and our students engaging with the process.”

6 App State students reflect on COP27

Chelsea Gulliver '22, alumna

Hometown: Asheville
Degree: Master of Business Administration with a concentration in sustainable business

Chelsea Gulliver knew this was a “dream opportunity” and was interested in policy discussion about the effect of climate change on the world’s least developed countries because she was born on Grand Cayman Island. Much of the discussion around COP27 focused on the “loss and damage” concept and the argument that “larger countries should really pay for their CO2 contribution because smaller countries really don’t contribute (to carbon emissions) as much.

“I plan to do research on that topic, specifically as it relates to small island developing nations and Indigenous peoples, so I am excited to be a part of it. The experience will be invaluable to me,” she said.

When she returned, Gulliver was happy to share that she had the opportunity to network with “some of the most prominent people in the entire world of climate change. I felt like those of us from App State had made our mark when we left. It was an amazing opportunity.”

Among the people Gulliver met was Dr. Nabil Nasr from the Rochester Institute of Technology, who leads the Golisano Institute for Sustainability and the Reducing Embodied-energy And Decreasing Emissions (REMADE) Institute, the largest research consortium in the United States. As a result, Gulliver will be working with the Golisano Institute on a United Nations Environment Program project studying the circular economy of consumer electronics in Ghana, Africa. Gulliver will begin her job on Jan. 3.

Matthew Mair, junior

Hometown: Charlotte
Majors: Economics and political science

Matthew Mair — an Honors College student and a Chancellor’s Scholar at App State — has always had an interest in international climate negotiations, so he knew that a trip to COP27 would be “the perfect opportunity to apply what I’ve been learning to real life.”

He found it “inspiring to be in the presence of thousands of people who care so passionately about climate change and environmental policy. Sometimes it’s disheartening to think about these policy issues at home when you feel like not a lot is being done. But in reality, there are a lot of really good, very talented people working on this.

“It was cool to see that this is a career that I’m able to pursue and that there are a lot of people working on these issues,” Mair added. He said he is grateful to the university, the Walker College of Business, McEvoy and Ball for the opportunity to travel and learn more about climate negotiation.

Jonathan Buckley '22, alumnus

Hometown: Wilmington
Degree: Economics-regional economic development, community and regional planning

Jonathan Buckley didn’t know what to expect from COP27 as he planned to leave for Egypt.

“Having the opportunity to go to a big conference where world leaders come together and talk about how to solve this issue was a nice way to wrap up this course,” said Buckley. “Even though I don’t plan to have a career in international economics, I know I will take this experience with me as my life and career develop.”

When he returned, he shared that he was impacted by seeing “so many different types of people from all around the world come together for a shared purpose.” He also experienced “culture shock” as he adjusted to drinking bottled water and having less access to Wi-Fi during the trip, but said he soon adapted.

Luke Halodik ’21 '22, alumnus

Hometown: Waxhaw
Degree: MBA with a concentration in economics

Luke Halodik, who majored in economics and accounting as an undergraduate at App State and who earned an MBA from his alma mater in fall 2022, said taking McEvoy’s course opened his eyes: “Seeing environmental policy and economics merged together was a new concept to me because I’m interested in fishery management and specifically sustainability within fishery management.”

This was Halodik’s first trip outside the U.S., and he was down to the wire to pick up his passport. Thankfully, after a last-minute drive home to the Charlotte area, he had his passport in hand. It was all worth the stress, he said, because “interacting with people from all over the globe was an unforgettable opportunity.”

He was most taken with the sights and sounds of Egypt — the old market, the cuisine, the mosques, snorkeling in the Red Sea and staying in a hotel with real latchkeys that he checked in and out at the front desk each time he went to his room.

Rachel Crabb '22, alumna

Hometown: Austin, Texas
Degree: Sustainable development-environmental studies, specializing in political ecology

Before traveling to COP27, Rachel Crabb was looking forward to seeing how the decisions made in Egypt would affect the current areas of her study, which is the intersection of politics and ecology.

“This is a very unique opportunity to see the things that guide those policies,” said Crabb. “Most of my knowledge on environmental policy has to do with domestic U.S. policy. I’m really interested to see just how that works internationally because I know it’s much more complex. I look forward to seeing the interactions between nation states and what that looks like, and how that plays out.”

After she returned from COP27, Crabb said, “It changed me. It’s the most intensely international space you will ever find yourself in. Being in the presence of the policymakers was awesome.”

Grace Waugh, senior

Hometown: Chapel Hill
Major/minor: Sustainable technology, economics

Honors College student Grace Waugh shared that she has always had an interest in climate change and taking action against it. This course has helped her develop a “bigger worldview,” she said, as it broadened her interest in international policy and technology implementation.

Additionally, Waugh said watching international policy decisions being made in person gave her hope, because it put climate change in perspective for her.

“It’s easy to get stuck in a bubble when you’re studying at a university,” she explained. “This was an opportunity to see that there’s a lot more out there than you can perceive when you are within that bubble. Going there and experiencing it is better than just reading about it.”

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Sustainability at Appalachian State University is not a trend, it is a tradition. We are active stewards of our state’s interconnected financial, cultural and natural resources. Through engaged scholarship, we balance critical, creative and global thinking in a living laboratory, transforming theory into practice and fostering responsible citizenship.

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App State students attend COP27, the 27th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference

Dec. 9, 2022

Six App State students recently returned from a trip led by Chief Sustainability Officer Lee Ball and Department of Economics Chair and Professor Dave McEvoy to attend COP27, the 27th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference.

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Honors College students travel to Egypt to attend the 27th annual Conference of Parties on climate change

Nov. 30, 2022

Honors College students Grace Waugh and Matthew Mair traveled to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, to attend the 27th annual Conference of Parties (COP27) on climate change from November 6-20. COP27 is held by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Waugh is a senior majoring in sustainable technology with a minor in economics. Mair is a junior and a 2020 Chancellor’s Scholar, who is double-majoring in economics and political science.

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About Sustainability at Appalachian

Appalachian State University’s leadership in sustainability is known nationally. The university’s holistic, three-branched approach considers sustainability economically, environmentally and equitably in relationship to the planet’s co-inhabitants. The university is an active steward of the state’s interconnected financial, cultural and natural resources and challenges students and others think critically and creatively about sustainability and what it means from the smallest individual action to the most broad-based applications. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate academic degree programs that focus on sustainability. In addition, 100 percent of Appalachian’s academic departments offer at least one sustainability course or course that includes sustainability, and all students graduate from programs that have adopted at least one sustainability learning outcome. Learn more at https://appstate.edu/sustainability.

About the Walker College of Business

The Walker College of Business at Appalachian State University delivers transformational educational experiences that prepare and inspire students to be ethical, innovative and engaged business leaders who positively impact our community, both locally and globally. The college places emphasis on international experiences, sustainable business practices, entrepreneurial programs and real-world applications with industry. Enrolling approximately 3,000 undergraduates in 10 majors and 175 graduate students in three master's programs, the Walker College is accredited by AACSB International – the premier global accrediting body for schools of business. Learn more at https://business.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.