Two MSU faculty contribute sustainability expertise at COP29
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EmailLaura Schmitt Olabisi and Micahel Olabisi, both faculty members in the Department of Community Sustainability in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, engaged with global leaders at the 29th Conference of Parties in Azerbaijan.
Laura Schmitt Olabisi, associate professor, and Michael Olabisi, assistant professor, both in the Department of Community Sustainability in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University, participated in the global 29th COP meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan in November of 2024. COP, which stands for Conference of Parties, is the series of formal meetings where governments assess global efforts to advance the Paris Agreement and the Convention, also limit global warming to 1.5°C as informed by the latest science.
The opportunity for two faculty to participate in COP29 elevates MSU’s visibility on a global platform dedicated to addressing critical climate issues, while fostering valuable connections with other institutions and policymakers.
Schmitt Olabisi was invited to present as part of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) delegation to COP29. Schmitt Olabisi served as an expert panelist in an event titled, ‘Global Risk Resilience discourse and adaptation’. The panel was co-organized by the UCAR, and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). The overall focus of the panel was to provide insights on the scientific and policy challenges associated with meeting the Global Goal on Adaptation under the Paris Agreement of 2015.
Schmitt Olabisi noted her contributions were focused on the agricultural sector and the gaps in science that are hindering adaptation to climate change. Schmitt Olabisi said of her participation, “only a very small percentage of COP attendees are scientists (I was told 3-5%). I find it very important to understand how decisions are being made at this event, and how science is being used to support those decisions globally.”
Olabisi also participated at COP29 as a part of the UCAR team under the RINGO constituency. RINGO- which stands for Research and Independent Non-Governmental Organizations- is an official constituency recognized by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) and its members do research and analysis to develop strategies addressing both the causes and consequences of global climate change. In his role at the meeting, Olabisi developed guidance for the RINGO constituency’s position on approaching the UN negotiators with a unified voice for the global science community to help prioritize issues of growing concern.
Olabisi says of the implications of this recent meeting, “COP 29 was meant to be the Finance COP - it is important that doing the science and shaping policy on the global scale to address the challenges of a climate change call for an agreement on a global finance framework to support the efforts.”
