{"id":151768,"date":"2021-11-16T12:41:59","date_gmt":"2021-11-16T22:41:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=151768"},"modified":"2021-11-16T12:42:55","modified_gmt":"2021-11-16T22:42:55","slug":"cop26-inspires-uh-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2021\/11\/16\/cop26-inspires-uh-students\/","title":{"rendered":"COP26<\/abbr> inspires 东精影业<\/abbr> student attendees"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 4<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>
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Joe Udell<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Students at the University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> at Mānoa met thought leaders and change makers at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26<\/abbr>) including environmental activists, lawyers, scientists, UN<\/abbr> ambassadors and more. From the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology<\/a> and William S. Richardson School of Law<\/a>, faculty and students traveled to Glasgow as an official observer delegation to COP26<\/abbr> from October 31 to November 12.<\/p>\n

Naima Te Maile<\/strong>, a second-year law student, attended the first week of the conference, and Joe Udell<\/strong>, a third-year law student, attended the second week of the conference. With COVID-19<\/abbr> protocols each room had limited attendance, so students planned out sessions that they wanted to attend.<\/p>\n

“It\u2019s important that the University of Hawaiʻi<\/span> sent a delegation to COP26<\/abbr> because it represents 东精影业<\/abbr>\u2019s commitment to being actively involved and represented in spaces where climate change and the future and well-being of all humanity is being negotiated and discussed. I also believe that I was in a better position, as an environmental law student, to learn exactly how I could best ‘pay it forward,’” said Te Maile.<\/p>\n

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Naima Te Maile<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Te Maile observed an intimate roundtable briefing with 东精影业<\/abbr> law Professor and Senior Advisor with the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate Maxine Burkett<\/strong>, Secretary Deb Haaland (the first Native American to serve as a cabinet secretary) and U.S. tribal leaders who were attending COP26<\/abbr>. It was moderated by Jonathan Pershing (deputy special envoy for climate at the U.S. Department of State), who noted, in response to participants\u2019 concerns about accessibility to COP26<\/abbr> and the environmental degradation they were seeing in their home states, “Trust in the system is going down while urgency is going up.”<\/p>\n

A recurring question at COP26<\/abbr> was how more Indigenous youth could engage in future conferences and have a more active role in the decision-making processes. There were multiple calls across various sessions for more communication and collaboration between environmental law and climate science.<\/p>\n

“In attending COP26<\/abbr> my goal was to connect with and learn from Pacific Island delegations, especially Tuvalu, that were intent on spreading a message of urgency about the climate crisis,” said Te Maile. “Most of the programs I attended were centered on amplifying Indigenous voices and underlined the need for greater accessibility to spaces like COP26<\/abbr>, and greater representation and platforms for Indigenous peoples\u2019 voices to be heard.”<\/p>\n