There are 18 students from the Global Climate Change Science and Policy class attending the two-week international conference. The Cornell students are leading partner projects with the governments of Armenia, Zambia and Tonga, as well as The World Bank, Carbon 180, and the Global Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture.
The course is taught by Natalie Mahowald, the Irving Porter Church Professor in Engineering, and Allison Chatrchyan, senior research associate in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
“I appreciated that Speaker Pelosi took the time to meet with us at COP25,” said Pamela Wildstein ’20, who noted that the U.S. has a very small presence at the conference. “She thanked us for our effort [on taking action against climate change], and it was nice to see that she values youth engagement. … Her presence really reminds us that ‘we are still in’ and that part of our government is still committed to climate action.”
Engineering master’s student Christopher Galantino explained that Pelosi, a California Democrat, is among the majority of people willing to face climate challenges.
“She understands that climate change concerns people across generations and many walks of life,” he said.