Staff Report
UNIVERSITY CITY, SHARJAH— Eight students from the American University of Sharjah contributed towards the global dialogue on climate change and sustainability during the final session of the Climate Ambassadors Program (CAP) held on Oct. 28 at the Expo City, Dubai.
The program, organized by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the Expo School Programme, is a simulation of the Conference of Parties (COP) negotiations for youth.
Nearly 40 students from five different colleges attended the three-hour session, which revolved around “Agenda 4: Food Security and Climate Change,” one of the focus topics for discussion. Participants were divided into four negotiating blocks: G77 + China, Arab States, the European Union, and the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). Each delegate represented a country within one of these negotiating blocks and was required to come prepared with knowledge of the climate-related challenges faced by their assigned country.
The AUS participants, namely Mohammad Amaan Siddiqui, Nour Ahmad, Jumana Aljehani, Amal Haneef, Jumana Rageh, Sanjana Bharwani, Adel Safa, and Maha Al Ali, collaborated to develop action plans and ultimately reached a consensus to address global climate and food-related concerns.
“CAP was a unique learning experience simulating a diplomatic negotiation different from MUNs,” said Siddiqui, an International Studies major. “We also had the opportunity to make an action plan for food security not just listing solutions but also thinking about their funding, tech requirements, knowledge, implementation, KPIs [Key Performance Indicators], and accountability.”
“CAP was a one-of-a-kind experience. It was interesting to see a group of like-minded individuals engaging in conversation and debate about a cause we all felt strongly towards,” said Rageh, an Architecture major. “I think it would be worthwhile to explore how we could get involved on a larger scale with global climate-related issues because it was clear we have the passion and drive for it.”
The UAE is set to host the 28th session of COP from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 at the Expo City, Dubai. Interested students can visit the official COP website https://www.cop28.com to register.
