Queen Mary experts head to COP30 in Brazil
Queen Mary University of London is sending a delegation of five researchers to Belém, Brazil, to participate in COP30, the 30th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference. Set in the Amazon from 10 to 21 November 2025, this year’s summit is expected to emphasise forests, biodiversity, climate security and policy, and Indigenous peoples, and to turn the Paris Agreement’s global progress review into action.
Belém is the capital of COP30. Credits: COP30 Audiovisual Team
The Queen Mary delegation will collaborate with international partners to showcase how the University’s research is taking environmental action. The research they will present includes work relating to AI for sustainability transitions, and culture- and heritage-led resilience developed with Amazonian partners. Alongside contributions to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) technology and digitalisation workstreams, Queen Mary academics will also meet UK Parliamentary Committee Chairs to strengthen research–policy links on climate governance.
Dr Ben Neimark, Reader in Geopolitical Ecology at the School of Business and Management, is leading Queen Mary’s COP30 side event this year. Entitled “Monitoring and Addressing Climate Impacts Across the Conflict Cycle,” the event will take place on 14 November in the Blue Zone in collaboration with partner organisations from Sweden, Colombia, Slovenia, Ukraine and the UK. The session will show how each stage of war, from build-up to recovery, adds emissions and environmental harm, and will outline practical ways to reduce or eliminate these negative impacts.
The full Queen Mary delegation is:
- Dr Benjamin Neimark, Reader in Geopolitical Ecology
- Dr Fernando Barrio, Reader in Sustainable Business and Policy
- Dr Andrew Russell, Reader in Environmental Science and Policy, and Director of the Environmental Change and Communities Research Centre
- Yula Rocha, Indigenous and Climate Manager at People’s Palace Projects
- Thiago Jesus, Lead for Indigenous Exchange and Climate Action at People’s Palace Projects.
Dr Philippa Lloyd, Vice-Principal Policy and Strategic Partnerships, and Sustainability Lead at Queen Mary, said:
“Our participation at COP30, including hosting key side events, demonstrates the importance and impact of Queen Mary’s research. By being present where global decisions are made and by working directly with government institutions, NGOs and communities, our academics turn evidence into real international collaboration. This engagement not only is an opportunity to inform policymakers, but it also helps deliver real-world sustainability outcomes worldwide. We’re committed to making COP30 a forum for practical action where partnerships are grounded in rigour and results, not rhetoric and intention.”
Queen Mary’s People’s Palace Projects (PPP) will also be in attendance and will host the University’s culture activity, working with Amazonian and UK partners to show how arts and heritage support climate action. The programme includes panels on community resilience and Indigenous knowledge, the launch and distribution of the “Culture is Climate” educational booklet, and immersive screenings featuring the VR experience “Kamukuwaká: A Call of the Forest”, story about the existential threats Indigenous communities face in the Amazon region, presented by the PPP’s indigenous partner Piratá Waurá, who will also be in attendance.
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