The University of Bath is sending a delegation to Bonn for the 60th sessions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s Subsidiary Bodies (SB 60). This is the first time the University has attended an SB conference, an annual international gathering which occurs at the midpoint between sessions of the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP).

Amy Thompson, Head of Policy Programmes and Communications at the Institute for Policy Research (IPR), acts as Head of the Bath delegation.

Together with colleagues from Cambridge Zero and youth-led organisations ClimaTalk and Climate Words, Amy will co-host ‘Youth4Capacity – Decoding UNFCCC Language’, a workshop which will demonstrate how to turn language barriers into stepping stones and routes for meaningful youth participation and action on climate change within the UNFCCC processes.

This co-designed work by the IPR and Cambridge Zero has been developed alongside the ActNowFilm project, which aims to empower and platform young people’s voices in international climate negotiations. ActNowFilm: Youth Climate Leaders in Conversation with Climate Experts, produced in 2023, premiered at COP28, and ActNowFilm: Youth Climate Leaders as Agents of Change is currently in production for showcase at COP29.

Amy said:

“This youth-orientated capacity-building workshop looks at how we can decode UNFCCC language and how to breach ‘unhelpful’ language barriers that can often hinder engagement in climate debates. Working with colleagues from Cambridge Zero, ClimaTalk and Climate Words, we hope to empower youth climate leaders by exploring and unravelling some of the complex terminology used within the UNFCCC framework, to make it more easily accessible and understandable, or to identify ways to demystify some of the technical language frequently used. By exploring, discussing and bridging these gaps, we hope to demonstrate how to turn language barriers into stepping stones and routes for meaningful youth participation and action on climate change within the UNFCCC forum.”

Professor Chris Skidmore will also be part of the delegation. He will be attending, with Amy, a Climate Community Reception hosted by the High-Level Climate Champions, as well as speaking at the session ‘Creating the Highway for Private Finance towards COP29’ organised by Marrakech Partnership Finance Focal Point on 6 June.

He said:

“The SB60 at Bonn is an important moment on the road to COP29, where key issues where agreement is needed, such as climate finance, will be discussed. I’m delighted to represent the University of Bath in several discussions, including those held by the Marrakech Partnership and the Climate Champions team, alongside the opportunity to meet with key individuals in the UK climate policy world.”