COP 30, the United Nations Climate Change Conference. Events during the first week involving the Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies in Pisa: from energy transition to sport as a driving force for communities

The Conference of the Parties on Climate Change is currently underway, involving tens of thousands of delegates from around the world to take a step forward on the path set out in the Paris Agreement ten years ago, which aims to limit the increase in global temperature to below 2°C and, if possible, to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The problem is that we have already reached these levels of global warming and the latest UNEP report tells us that, with the policy measures already planned, which do show a growing commitment, we will reach +2.5°: it has therefore become urgent to reverse course. As we know, the international context is not favourable, with the crisis of multilateralism confirmed by ongoing conflicts and the position of the United States. On the other hand, we are witnessing a particularly significant positioning of China, which is proposing itself as a leader in climate commitment. The letter dated 8-11 from the Brazilian President of the COP reads: “We all recognise that the climate transition is the trend of our time, as China's President Xi Jinping noted”. The European Commission, in order not to miss the boat, has in turn confirmed, albeit at the last minute, its target of a 90% reduction in emissions by 2040. It will therefore be very interesting to see in Belém whether the international balance of power is being redefined around the climate challenge.
The School will also be present this year as an observer with a delegation led by Marco Frey, coordinator of the Interdisciplinary Centre on Sustainability and Climate.
Representatives of Sant'Anna are already scheduled to attend multiple events, where the results of research carried out by CISC and the School in various fields will be highlighted. Let's start by mentioning those in the first few days of COP.
On Wednesday 13 November, Marco Frey and Alberto Pirni, associate professor at the Dirpolis Institute, will speak at a workshop organised by the School together with the University of Florence on community-based approaches to energy transition, which will be hosted in the Italian Pavilion. On the same day, Marco Frey will give the opening speech at an event on Climate Transition Plans for businesses organised by the UN Global Compact. In the evening, Marco Frey will be present with the Sustainable Universities Network to present what we do at the School at the event “Sport as a driver of sustainable and resilient communities”, hosted at the New Higher Education for Climate Action Pavilion. On Friday 15 November, Alberto Pirni will give the opening speech at another event on climate adaptation in the water sector, hosted at the Italian Pavilion.