Conference of the Parties (COP) Initiative

GEE-21’s COP initiative works towards developing artful policymaking, a strong and thoughtful workforce in public service, and a citizenry fluent in global and local climate change issues. The initiative is led by GEE-21 board member and United Nations (UN) liaison Anukriti Lirio Hittle, who has represented Research and Independent Non-Governmental Organizations (RINGO) and state government delegations at seven COP meetings and one intersessional. Board member Dr. Gundolf Kohlmeier has been very active in the COPs and the UN negotiations as well, providing valuable commentary and reflections to key parties. Youth Board members Hailey Campbell and Emily Sarasa have also contributed to various COPs as part of RINGO and Youth Non-Governmental Organizations (YOUNGO) delegations.

Highlights

Featured work of GEE-21 members.

Toufiq Siddiq | Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC Fourth Assessment Report, Framework for Analysis: Technology Transfer to address Climate Change, Chapter 1. 2000. Lead author.
Dr. Gundolf Kohlmaier | CO2 modelling work: “Frankfurt Biosphere Model, part I of 1994” and “Part II of 1997” is a global process oriented model of seasonal and long-term CO2 exchange between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere, collaborative work of 14 graduate students.
Anukiti Lirio Hittle | US China Collude to Pollute. 2015. An opinion on what the US and China climate agreements mean for Paris and for carbon cuts, BBC World News.
Hailey Campbell | COP28: Dear World Leaders, a Message from Youth. 2022.
Emily Sarasa | Students from Hawaii among thousands to travel to UN Climate Change Conference.

COP Initiative Materials

These materials highlight Hawaii’s active participation in COP events, offering insights into state-level leadership, innovative policies, and advocacy efforts on the global stage.

Commentary

Hawaii’s message at COP26: The world must move beyond Zero Emissions. Civil Beat. November 22, 2021.
Hawaii still backs Paris Climate Accord even if US doesn’t. Civil Beat. December 2019.
Our Small State has Big Ambitions when it comes to Climate Change. Civil Beat. January 2019.
The Promise of Paris and Lessons from Paradise: Hawaii’s Contributions to U.S. Pledges under the Paris Agreement. The Wealth and Well-Being of Nations. Annual Proceedings. Vol X. Beloit College Department of Economics. 2017-2018.
A Hawai’i Venue and An Arctic Model for a Pacific Climate Resiliency Agreement. Policy Brief. Asia Pacific Bulletin no. 348. East-West Center. Washington, DC. 15 June, 2016.
Five Years, That’s All We’ve Got: A Prognosis of the Paris Agreement (Commentary). Anukriti Hittle and Alexander Hittle. Mongabay. 19 April, 2016.
Going Into Paris, the U.S. and China Collude to Gobble Up the Global Carbon Pie. Anukriti Hittle and Alexander Hittle. Huffington Post Commentary. 30 November 2015.

Representing the State of Hawaiʻi for COP

Materials from COP24 (Katowice), COP25 (Madrid), and COP26 (Glasgow).

Media Appearances

Anukriti Lirio Hittle

What happened at COP26 Anyway. ThinkTech. Nov. 2021.
UNFCCC Official Press Briefing. “Toward 2020 and Beyond: Climate Collaboration and Action Among US Sub-National Leaders.” Katowice, Poland. Organizer: The Climate Registry. 10 December 2018.
Hawaii Public Radio. Climate Change Conference in Paris. The Conversation with Beth-Ann Kozlovich. December 28, 2015. A discussion on what the Paris Agreement means for local action and the role of young people in this process.
COP25. North American Climate Leaders on Action and Ambition at COP25. The Climate Registry. December 2019.
COP25. Advance Look at Subnational Action and Expectations for Katowice. Webinar. Organizers: Climate Action Reserve and Climate Registry. 29 November 2018.
COP24. National Climate Assessment. Organizer: World Resources Institute. Katowice, Poland.10 December 2018.
COP24. UN Climate Change Conference (COP24) in Katowice, Poland: meetings and statement by Peter LIESE (EPP, DE). Bilateral with European Parliament delegation at COP24. 13 December 2018

Hailey Campbell

UK takes key role at UN climate talks as pressure mounts to reach finance deal, UK Standard, COP29 Reactions
UN DESA COP29 Blog
COP 28: Dear World Leaders: A Message from Youth, December 8th, 2023 – US Center at COP28
CNBC, 2022. Young people just got a louder voice on climate change — and could soon be shaping policy

Emily Sarasa

Additional Climate Change Publications

Op-Ed piece. Why Hawaii Needs a Strategy for the Hottest Day Ever. Civil Beat. August 2, 2024. With James McCallen.
Hawaii Priority Climate Action Plan. [link 1] and [link 2], 2024.
MCC policy brief. Charting, Navigating and Building Funding Pathways for Midwest Communities. Sept 2024.
Take the Bus to the Airport, but Don’t Bring Your Luggage. Civil Beat. Hawai‘i. May 28, 2024.
Investing in Transportation Choices: Recommendations for Safe, Sustainable, Affordable, and Reliable Mobility. Hawai‘i Climate Commission. Dec 2022.
Final Statement on Decision Making & Investment Guidance to Address the Climate Emergency in Hawai‘i. Commission Statement. Jul 19, 2021.
Nature-based Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Change in Hawai‘i. A Climate Ready Hawai‘i Working Paper. Mar 22, 2021.
A Resilient Future for Coastal Communities: Federal Policy Recommendations from Solutions in Practice. EESI. Washington, DC. Oct 26, 2020.
A Hawai’i Venue and An Arctic Model for a Pacific Climate Resiliency Agreement. Policy Brief. Asia Pacific Bulletin no. 348. East-West Center. Washington, DC. 15 June, 2016.
A Cool Solution to a Hot Topic: Community Hubs can Address Climate Change, Mobility and Resilience in Hawai‘i. Hawai‘i Energy Policy Forum. August 20, 2020.
Uncloaking the Cost of Carbon: Applications in Hawai‘i. Co-author. March 2, 2021.

From Dr. Gundolf Kohlmaier

CO2 modelling work: “Frankfurt Biosphere Model, part I of 1994” and “Part II of 1997” is a global process oriented model of seasonal and long-term CO2 exchange between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere, collaborative work of 14 graduate students.
Saving the climate with the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement. From Fossil Fuels to Renewables: With the oil multinationals to the eco-multinationals! Open Letter to Dr. Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, COP28 President-Designate Supplementary reflections on the climate conference COP 28 in Dubai (Nov. 30 to Dec. 12, 2023) Dr. Gundolf Kohlmaier and Dr. Heinz Bingemer, Institute for Atmosphere and Environment, Goethe University, Germany.
English Translation of the German Letter to the Editor (2022) in Forschung Frankfurt, Focus Africa by Gundolf H. Kohlmaier Goethe Universität, Germany