Three WashU 2017 grads share their vision for a world where the environment and the economy are healthy.
Sustainability advocates Nick Annin, Elise Fabbro and Nicola Salzman all participated in the International Climate Negotiation Seminar, an advanced Environmental Studies course is for students who will represent Washington University at the United Nations COP (Conference of the Parties) on Climate Change. Each then attended the 2015 COP 21 global climate talks in Paris as delegates from Washington University. Salzman also attended COP 22 in Marrakesh in 2016.
It’s an opportunity that few universities extend to undergraduates. At the conferences, the students tracked specific articles of the agreement such as mitigation or finance, and attended negotiations and forums featuring climate leaders like Al Gore and former United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon.
Annin, Fabbro and Salzman returned more convinced than ever that the private sector can — and must — play a pivotal role in addressing climate change. Anin stated,
“There is a myth that the economy and the environment are inherently at odds. We know, in fact, the opposite is true. A healthy economy depends on a healthy environment.”
Each has a vision for how sustainability can be achieved within the frameworks of business, policy, and law; each has taken very real steps to realize their vision, in their academic careers and beyond.
To read about their sustainability work, visit the Source.
Tags: Worldwide, Climate Change, Energy & Environment