Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 66.18
Liaison Phil Valko
Submission Date March 2, 2018
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Washington University in St. Louis
IN-26: Innovation C

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 1.00 / 1.00 Cassandra Hage
Sustainability Manager
Office of Sustainability
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Name or title of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome:
Student delegates annually sent to UN Conference of the Party negotiations

A brief description of the innovative policy, practice, program, or outcome that outlines how credit criteria are met and any positive measurable outcomes associated with the innovation:

In 2011, at the behest of Washington University Students for International Collaboration on the Environment (WUSICE), an undergraduate student group, Washington University applied for and was granted admission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change as a representative non-governmental observer organization. Since then, Washington University has sent official observer delegates to attend Conference of the Party (COP), ADP and intersessional meetings annually. Washington University and its associated delegates are members of the Research Institution Non-Governmental Organizations (RINGO) constituency. The constituency groups consist of non-governmental organizations that are admitted as observers at sessions of the Conference, and function as a way for the secretariat and stakeholders to maintain communication and interactions. Two faculty members, Beth Martin and Anu Hittle, attend the negotiations with the student delegates each year.

WUSICE provides support to student delegates to COP and plans events and speakers surrounding international climate policy.

To compliment this effort, WUSICE hosts the Washington University Climate Change Negotiations (WUCCN)—a yearly conference which allows students to simulate the UNFCCC COP, acting as delegates to attempt and reach an international climate agreement.

The negotiations simulate the annual UNFCCC Conference of the Parties, with each participant taking on the role of the key negotiator from one of the 197 member parties of the UNFCCC. Each WUCCN reflects the issues that will be center-stage at the Conference of the Parties, and therefore is a real-time representation and simulation of international climate issues.

Students selected to attend the COP negotiations are required to present on their experiences upon return. For example, students have presented to their peers at student events, to the general public at regional climate conferences and smaller community gatherings, and to youth throughout the St. Louis community.


Which of the following impact areas does the innovation most closely relate to? (select up to three):
Curriculum
Research
Campus Engagement

A letter of affirmation from an individual with relevant expertise or a press release or publication featuring the innovation :
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The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.