The COP Climate Action Studio (COPCAS)
The annual UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) Conference of the Parties is the most significant yearly event in the climate policy calendar. It hosts international negotiations for climate policy, and is the venue for a range of policy, practice and research discussions around climate change, and for activists and lobby groups to gain public attention.
As part of our flexible and individual training we fund one or two FoodBioSystems students each year to take part in the COP Climate Action Studio (COPCAS 
). This is a training opportunity provided by The Pearl Academy (formerly the Walker Institute). It enables doctoral students to remotely participate in COP in real time. During the COP period, students work in small groups to attend different sessions remotely, as well as interviewing key people, and writing blogs about their thoughts and experiences. They are supported throughout the process by a research communications professional. Participants in COPCAS are exposed to the latest ideas in policy and gain direct experience of how researchers can successfully engage with other stakeholders. They also develop interdisciplinary working skills.
FoodBioSystems doctoral researchers, Lynn and Alex took part in COPCAS during COP28 between the 30th November and 12th December 2023 hosted in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They produced videos and authored several blogs that reflected on the discussions at COP28. Some are highlighted below:
https://walker.reading.ac.uk/academy/energy-and-industry-just-transition-and-indigenous-peoples-are-the-themes-for-day-4-at-cop28-a-disjointed-group-or-an-empowering-collaboration-copcas-2023-student-blog/
https://walker.reading.ac.uk/academy/indigenous-leader-calls-for-recognition-and-progress-at-climate-talks-copcas-2023-student-blog/
https://walker.reading.ac.uk/academy/urbanization-can-it-be-sustainable-copcas-2023-student-blog/
During COP 27, two FoodBioSystems doctoral researchers joined other research students to work in small groups at COPCAS. They attended different sessions remotely (one of the students also attended live sessions in Egypt). They interviewed key people and wrote blogs about their thoughts and experiences.
Dannielle from our 2020 cohort reflects on her experience of COP 27:
My PhD is fundamentally linked to climate change research because my project aims align closely with adapting agricultural practices to provider greater food security and resilience to agricultural businesses and rural livelihoods to avoid the impact of future climate change. I was therefore keen to join all COP27 opportunities provided by the DTP which consisted of a day in COPCAS at Reading University (although you could have done more than one day if you so choose!) and I was lucky enough to be chosen to attend COP27 in person after a successful application outlining the professional benefits I would obtain from attending and explaining the key links between my project and climate policy.
COPCAS is a great place to get involved with all aspects of COP from the comfort of the studio at Reading! I attended finance day of COP27 in the studio and it was great to listen to live streams of events happening at the conference and interview those on the ground in Egypt to get their take on what is going on. Actually, my favourite and most impactful part of COPCAS was discussing all things climate change with my teammates in the studio. We finished our day by writing a blog together called ‘(not) addressing the elephant in the room’, referring to climate finance, which you can read here. I’d highly recommend attending COPCAS and I’ll be sure to apply for the studio next year as well!
Attendance to COP27 in person was an incredible opportunity that I’m extremely grateful for. I saw first-hand what COP is like; the scale of pavilions, the hopeful side event talks and the very corporate atmosphere of the ministerial meetings. Chats whilst in coffee lines or attending the press conferences were the real crux of it all where you felt the emotions from different nations feeling the impacts of climate change and advocating for their voices to be heard in the negotiations
Dannielle also made a video and blogged about her experience of COP27. If you can’t access the blog on Linked in you can access a PDF of her COP27 blog post.