Moravian College is one of only six private liberal arts institutions from the U.S. selected to serve as “civil society observers”

Bethlehem, Pa., December 1, 2015—Students and faculty from Moravian College are attending the 21st United Nations Framework Conference on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris, France. Professors Diane Husic and Hilde Binford are joined by students Laura McBride '16, Audrey McSain '16, Paige Malewski '16, Stephen Stoddard '16, and Matthew Bosch '16 (who is also a liaison to the American Chemical Society Delegation) and alumna Sarabeth Brockley ’10, who is a policy analyst at the United Nations Division of Sustainable Development.

Paris2015 logo"The goal of the conference is to have a legally binding international agreement that will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, address adaptation to climate change through policy and funding to help developing countries," said Diane White Husic, chair and professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Moravian College.“Our students will be interacting with researchers, other youth, and, potentially, negotiators to learn the process and issues.They will also assist delegations from developing nations that need note takers and other support.”

Husic has organized and will be moderating an international panel entitled “Bridging the Research Gap: A Discussion of New Directions and Research Needs for Climate Policy” for the Research and Independent NGOs, that will be held on December 2. This event will highlight new climate change research conducted by 12 members of the RINGOs constituency. These individuals will share perspectives on a range of research topics via a series of “mini-TED talks.” Audience discussion will follow on the implications of the research for climate policy locally and internationally.

Husic is blogging from the conference on the Huffington Post website, see Standing Up to Fear: COP21 in Paris and at www.moraviancollegeatunfccc.blogspot.com.

Husic and Binford have led a delegation from Moravian College to the conference every year since 2009, when only six private liberal arts institutions from the United States were selected to serve as “civil society observers.” Participation in the UNFCCC is restricted to parties of the conference, observer states, admitted observer organizations, and accredited press/media. The sessions are not open to the public.

President Obama at UN conferenceYesterday, Husic was one of only 32 researchers from around the world to attend the leadership plenary with talks by President Obama, Ban Ki Moon, U.N. secretary general, and the presidents of France, China, Germany, Egypt, Russia, among others.

On Monday, the Moravian College students met with representatives from various countries learning about their views on climate change, how it is influencing their livelihoods and lifestyles, and what can be done to reach a solution.

Moravian College is a private coeducational liberal arts college, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees, in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. For over 270 years, the Moravian College degree has been based on a liberal arts curriculum where literature, history, cultural values and global issues, ethics, and aesthetic expression and the social sciences are infused with multidisciplinary perspectives. Visit www.moravian.edu to learn more about how the Moravian College liberal arts curriculum prepares its students for life-long success.