Lehigh University made history as the only university invited to the United Nations Climate Summit, part of a remarkable week that also saw students participating in high-level UN meetings on women’s rights, global health, and youth leadership.
Lehigh University achieved a remarkable milestone when it became the only university in the world invited to the United Nations Climate Summit, marking a historic first in the 21-year history of the LU/UN Partnership.
On Sept. 24, seven Lehigh students and Professor David Casagrande joined 109 heads of state at the Climate Summit, co-chaired by the Brazil President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. The event was one of several remarkable opportunities for Lehigh students and faculty at the U.N. that week.
In addition to the Climate Summit, Lehigh students attended high-level meetings and conferences throughout the week, representing global organizations and engaging with world leaders on issues ranging from women’s rights to public health.
In the Room with World Leaders
Lehigh students at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.
"I am still amazed that Lehigh was the only university in the world invited to attend the Climate Summit," said Bill Hunter, Director of Fellowship Advising and UN Programs at Lehigh. "It's a testament to the strength of our network at the UN and the reputation among our UN colleagues.”
For Casagrande, a professor of environmental studies who teaches about climate negotiations in his classes, being in the room was deeply moving.
"It was very emotional," he said. "I know the speeches, I know the arguments, I know the players, but that was the first time I actually was in the same room with them."
He was particularly struck by speeches from small island nations facing existential threats from climate change.
"These small island states like Tuvalu and Kiribati are really the first countries that are going to experience the most rapid effects of climate change, in particular, sea level rise," Casagrande said. "Their countries will be uninhabitable, certainly within the next few decades, and so they're having to relocate their entire population."
Read the full article on Lehigh's Office of International Affairs: Lehigh becomes only university invited to global U.N. Climate Summit
Spotlight Recipient
David Casagrande