The VLS observer delegation is composed of juris doctor (JD) and master's program students in VLS's "Special Topics COP20" course taught by Professor Tracy Bach. In addition to observing the international conference, the student delegation will work closely with the Myanmar delegation to support the Least Developed Country (LDC) in its negotiations.
"As the leading environmental law program in the United States, VLS brings a breadth and depth of international environmental law programming to the upcoming climate change negotiations at COP20/CMP10," said Bach. "We particularly look forward to working with the Myanmar delegation on issues related to forestry, climate mitigation under the Kyoto Protocol's Clean Development Mechanism, and developing country commitments under negotiation in the ADP."
The ADP, the United Nations Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action, is tasked with developing a protocol or other legal instrument that will be applied to all COP parties and adopted in 2015 at COP21 in Paris.
Bach and her students publish COP observations and analysis on their blog, "Substantial and Sustained," during and in the months leading up to the conference. Last year, VLS delegation bloggers contributed to two Huffington Post reports on COP19/CMP9.
Students on the VLS COP delegation come away with a deeper understanding of international climate change lawmaking, informed by firsthand experience.
"It was exciting to meet delegates from around the world who are all converging on one place to address climate change," said Dan Schreiber JD'15, who attended last year's conference in Warsaw. "The COP was a terrific opportunity to learn and network internationally."
"I was interested in climate change issues, and so the COP was the conference to attend," said alumna Heather Calderwood '14, who earned a Master of Energy Regulation and Law (MERL) degree at VLS. "You learn what works and what needs improvement. The most valuable takeaway I had was the unique experience of meeting world leaders and inspirational people."
Later this month, in preparation for COP20, VLS students will attend, via webcast, the Bonn Climate Change Conference—and blog about conference negotiations. The Bonn meeting is the next step toward creating a new international climate change agreement to be signed in Paris in 2015.
COP20/CMP10 represents the 20th session of the United Nations Conference of the Parties and the 10th session of the Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. For more information about the conference, visit the United Nations website.
For more information about international programs at Vermont Law School, visit www.vermontlaw.edu/academics/specializations/international-comparative-law. For more information about environmental programs, visit www.vermontlaw.edu/ELC.