Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Politics students excel at BISA Climate Simulation
On 9th December 2024, lecturer, Luis Harrison and two Level 6 Politics students from Leeds Beckett University attended the British International Studies Association (BISA) climate simulation at Chatham House in London. Alongside students from 29 other universities, they participated in a role-play simulation of Conference of the Parties (COP) climate change negotiations.
Each student was assigned a country to represent, with the Leeds Beckett team representing Nigeria. The simulation was led by Professor Mark Webber from University of Birmingham, who served as the organiser and chair. Participants engaged in discussions and debates on proposals addressing carbon reduction, climate change adaptation, and mitigation strategies.
The simulation closely mirrored real-world COP negotiations, with tensions arising over issues such as responsibility for the climate crisis and the allocation of climate finance burdens. As the day progressed, various proposals were developed, with alliances forming and informal agreements emerging between different countries.
As the day progressed, various proposals emerged as different countries began to form alliances and make informal agreements with each other. The final proposal that tentatively won out was proposed by Abbie and Sarata from Leeds Beckett. This was achieved through their efforts in negotiating and compromising with other nations in the simulations.
Luis praised their performance stating, “Abbie and Sarata were an absolute credit to Leeds Beckett at the BISA COP simulation at Chatham House. They organised themselves and other students fantastically and showed great skill in debating and compromising over important and divisive issues. The event showed the difficulties experienced in the real COP negotiations, as even in this exercise, representatives of different countries found it challenging to reach compromise and agreement.”
Abbie reflected on the experience, “It was great to connect with like-minded individuals interested in solving the key problems of our time. I feel that I have developed confidence in speaking in formal settings and that I have become more skilled in debating and thinking on my feet in tense situations.”
Luis Harrison
I am a political theorist working on the relationship between the climate crisis, populism, and extractivist political economies. My research focuses on Latin America and examines how both right wing and left climate populisms reproduce or challenge the structures that drive ecological breakdown. I also work on Indigenous and more than human politics and have an emerging interest in critical pedagogy. I teach across political economy, international relations, and environmental politics and regularly engage with the media to communicate political research to wider audiences.
