SC Connecticut News

Sixteen United Nations resident coordinators, the top representatives of the U.N. Development System at the country level, recently participated in a four-day seminar at Yale's International Leadership Center. The event aimed to equip them with skills and knowledge to tackle climate change, air pollution, and biodiversity loss.

Rebecca Adda-Dontoh, the U.N. resident coordinator for Malawi, shared her experience during Cyclone Freddy in March 2023. "Malawi is very vulnerable to climate change," she said. "Freddy was one of several climate-related disasters we’ve had over the past three years."

The seminar included discussions on reducing greenhouse emissions, effective communication about environmental issues, and building partnerships to combat climate change. Jessica Faieta, a senior fellow and lecturer at Yale's Jackson School of Global Affairs, emphasized the importance of collaboration among various sectors to drive systemic change against environmental threats.

Leon McCarron, a member of the 2024 cohort of the Maurice R. Greenberg World Fellows Program at Yale Jackson School, delivered a keynote address detailing his journey along the Tigris River and highlighting its environmental challenges. He remarked on Iraq losing arable land due to climate change and expressed hope that organizations like the United Nations could foster necessary changes.

Daniel Esty from Yale discussed remaking global trade agreements to enforce action on climate change. He pointed out that countries are "far off track" in meeting net-zero emissions by 2050 as per the Paris Climate Agreement.

Participants appreciated practical insights gained during the seminar. Bakhodir Burkhanov from Laos found value in applied elements rather than just theoretical concepts.

"The opportunity to come to Yale and learn from others and gain conceptual insights on some of the climate-related phenomena we’re experiencing was so valuable," Adda-Dontoh noted.