United Nations Climate Change
Conference – COP 20
1 - 12 December 2014
The 20th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 20) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is being held in Lima, Peru, from 1 - 12 December 2014.
This annual conference will bring together up to 7,000 attendees from government, academia, business and advocacy groups to advance international agreements that aim to mitigate climate change and adapt to its effects. In 2011, youth were granted constituency status, giving them the opportunity to address negotiators directly and to influence policy.
Read about our
COP 20 delegation's experiences in their blog posts and on Twitter!
Head Delegate
SASKIA MCCULLOCH | @SaskiaMcC
As one of the Institute's delegates to last year's COP 19 conference in Warsaw, Saskia has been selected to lead this year's delegation. She is currently finishing her Masters in International Studies - her research focusing on youth representation at climate change negotiations. Her undergraduate degree at Otago University majored in Political Science and Islamic Studies. Saskia had a fantastic time attending COP 19, and is ecstatic to be leading this year's team. Outside of the climate talks, Saskia is a keen athlete, and is involved in organisations such as UN Youth and the New Zealand Breast Cancer Foundation.
Delegates
RENÉE ANNAN | @renegadeannan
Renée loves to dance, cook, travel and play rummikub with her whānau. She has a baby brother (21 now!), and lives with her Mum, Stepdad and flat-sister Fi, just down the road from her Dad. Renée is from and is currently based in Waitakere, but spent six months living in Thailand and four years in Hauraki / Coromandel. With a background in fundraising, coordinating and campaigning for organisations including Coromandel Watchdog of Hauraki and Greenpeace, she values the input and power of communities, grassroots action and international / national leadership. She is a strong advocate for Tiriti relationships in environmental movements and believes action on climate change must be addressed from a holistic perspective.
KERN MANGAN-WALKER | @KernMW
Kern has been involved with youth movements in social and environmental change for almost eight years, having experience volunteering and working for organisations as diverse as Oxfam, Amnesty International, Invisible Children, Trade Aid and Generation Zero. Kern currently holds the role of Fundraising Director to Generation Zero, where he is responsible for supporting the movement to find the resources it needs to reach its full potential. Now 23, Kern is a keen surfer, writer and long distance runner with a passion for building relationships between organisations, businesses, social movements and government entities. He holds a BA in International Development, International Relations and Anthropology from Victoria University.
DEWY SACAYAN | @DewySacayan
Dewy is a BA/LLB student from the University of Auckland who has just finished her Arts degree in Political Studies. Last year, she project managed a relief mission in Tacloban after the super typhoon Haiyan destroyed the city. This experience has made her even more passionate about combatting climate change and promoting sustainable development in developed and developing countries. She strongly believes that small actions lead to big and worthwhile changes which is why she involved herself in organisations such as Oxfam, Red Cross, UN Youth and many more.
YONG LY | @yongsin_ly
Yong is a working professional with experience in the technology and telecommunications sectors. He has travelled and worked in many countries, including a two year volunteer stint in Tanzania. He has a keen interest in social change and environmental sustainability, and is actively involved in many different initiatives. When he has spare time, he likes to keep active, play sports and explore new places.
SUZY MCKINNEY | @suzyemckinney
Suzy is a 5th year medical student from Auckland. She is interested in global health and development, youth participation in policy-making and the interface between business and health. She loves travelling, cooking and consuming delicious food, reading and writing and learning from other people.
BENJ BROOKING | @benjbrooking
What is Intergenerational Equity? - The Podcast
Benj really loves constructing something from the ground up and making it speak louder than its constituent parts ever could. He bought his first camera so he could do this with his hands and has been using images to tell stories ever since. At the moment he’s making media content to inspire social change, directing rad music videos, publicising cool stuff, engaging with people, connecting with his roots, running races, learning heaps and trying to be a responsible part of the world. Ka Rawe!