The Debate of Women’s Rights at COP30 – Madelyn Kelly

November 19, 2025

Beaded necklaces on a blanket. — Indigenous crafts for sale in the Green Zone.

Overwhelming is the first feeling that consumed me as I walked into the COP30 venue. Never have I been surrounded by such a diverse group of people and cultures. It is hard for me to comprehend how delegates representing the over 190 UN countries present are peacefully existing under one (ENORMOUS) roof when their countries have historically had major conflicts.

While cordial, tensions were observed in the first policy discussion that I attended. This meeting was an informal session discussing the Policy and Strategy for Gender Equality and the Environment. I was disappointed to hear the lack of support for women’s equality and education in the language of the legislation document. The male Russian delegate requested that language be removed that required the equal representation of men and women in each country’s delegation. The male Iranian delegate backed this statement by saying that they do not have the resources to have equal representation of women in the delegation. Doubling down on this, both parties supported the change in wording from supporting/requiring “education” on gender and climate change to “training.” If education is not given to both men and women, then no, there will not be equal representation of men and women in the delegation (which extremely frustrated me). Additionally, the Saudi Arabian delegate, who was a woman, agreed with Russia and Iran and expressed disagreements with the advancement of women’s reproductive rights.

I know, I know, my first thoughts were also to be extremely upset and disappointed by these delegates (especially the woman), but I am not anymore. I cannot blame the individual delegates for statements that they may or may not support personally. Before this conference, I did not realize that delegates are given strict instructions on the stances they are allowed support. Deviating from the guidelines set by the higher levels of government could result in firing or more extreme measures in some countries.

There is so much more I could go on about and so many valuable observations and pieces of information I have learned in the first 3 days I have spent at COP. I will quickly fire off some final thoughts (some inspiring and some discouraging) since landing in Belem: The culture in the Amazonia region of Brazil is deep and rich, the Indigenous Tribes in Brazil do not feel like their voices are getting proper representation in the conference, it is controversial that Brazil is advocating for Rainforest conversation while expanding oil drilling, it is crazy that international legislation is being written before my eyes, and how can any real action come from these “agreements” that are only enforceable by “peer pressure” and driven by economic benefits?

I am extremely grateful for this experience and cannot wait to explore these questions as I engage in COP for the next 2 days.

Madelyn Kelly is a senior environmental engineering student.

Stories From COP30 and What I Learned About Our Ocean – Anagha Payyambally

We wanted to begin COP30 not inside the venue, but by grounding ourselves in the culture, people, and nature of the region. That’s why our group travelled to Mocajuba, Pará, where we met the Amazon river dolphin, the boto, and spent time with local communities, learning about their traditions and enjoying their food. People spoke about the botos with pride, and it was easy to see why. These dolphins are incredibly intelligent and friendly with humans. One story that stayed with me was how they help fishermen by guiding them to fish-rich areas and even forming a boundary to trap the fish. Standing by the river, listening to stories from people who live with the forest and water every day, felt like the right way to enter a climate conference that tried to center local communities and their voices.
My first day at COP30 took place in the Green Zone, where Indigenous communities stood at the center, wearing traditional outfits, selling handmade products, and filling the space with languages and knowledge systems that rarely receive global attention. Almost every event was in Portuguese, created for those who feel the weight of climate change first. It felt honest. It felt necessary.
When I moved into the Blue Zone for the following days, I focused on ocean-climate nexus talks, especially those addressing marine pollution, ecosystem losses, and ocean protection. Each session reminded me how fragile the ocean is and how fast we are losing time. One moment that stayed with me came from Brazilian sailor Torben Grael, a five-time Olympic medalist, who said that when he began sailing 50 years ago, he never saw plastic in the ocean. Today, he sees microplastics everywhere. The heaviness in his voice conveyed more than any graph or dataset.
Across the sessions, the call to protect 30 percent of the world’s oceans by 2030 was repeated again and again, echoing the UN’s Global Biodiversity Framework. The newly released Global Tipping Points report was another urgent highlight, especially its warning that coral reefs have crossed a threshold that may not be reversible. Panelists highlighted the need for a Global Coral Reef Summit in 2026 to rally the world around what remains.

Fellow Anagha with COP30’s Oceans Special Envoy, Marinez Scherer.

What moved me most at COP30 was the structure of the conversations in some of the sessions. Panels began with community voices, including Indigenous leaders and local people who rely on the land and ocean daily. They spoke about what they are seeing, what they are losing, and what they need. Government officials followed by outlining the actions they are taking now and the actions they can still pursue. It felt like real dialogue, like policy finally listening to lived experience. I also want to applaud the Brazilian government for what they modeled here. During my conversation with COP30’s Oceans Special Envoy, Marinez Scherer, she said that Brazil wanted to show the world what climate leadership looks like when biodiversity, Indigenous knowledge, and justice are treated as the foundation. She hopes Brazil’s approach inspires other nations to act with the same urgency.
Halfway through the conference, I realized something important: climate action doesn’t only happen in negotiation rooms. It begins in fishing villages, on riverbanks, and in the everyday knowledge of people whose lives are closely tied to nature.

Anagha Payyambally is a marine sciences Ph.D. candidate.

My Environmental Story: Josh Smith, Waterbury Campus Regional Sustainability Intern

October 31, 2025

The Office of Sustainability welcomes dozens of new interns each year who play a pivotal role in sustainability reporting and engagement at UConn. As part of our onboarding process, we ask interns to share their environmental story – how their past shaped their current passion for sustainability. Here’s a story by Josh Smith, a Regional Sustainability Intern from the UConn – Waterbury campus.

—

I live and grew up in a very small, suburban town called Plainville, Connecticut. On the surface, this town appears to be “plain,” as the name may suggest, but as a resident of this town for the entirety of my 19-year life, I’ve come to see how much beauty lies beneath that simplicity. There is so much more than meets the eye, specifically with an emphasis on nature and being outdoors. That’s where my interest in the environment first began, at such a young age, and continued to thrive with my family’s trips beyond its borders as well.

Historically, the land that became Plainville was once part of neighboring Farmington. When the town separated in 1869, due to the distance from downtown and its railroad installation, it remained relatively untouched by heavy industries, factories, or other corporate amenities that negatively impacted the sustainability of the town’s environment. In the present-day, there is mostly only a quarry, Tilcon, that continuously blasts into mountains, leading to habitat destruction, air and water pollution, and natural resource displacement. But as such a singular issue, the rest of the town promotes outdoor engagement and involvement in nature with the town-wide events held.

My family has always involved me with the attendance or set-up of these events, including the hot air balloon festival, downtown pumpkin festival, or other assorted events that occur in our town parks. Plainville has four main parks: Norton Park (where the hot air balloon fest occurs), Paderewski Park (where most of my time having picnics and boating activities occurs), Sunset Rock State Park (where most of my hiking and duck-feeding occurs,) and Trumbull Park (which directly borders my house, having walks and scooter rides be a frequently occurring activity in my youth). Beyond just the parks, my mom always had me go on walks in my neighborhood, through the forests that wind along the Quinnipiac River, where I appreciated the stillness of nature and express disgust when I came across littered yards and roadways. Along with the Tilcon quarry, this made me recognize the importance of protecting our environment so early on in my life.

When warm enough, beyond just in the summer, we always travelled to East Beach in Charlestown, Rhode Island, for a change of scenery and to fulfill my family’s and my own beach obsession. The White Mountains of New Hampshire were also a family-favorite getaway for me. We hiked, waded in rivers, went sight-seeing to the mountains, and more. Spending time in nature was a peaceful escape from everyday life for me.

From nature walks in my neighborhood to spending time outdoors in my town’s parks, from the intricate shells along the shorelines of Rhode Island to the winding rivers and towering mountains and trees of New Hampshire, spending time in nature creates such an important bond between myself and the Earth us humans reside on. I quickly became interested in all of the natural wonders this Earth has to offer.

I care about sustainability because of the intense and everlasting connection nurtured from my childhood, between myself and the natural environment I grew up in. This connection led me to realize how truly sustainable some hobbies of mine are, where I’ve subconsciously been aware of my environment in my daily life. I used to garden very frequently in my backyard to obtain my groceries-worth of vegetables and certain fruits. Cucumbers, tomatoes, and carrots were frequently growing in the small patch of soil I have next to my patio of my condominium. It reduces waste, conserves energy and water, and lowers my carbon footprint, even as a kid who was just excited about growing his own food! Going to get ice cream or to go to the grocery store, I would always walk to the places by foot, sacrificing a 15-20 minute walk over unnecessarily using a carbon-emitting car for such a short distance. My partner (they/them) is incredibly sustainable, often without even realizing it. I subconsciously started picking up on some of their habits: using an Owala metal water bottle, with a metal straw, going thrifting together more often than shopping at regular retail stores, and reusing materials for small art and home projects together. My partner also drives a hybrid vehicle, so anytime we travel in their car together, we always make sure to balance our fuel and electric usage as much as possible. My mother and I cook with plant-based materials in our home, prioritizing both healthy and environmentally friendly recipes. Plant-based choices reduce our carbon footprint and strengthens our connection to the food we grow and prepare together.

These actions, although small, mount up to be so much more in my life. To me, sustainability isn’t just a movement. I care about the natural environment, around me and beyond, because it’s where I’ve always felt most at peace and most myself. My personal sustainability is built from my inherent gratitude for the places that raised me. Protecting it feels like giving back, while “plain” places, like Plainville, can still hold amazing beauty as well.

Josh Smith

Don’t Mess With Mansfield – Community Cleanup Day November 8, 2025

October 6, 2025

The Town of Mansfield and UConn are pleased to team up against litter in our town. Join in to meet others in the Mansfield community and do good for our people and planet.

	UConn & Vicinity	Town Wide
Date & Time:	Saturday, November 8 Cleanup Check In Stations will be open Noon to 4pm	Saturday, November 8 At your leisure throughout the day or 10am-Noon for Pleasant Valley.
Where:	Volunteer to clean up in the core of campus, Hunting Lodge Rd, Separatist Rd, North Eagleville Rd, or Eastwood/Westwood Rds. Check In Station Map Litter pickup supplies will be provided at check in stations.	Oak Grove Montessori: Park at the school between 10am-noon to clean up Pleasant Valley Road. Bags, gloves and grabbers will be provided. Otherwise you’re welcome to go anywhere you feel safe collecting roadside litter. Roads that are especially littered include Browns Rd, Chaffeeville Rd, Maple Rd, Pleasant Valley Rd, Mansfield City Rd, Moulton Rd, Stearns Rd, White Oak Rd and Gurleyville Rd. Consider making a commitment to pick up litter on a section of road throughout the year by joining Adopt A Road.
What To Do With Full Trash/Recycling Bags:	Bring your litter bag to your Check In station once you are finished. UConn Facilities trucks will be making rounds to pick up bags from the stations.	If you’re participating in the Oak Grove Montessori clean up on Pleasant Valley, bring your full bags back to the school by noon. Bags of litter from clean ups elsewhere may be placed out with household trash for those with collection service or taken to the Mansfield Transfer Station for no charge. The Transfer Station is located on Rte 89, one mile from the intersection of Routes 195 and 89 in Mansfield Center at 221 Warrenville Rd. The Transfer Station is open Tuesdays, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm, Thursdays, 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm and Saturdays, 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.

Litter is an unsightly blight on our roadways, and hurts the environment. It can be especially dangerous for wildlife. Small animals may crawl into bottles and get stuck, and litter can blow into storm drains and streams and may eventually make its way to the ocean. When litter gets eaten by animals and sea life, they can starve to death or suffocate. Litter also attracts pests. Be part of the solution, not the pollution!

Since starting this program in 2024, we have collected over 300 bags of litter!

Read last spring’s story about Don’t Mess with Mansfield in UConn Today.

UConn@COP Fellows Announced for COP30 in Brazil

UConn@COP is a competitive fellowship program that sends students to the international climate-focused United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP). The event brings together students, diplomats, government officials, activists, leaders, and delegates to discuss climate change. Students have the opportunity to engage and attend sessions that discuss ongoing negotiations in the global environmental sphere.

Twelve UConn students were selected to attend COP30 this November in Belém, Brazil. The Office of Sustainability received approximately 90 applications for the fellowship, all of which were exceptional. The UConn@COP Selection Committee, consisting of faculty, staff, and past UConn COP fellows reviewed each application, and collaboratively decided who would be accepted into this year’s cohort. Betsy Mortensen, Communication, Outreach, and Education Coordinator for the Office of Sustainability, and member of the COP Selection Committee shared her thoughts on this year’s applicants, “As always, the selection committee was super impressed by the students who applied, and by the diversity of the majors that were represented. Climate change affects all sectors so we’re glad that we can bring students from diverse fields to COP30.” The COP Fellowship is grateful to have engaged with so many driven students.

Students will attend COP 30 from November 14th to November 22nd, 2025. They will bring back the experience of a lifetime and educate their peers about their learnings both while they are at the conference as well as back on campus. One of the fellows, Kanika Chaturvedi ‘25 (CLAS) noted “I am looking forward to engaging with different diplomats from around the world to understand their perspectives as well as learn more about the international negotiation processes and discussions that take place.”

The following students will be attending this year’s conference:

Aminieli James Hopson, ‘26 (BUS)
Anagha Payyambally, Ph.D. Candidate in Marine Sciences
Andy Ma Zhang ‘26 (CLAS, CAHNR)
Brett Hurley ‘27 (JD)
Caroline Maeve Keary ‘26 (MS)
Claire Elise Lawrence ‘26 (CLAS)
Kanika Chaturvedi ‘25 (CLAS)
Madelyn Kelly ‘26 (COE)
Malak Nechnach ‘26 (CLAS)
Pranavi Rebala ‘26 (CLAS)
Saanya Sharma ‘26 (COE)
Toriana Grooms ‘27 (CLAS)

Meet the fellows and learn about their experience at the conference at the Climate Change Cafe on December 3rd, 2025 at the Student Union, Room 304 from 4-6 PM. Refreshments will be provided.

Haunted HEEP is October 29, 2025

September 30, 2025

The highly anticipated UConn Halloween event of the year, Haunted HEEP, will be Wednesday, October 29 from 7p-9:30p. Rain date is Thursday, October 30.

Haunted HEEP is a free, one mile scary hike through Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP). The HEEP is a remediated landfill area and natural forest reserve on the UConn-Storrs campus, behind the Innovation Partnership Building. The Office of Sustainability hosts the event to introduce guests to one of the closest trails to campus in the hopes they visit on their own in the future.

Everyone is welcome to attend but you MUST fill out this waiver.

Parents and their children can attend but it is too scary for children under 14 years old.

Check in at the HEEP Trailhead Parking Lot between 7pm-9:30pm. T-shirts will be given to the first 50 students to survive the Haunted HEEP! Wear comfortable walking shoes that can get muddy.

New Twist!

Throughout the Haunted HEEP are hidden flyers with the faces of Office of Sustainability Interns – the “Missing Intern Files”. Thirteen of these will be scattered across the trail and if you find one, you receive a prize! All winners will get a Dunkin Donuts gift card, but depending on the intern file you find, additional rewards can be added. Arrive at 7pm for the best shot at finding a Missing Intern File! Only one flyer can be collected per person. If you find one, let Haunted HEEP staff at the exit know and they’ll direct you to the reward table.

Haunted HEEP Volunteers Needed for 10.29.25

September 17, 2025

Every year, the Office of Sustainability hosts a haunted trail walk at the Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP), located behind the Innovation Partnership Building. This year, the Haunted HEEP will be held on Wednesday, October 29th from 7-9:30 p.m.

We are looking for people to volunteer at various scare stations along the trail. Each volunteer will choose or be assigned a scare station (some example scenes from the past are IT Clown, exorcism, forest ritual, and haunted circus) and will need to show up at 4:30 p.m. on October 29th. If you are interested in being a scarer, please fill out this form! Last year, over 1,260 students attended this event, and we are anticipating breaking 1,500 this year! The rain date for Haunted HEEP is Thursday, October 30th.

Volunteer Sign Up Form

*Pizza and T-shirt provided

*$100 Amazon gift card for the group that wins Best Scare Station vote

Free Dorm Items! Give a used mini fridge a new life

September 3, 2025

The Office of Sustainability and Community Outreach are offering FREE used dorm room items like storage, microwaves, and mini-fridges. These were collected during Give & Go, our spring move-out donation program. By providing functional, used items to students, it decreases the amount of resources used in creating and transporting new stuff. Reuse is greener than recycling!

Visit 3107 Horsebarn Hill Rd from 12:30-4:30pm, on September 4-6, 2025. The Yellow Line stops close by.

Hiring Sustainability Outreach Interns for Fall 2025

July 14, 2025

We’re hiring Sustainability Outreach Interns for the ’25/26 academic year! Formerly known as EcoCaptains, SOI’s act as sustainability ambassadors at every residence hall at the Storrs campus. If you’re living on campus, have 5 hours a week free in your schedule, and care about making the planet a better place, this is the paid job for you.

For full details and application, please visit: https://uconn.12twenty.com/job-postings/35006704393330

UConn Hosts Northeast Higher Ed Sustainability Summit

June 27, 2025

Nearly all higher education institutions in the Northeast have demonstrated a commitment to sustainability, and most have an Office of Sustainability. While each university has its own unique challenges in pursuing environmental progress, many of these offices face similar issues – How do we get students prepared for green careers? What’s the most efficient way to run a move-out donation program?

80 people smiling in a group photo on UConn's Avery Point campus — NECSC conference attendees enjoyed UConn Avery Point’s Branford House.

That’s where the Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium (NECSC) comes in! The NECSC was established in 2004 to support sustainability officers in advancing progress on university campuses in the northeast and Canadian maritime region. The NECSC is an informal group, but commits to hosting an annual meeting to provide members close networking opportunities, professional development and access to the area’s vibrant sustainability practitioner community. Hosts of the annual gathering are leaders of sustainability in the region.

Following 2024’s annual summit at Southern New Hampshire University, UConn and Connecticut College agreed to co-host the event for 2025. The NECSC conference is also an opportunity to highlight the hosts’ sustainability progress and leadership regionally. UConn’s Avery Point Campus was the perfect location – not only is it a gorgeous waterfront campus, it also plays an outsize role in environmental progress for Connecticut.

In 2021, Avery Point upgraded 121 of their outdoor light fixtures with LED lights which saved 25 tons of carbon dioxide over the course of a year. The Student Center secured LEED Silver Certification in recognition of its energy efficiency in 2023. Avery Point is also home to the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) and Connecticut Sea Grant which act as research hubs for climate resilience, coastal ecosystems, and aquaculture within Long Island Sound. Faculty and students are collaborating with Eversource and Orsted on a $1.25m grant to understand the impact of offshore wind projects on marine habitats, including project Starboard Wind. EcoHusky is the student-run organization that organizes yearly sustainability events for faculty and students including the Earth Day Event, supported by the Office of Sustainability in 2025. EcoHusky was also a part of securing an Environmental and Sustainability Small Grant from the Office of Sustainability in 2022 to install a solar panel and wind turbine on the sailing shed to provide independent, renewable-energy sources for campus buildings. In December of 2024, UConn entered a historical memorandum with CT’s five recognized tribes to establish Avery Point as a Native-American Serving, Nontribal Intuition (NASNTI) to reach at least 10% Native American enrollment and supporting tribal education through academics and community engagement.

Nearly 100 higher education sustainability staff and faculty members attended the NECSC summit, held June 9-11, 2025. Ranging from Maryland to Maine, attendees hailed from Ivies, state universities and private liberal arts schools. The event kicked off with a keynote address by Dr. Annemarie Seifert, Dean of UConn Avery Point, and was followed by engaging sessions on creating circular economies on campus, geothermal buildings, decarbonization communications and more.

Patrick McKee speaking at a podium at NECSC conference. — UConn Office of Sustainability Director, Patrick McKee, welcomes guests to the NECSC Summit.

Leaders of higher ed’s preeminent sustainability networks provided global perspectives on shifting political landscapes for sustainability. Megan Fay Zahniser, Executive Director of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, and Tim Carter, President of Second Nature, urged attendees to work together and with their home communities to push for continued environmental progress.

Throughout the event, UConn Dining provided excellent food and low-waste catering. Mike White, Executive Director of UConn Dining Services, spoke about their team’s dedication to reducing food waste, using local and organic produce, and UConn’s partnership with Quantum Biopower which converts food scraps into energy. All attendees enjoyed menus featuring cheese from local farms like Cato Corner in Colchester, and greens from Full Moon Farm in Hampton.

The NECSC summit concluded with a marine biology excursion on Long Island Sound. Project Oceanology, a nonprofit marine education and research facility, took guests out on a ship to catch, record, and measure sea life from the sound. They also took the crew up the Thames River for a closer look at the offshore wind assembly pier.

“It is always uplifting to network, share stories, insights, and best practices as we work to collectively make a larger impact on the planet and in the lives of students,” shares Patrick McKee, Director of the UConn Office of Sustainability. “It was a pleasure co-hosting the NECSC Summit at UConn Avery Point, and we look forward to visiting Rutgers in 2026.”

To learn more about NECSC and join the mailing list, click here.