Satellite event: Université Côte d'Azur on the road to COP28

Université Côte d'Azur invites itself to the COP28... 
 
As an observer organisation to the UNFCCC since 2021, Université Côte d’Azur is committed to support member states in the decision-making process, by providing scientific inputs and supporting overall transformation through training and innovation. Université Côte d’Azur wishes to be a proactive actor. 
To that end, the University decided to commit to different actions ensuring the academic voice will be heard among the decision-makers. Relying on a delegation of 5 representatives, the University will be participating and contributing to the COP28 through several official UNFCCC events. The representatives will be associated to the Science for Climate Action Pavilion and will participate to different panels covering topics such as: Health and Climate Change, Role of Higher Education and Research in the decision-making process, Ocean and Climate Action, Transforming education to empower youth, etc. 

... and the COP invites itself to Université Côte d'Azur !

Since the start of the academic year, the Université Côte d'Azur site has hosted different events to raise awareness on environmental challenges. 
During the COP28, this dynamic will be reinforced, through the organisation of events, round tables and workshops on all the campuses of the site.

A day of round-table discussions is organised around the Advocacy collection put together by many of the University's researchers and students since 2022. The authors of these pleas will discuss various themes in public, such as the integration of environmental issues at the Université Côte d'Azur, the ability of research to influence public decisions, and the link between global warming and the other Sustainable Development Goals defined by the United Nations. 
The aim of this event is to mobilise the academic and student community around environmental issues that affect both the university and its activities, and to debate the issues that will be addressed at COP28.

In addition, the university will be organising three film debates on two university campuses: two on the theme of eco-anxiety, and the third on the impact of the film industry on the environment (the latter will be held on Université Côte d'Azur's campus in Cannes for obvious reasons). The film-debate format is an excellent lever: on the one hand, it allows a more playful approach to the various issues raised by the climate challenge, and on the other, it enables debates to be held with audiences who are initially less aware of environmental issues.

Numerous workshops are also planned on the campuses of the site:

• Climate Fresk workshops
• Digital Fresk Workshops
• Fresk workshops on new narratives
• Workshops to raise awareness of local issues with the "Observatoire de la Transition Ecologique et Citoyenne de la Côte d'Azur" (Côte d'Azur Observatory for Ecological Transition and Citizenship)
• "2 tonnes" workshops
• "Imagine our low-carbon lives" workshops
• Repair Cafés
• Introduction to composting and vermicomposting workshops

The aim of these workshops is to raise awareness of the challenges posed by the environmental crisis and to present simple actions that everyone can take on a daily basis.

Discussions are also being organised in schools and colleges. Several options have been selected:

• Offering a duplex from COP28 where members of the delegation can talk about their experience and the role of scientists at the COP.
• Showing films or photos to get students to react afterwards
• Introduce students to serious games, to raise their awareness of the decision-making process.

These exchanges will last one or two hours, depending on the level, and will be prepared in advance with the teachers.

Finally, a closing event will be organised in mid-January, to get a feedback of the representative's mission at COP28 and to report on the activities carried out on the various campuses of the Université Côte d'Azur site.