Moving Beyond COP Side Events: Expanding the Impact of Research on Climate Change Policymaking
Webinar | Online
As this is a global online event we are running 2 sessions for your convenience:
Session 1 : Thursday, 22 October 2026 | 09:00 BST (check local time – most suited to Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, UK)
Session 2 : Thursday, 22 October 2026 | 17:00 BST (check local time – most suited to North and South America)
This webinar will introduce researchers to the different ways their research and expertise can contribute to climate policymaking, at COP events and throughout the year. It will look beyond side events to explore where researchers can engage with the UNFCCC process, from responding to calls for evidence and submissions to contributing to workshops, technical meetings and other policy discussions.
Participants will learn:
- how research and evidence feed into the UNFCCC process;
- where opportunities for researchers to contribute arise throughout the year;
- how to identify relevant entry points for their own research and expertise; and
- other places where researchers can engage internationally, including through the IPCC, Convention on Biological Diversity, Montreal Protocol and SDGs.
Where could your research contribute? Throughout the year, UNFCCC bodies seek expert input through submissions, reviews and other opportunities. This session will help researchers identify where their expertise could be relevant and how to start contributing more meaningfully with these processes.
Facilitated by Tracy Bach
Professor Tracy Bach is a law professor who focuses on international climate change law and policy, and has attended climate COPs and Subsidiary Body (SBs) Meetings since 2009. During this time, Bach has led university delegations to these COPs and SBs, and co-led the Research and Independent NGO constituency engagement with COP presidencies, the UNFCCC Secretariat, and COP and SB leaders. Bach is currently a Lecturer at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, and the University of Miami Law School.