New gift to Cambridge Zero supports key role ahead of COP26 climate conference

New gift to Cambridge Zero supports key role ahead of COP26 climate conference

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Donors Elizabeth and Roderick Jack have made a gift to fund the new role of COP26 Coordinator at Cambridge Zero.

The 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26), taking place in Glasgow in November, is set to be the most significant climate conference since the Paris agreement in 2015, and the biggest climate summit the UK has ever hosted. The interface between university research and policy making is critical in addressing the challenge of climate change. Cambridge Zero is poised to play a key role by demonstrating that the University is at the forefront of research, education and sector leadership on climate change, developing the solutions needed to transition to zero carbon future.

Stepping into the new post of COP26 Coordinator is Harriet Hunnable, a finance expert who has worked at the Financial Conduct Authority and at a number of leading investment banking firms. She leads and manages Cambridge Zero’s collaborations with academic institutions nationally and internationally to deliver a wide range of activities associated with COP26.

“It’s an exciting time to join Cambridge Zero and I feel this role can play an important part in fostering collaborations, across Cambridge and the wider university sector, but also with governments and policy makers,” she commented.

Both in the lead up to the conference and beyond, we have an extraordinary opportunity to showcase Cambridge academic expertise, working with governments, businesses, and NGOs on new and impactful projects and research opportunities.

Harriet Hunnable

“We recently held a week-long conference, Climate Exp0, organised by the COP26 Universities Network and the Italian University Network for Sustainable Development (RUS). It was a fantastic event that brought together a large number of key stakeholders to raise ambition for tangible outcomes from COP26. I’m incredibly grateful for Elizabeth and Rod’s support for this post and for Cambridge Zero.”

Elizabeth (Trinity 1981) and Rod (Trinity 1982) have recently broadened the focus of their philanthropy to include climate change. They said “We feel that Cambridge Zero is very well-positioned to make a positive difference to the critical issue of climate change and are delighted to support Harriet’s post. We look forward to seeing the outcomes of COP26 driving government actions on climate, in the UK and around the world”.

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