Several students and faculty from Waterville's Colby College are speaking at the COP28 global climate summit being held in Dubai.
Two students and two professors from the school are serving as delegates at the summit, which concludes next week.
Junior Bibatshu Thapa Chhetri spoke Friday about the role of young people and universities in helping to find climate solutions.
Chhetri said the internet has allowed his generation to be aware of the ways climate change is already impacting places such as his home country of Nepal — and to bring those perspectives into conversations with global leaders.
"Basically bring those perspectives on the table. And be like, 'Hey, you guys are working on this policy. But what about this community that was impacted as well? Like, have you guys thought about it?' And I think those are some valuable insights that could really help the policymakers," Chhetri said.
Chhetri hopes to take what he learns at the conference back to Colby, and also hopes to return to Nepal and address climate change there.
Many activists have been critical of global leaders' lack of urgency in reaching their emissions targets, as well as the presence of fossil fuel lobbyists.
But Colby senior Kai Goode, who spoke at a panel on young people driving global change, said she's been inspired by stories of other young people who are acting locally.
"So I'm really hopeful that NGOs are going to be doing a big portion of the work in the upcoming years. And I think that I want to be part of it," Goode said.
Some of the larger goals of the conference include assessing countries' emissions targets and hammering out details for how to assist developing countries with the effects of climate change.
