Climate negotiation simulation 2025 keynote and countries announced

10 November 2025

On Monday 1 December, the 2025 BISA climate negotiation simulation, run in partnership with Chatham House, will take place in London. Over 30 universities from across the UK will take part alongside participants from Chatham House’s Common Futures Conversations - part of The Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership and the Next Generation.

The climate simulation itself reproduces the negotiations held under the auspices of the United Nations (in the ‘COP’ meetings). Students will represent one of the ‘parties’ (i.e. states) that have signed up to current international agreements on climate change (for instance, the Paris Agreement of 2015 and the Glasgow Climate Pact of 2021). The aim will be to agree upon refinements to these agreements – looking at reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the raising of climate transition finance, and agreement on a statement of principles.

This year’s simulation takes place just after Belém in Brazil hosts the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UNFCCC. This represents an exciting time for students to raise their awareness of the politics of climate change. Student delegates will work in pairs, with each pair constituting a party to the negotiations. The simulation provides an opportunity for hands on, experiential learning, and delegates will get a taste of what it is like to participate in international bargaining and negotiation. The simulation is overseen by Mark Webber, Professor of International Politics at the University of Birmingham and former BISA President.

On the day of the simulation there will also be a fantastic keynote speaker - Anna Åberg- who is a Research Fellow at Chatham House’s Environment and Society Centre. Her work focuses on international climate politics, the UN climate negotiations, and climate finance. She has authored or co-authored several papers and articles, and co-hosts the Climate Briefing podcast.

Prior to joining Chatham House, Anna was a Desk Officer at the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, working on global ocean issues (2018–19), humanitarian policy (2015–16), and Sweden’s relations with the World Bank Group (2018).

She holds an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics and Political Science as well as a BSc in Business and Economics and a BSc in Politics and Economics from Lund University.

The universities/teams taking part, and the countries they will represent, are:

Anglia Ruskin University - Japan
Aston University - European Union
Bath Spa University - Chile, Vietnam
Birkbeck, University of London - Indonesia
Bournemouth University - Iran, United Kingdom
Brunel University - South Korea
Chatham House - India, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Oman, Peru,
De Montfort University - China
Liverpool Hope University - Nigeria
Liverpool John Moores - Kuwait, Thailand
Loughborough University - Sri Lanka
Loughborough University, London - Brazil
London School of Economics and Political Science - Ukraine
Manchester Metropolitan University - Qatar
Queen Mary University -United Arab Emirates
Kings College London - Mexico
SOAS - Algeria
Open University - Morocco, Pakistan
University of Birmingham - Australia, Bangladesh
University of Derby - Argentina
University of Dundee - Uzbekistan
University of East Anglia - Philippines
University of Gloucestershire - Angola, Russia
University of Greenwich - Iceland, Türkiye
University of Manchester - Saudi Arabia
University of Sheffield - Cuba, South Africa
University of St Andrews - Egypt
University of Strathclyde - Kazakhstan, Venezuela
University of Surrey - Canada
University of Sussex - Iraq
University of Warwick - Azerbaijan, Kenya
University of Westminster - Bhutan, Norway

BISA is tremendously grateful to Chatham House for the sponsorship and support of this event, and to Professor Mark Webber for leading the academic side of planning and proceedings each year.

Follow the hashtag #climatesim on X/Twitter and LinkedIn to keep up with the action during the simulation.