Climate negotiation simulation 2026 keynote and countries announced
On Monday 16 November, the 2026 BISA climate negotiation simulation, run in partnership with Chatham House, will take place in London. Over 30 universities from across the UK will be involved alongside participants from Chatham House’s Common Futures Conversations - part of The Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership and the Next Generation.
The simulation aims to raise awareness of the international politics of climate change. It reproduces the Conference to the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). This year’s simulation will occur in parallel with COP31 taking place in Turkey during the month of November. At the simulation students 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). They will negotiate statements on issues central to international climate politics – such as mitigation, adaptation and climate finance.
On the day of the simulation there will also be a fantastic keynote speaker - David Gunn, Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House’s Environment and Society Centre.
David Gunn is a strategist with extensive experience across commercial, creative and third sectors, with specialist skills in the convening and facilitation of complex groups and the design of large-scale processes of participation and innovation.
Previously, David was the founding Director of the Something More Near consultancy, where he led a wide range of climate action projects in association with UNEP, Project Drawdown, Sky, Netflix, COP26 and President Obama’s Higher Ground. David has also worked with ClientEarth, Samsung, Allianz, Tate and Museum of London.
The universities/teams taking part, and the countries they will represent, are:
- Anglia Ruskin University - Nigeria
- Aston University - Bolivia
- Bath Spa University - Japan
- Birkbeck, University of London - Turkey
- Bournemouth University - Mexico
- Chatham House - Canada, Serbia, The Solomon Islands, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland
- De Montfort University - United Kingdom
- Durham University - New Zealand and Kenya
- Liverpool Hope University - Argentina
- Liverpool John Moores - South Korea
- Loughborough University - Sri Lanka
- Loughborough University, London - Australia
- LSE - Cuba
- Open University - South Africa
- Queen Mary University - Mexico and Kuwait
- Regent’s University - Kazakhstan and Malawi
- Swansea University - Oman and the European Union
- University of Birmingham - Angola, Zambia and Russia
- University of Bristol - China and Thailand
- University of Dundee - Egypt
- University of East Anglia - The Maldives
- University of Gloucestershire - Norway
- University of Greenwich - Tuvalu
- University of Kent - India
- University of Leeds - Malaysia
- University of Manchester - Uruguay
- University of Reading - United Arab Emirates
- University of Roehampton - Bangladesh and the Philippines
- University of Sheffield - Iceland
- University of St Andrews - Uzbekistan and Venezuela
- University of Strathclyde - Jamaica
- University of Surrey - Indonesia
- University of Warwick - Fiji
- University of Westminster – Brazil
BISA is tremendously grateful to Chatham House for the sponsorship and support of the event, and to Professor Mark Webber for leading the academic side of planning and proceedings each year.
Follow the hashtag #climatesim on LinkedIn and Bluesky to keep up with the action during the simulation. We will also post on our TikTok channel.