King's College London

Dr Andreza Aruska de Souza Santos, Director of the King’s Brazil Institute and head of the King’s delegation, brings her expertise on mining towns and Brazil’s historical reliance on extractive industries. She sees COP30 as a pivotal moment for implementing climate change strategies, emphasising the vital role of academia in driving action.  

 

 

 

Dr Emel Akçalı, Senior Lecturer in International Relations in the Defence Studies Department, specialises in environmental geopolitics, just energy transitions, and local ownership. She hopes to gain insights into the latest developments in green energy transitions.  

 

 

 

Professor Dawn Bonfield, Professor of Practice in Engineering for Sustainable Development in the Department of Engineering, is President of the Commonwealth Engineers’ Council and interested in how we can ensure that cities are developing in ways that do not lock in carbon emissions. 

 

 

 

Professor Sarah Bracking, Professor of Climate and Society in the Department of Geography, brings expertise in climate finance, loss and damage, and climate governance. She hopes to gain a deeper appreciation of the negotiations surrounding climate finance. 

 

 

 

Yuetong Guo, PhD student in the Department of Political Economy, researches EU climate governance and carbon markets. Her focus at COP30 is on how major global players – including the EU, US, China and key emerging economies - shape outcomes in sectoral decarbonisation and market integrity.  

 

 

 

Richard Kalu, PhD student in the Department of Geography, studies insurgency and climate-challenged geographies in Nigeria. His work interrogates how global climate governance intersects with postcolonial conflict and resistance. At COP30, he seeks to reimagine climate action through decolonial and grassroots lenses.  

 

 

 

Dr Juan Li, Lecturer in Engineering in the Department of Engineering, focuses on sustainable aviation and renewable energy, including wind and fuel cells. At COP30, she is keeping an eye out for directions of progress and making connections.  

 

 

Dr Angus McNelly, Lecturer in International Development in the Department of International Development, explores the role of finance and extractivism in the green transition, with a focus on Latin America. He looks forward to understanding how Latin American leaders, especially Brazil, navigate climate mitigation amid geopolitical divides.  

 

 

 

Dr Clement Sefa-Nyarko, Lecturer in Security, Development and Leadership in Africa at the African Leadership Centre, focuses on justice-centred approaches to critical minerals governance and energy transitions. He hopes to build networks and explore inclusive, forest-focused climate dialogues. 

 

 

Zining (Pearl) Yuan, PhD student at King’s Business School, investigates climate finance, particularly the resilience of energy and financial markets to climate shocks. She aims to bridge academic insights with real-world policy for stronger climate action.