IEEE’s role in combatting climate change at COP29

IEEE continues to raise its visibility as a trusted voice on mitigating the effects of climate change. Last year Saifur Rahman, the 2023 IEEE president, represented the organization in several sessions at the U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP29). Representatives from more than 200 countries attended the November event, held in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Rahman, a power expert, is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Virginia Tech. In Baku he discussed IEEE’s efforts including helping to develop technologies that help mitigate climate change, teaching sustainable technologies to young engineers in developing countries, and publishing unbiased information.

Then in December, IEEE and the International Telecommunication Union held a symposium on achieving climate resilience. Rahman was the event’s general chair. In addition to high-level representatives from U.N. agencies, there were representatives from other IEEE groups including the Power & Energy Society, the Standards Association, Young Professionals, and the organization’s Europe office.

The event was held at ITU’s headquarters in Geneva on 12 and 13 December. Participants included engineers, industry experts, policymakers, researchers, and standards development organizations. Discussions were held around four key areas: research, technology, and standards; policy, regulation and implementation; education and skills development; and finance, trade, and development.

IEEE’s climate action activities at COP29

IEEE can serve humanity by promoting clean-tech solutions for climate sustainability, Rahman declared in his COP29 presentation.

“Pragmatic and accessible technical solutions are urgently needed to address climate change,” he said. “As engineers and technologists, we are uniquely placed to provide technical solutions and offer a neutral space for discussion and action.”

He highlighted several IEEE resources including the Climate Change website, which houses all the organization’s resources. The IEEE Xplore Digital Library’s climate change collection contains publications, conference proceedings, technical standards, and other research materials. The latest research and upcoming conferences are in the IEEE Technology Center for Climate.

Rahman pointed out IEEE Standards Association Industry Connections programs on green hydrogen, marine carbon dioxide removal, and low-carbon building electrical technology.

He reiterated six feasible solutions for decarbonization in industrialized and emerging economies that he first promoted at COP27 in 2022 to facilitate the global shift toward renewable energy. The solutions involve reducing electricity usage; making coal plants more efficient; using hydrogen, carbon capture, and storage technologies; promoting the use of renewables; installing new types of nuclear reactors; and encouraging cross-border power transfers.

Rahman attended several COP29 side events:

The Towards a Skills Pledge for Tripling Renewables session covered ways…