Events Calendar

COP28 – An Inside View of the annual UN Climate Change Conference 

A conversation with Dubuque’s Gina Bell, co-hosted by IISC  

Each year, 70,000 people meet to discuss the world’s climate goals. Among them are climate scientists, politicians, activists, corporate executives, tribal leaders, clergy, and more. The annual UN Climate Change conference (COP) is the world’s only multilateral decision-making forum on climate change with almost complete membership of every country in the world. To put it simply, the COP is where the world comes together to agree on ways to address limiting global temperature rise, helping vulnerable communities, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. 

This year, two representatives from Dubuque, Iowa, were invited as a part of Bloomberg Philanthropies Local Climate Action Summit Initiative to attend COP28 to share ways their city is addressing climate. Along with Mayor Brad Cavanagh, Gina Bell, the city’s Director of Sustainability traveled to Dubai in December 2023 for part of the two-week event. 

In this talk that is part of the Environmental Programs Seminar, Gina will share her experience from attending COP28 in Dubai in December 2023. In addition to providing an insider’s view of what happens at these annual meetings, she’ll also share background on her own career in sustainability and policy. 

About Gina Bell 

As the City’s Director of Sustainability, Gina is responsible for implementing and managing Dubuque’s sustainability plan based on environmental and ecological integrity, economic prosperity, and social/cultural vibrancy to create a viable, livable, and equitable community. She previously served worked for a nonprofit in Oregon dedicated to educating and empowering low-income Latina women and families. From 2011 to 2016, she was senior project/program manager for Prosper Portland where she facilitated community engagement efforts as liaison to three districts in the Neighborhood Prosperity Initiative and Main Street Network. She also served as director of operations and farmers market manager for Adelante Mujeres, managing a 21-person staff and overseeing all aspects of the Forest Grove Farmers Market. 

Originally from Dubuque, Gina has served on Dubuque’s housing commission and worked at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. She also served in the Peace Corps for over two years as an advocate for sustainable agriculture in Paraguay. She holds a BA in international studies and Spanish from Pacific University in Oregon and is fluent in Spanish.