Students Win Fellowships in Honduras with Mesoamerican Reef Project
| by Jason Warburg
Karl Larsen MBA/MAIEP ’18 and two colleagues have been awarded paid summer fellowships working with Think Beyond Plastic on the Bay Islands off northern Honduras.
Middlebury cohort participates in global climate solutions at COP30 in Brazil
Meet the delegates from Middlebury Global Climate Policy Network joining the international climate conference in Belém, Brazil November 10-21, 2025!
They are joining world leaders, scientists, policymakers, industry representatives and delegates from around the globe who will be gathering in the Amazon city of Belém at the 30th United Nations (UN) Conference of the Parties, or COP30. What is the goal of COP? To negotiate national responses to climate change on a global level. COP30, the 30th conference, aims to accelerate the implementation with a focus on finance pledges and equitable engagement. This is the first time the COP has been held in Brazil.
In all, 5 representatives from Middlebury will travel to Belém, including 4 current graduate students and one recent alumnus. Each has prepared with intention. As representatives of the Middlebury observer delegation at COP30, they will lead panel discussions around climate finance and the role of higher education in climate policy. They will also be volunteering for the Ocean Pavilion and the youth and indigenous delegations. Travel to COP30 for the delegation is generously supported by Middlebury’s Ron and Jessica Liebowitz Fund for Innovation, Kathryn Wasserman Davis Collaborative in Conflict Transformation, and the Center for Blue Economy.
Importantly, the delegation will also be updating the broader with live sessions, , and answering questions from the network. This professional network of students, staff, faculty and alumni across Middlebury College, Schools, and the Institute has been an incredible opportunity to connect a community with shared interests. The network was initiated in 2025 with generous support from Middlebury’s Ron and Jessica Liebowitz Fund for Innovation.
Want to Learn more? Join us Friday!
LIVE from COP30 with the MIIS Delegation
Friday, Nov. 14th, 10AM to 11:15AM PT
via Zoom and live from the Center for the Blue Economy
Description: COP30 is underway. It is the 30th year. Is it working? In this session, we will explore questions around what climate leadership looks like on the international stage. We will hear from current Middlebury Institute students who are at COP30 on what they are experiencing. Are you interested in ways you can become more engaged? Join this conversation and learn about the recent launch of the Middlebury Global Climate Policy Network.
Facilitated by: Angela Izi
Join via
This session is part of the Fall Forum:
What Works Now? Middlebury Fall Climate Forum
November 14-16, 2025 (event schedule)
Breakout: Leadership Past, Present, and Future: International Agreements and Policy
?
The COP Network brings together Middlebury College and MIIS students, alumni, faculty, and staff who share a common interest in international climate policy. The primary goal of this network is to facilitate knowledge exchange and foster deeper understanding of global climate negotiations through direct engagement with the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP).
The network aims to demystify the COP process by creating an experiential learning opportunity for participants, and sharing their knowledge with the broader network community. A key component of this initiative is to support the participation of at least two students and one alum to attend COP30 through the Middlebury observer delegation status. These participants will gain firsthand insight into the complexities and dynamics of international climate negotiations. The network also organizes virtual events before and after COP to share knowledge, insights, and ideas.
To join the group, any Middlebury student„ alumni, faculty, or staff from the College, Institute or any of the Schools can sign up though this . The group is coordinated through periodic emails to share events and a group to share ideas, opportunities, and make professional connections.
-
Pioneering the Study of the Economy of the Arctic
The Arctic is on the leading edge of climate change, sea-level rise, and social equity issues. Similar issues being faced around the world, and economic studies could be used to generate ideas and solutions that can apply globally.
Environmental Issues Highlighted in Two Fall Speaker Series
| by Jason Warburg
A pair of speaker series will bring environmental leaders including Bill McKibben, Sally Yozell and John Laird to the Middlebury Institute for public lectures this fall.
Impact Locally: The Tourist Economy vs. the Consumptive Economy
The Monterey Bay CEMEX sand mine is the last coastal sand mine in the United States
State Officials Address Climate Change & Civic Engagement at Public Forum
A trio of California state officials addressed a range of critical policy issues at an April 13 discussion panel hosted by the Middlebury Institute’s Center for the Blue Economy.
Center for the Blue Economy Celebrates Five Years
In just five short years, the Middlebury Institute’s Center for the Blue Economy has assembled a world-class team dedicated to connecting leaders in industry and policy with the science of our sea.
Less Bureaucracy and Better Protection for the California Coast? An Innovative Market-Based Solution
California’s coast is one of the premier locations to live in the world. Home to millions of people, as well as a great diversity of natural features and habitats, it is also a place that is disappearing from beneath our feet.