About
We are excited to bring you the inaugural Singapore Model COP event, the first in Singapore and Asia!
This unique annual event aims to educate and engage young delegates (JC1 and IB equivalent) in understanding and addressing pressing and complex global environmental challenges, specifically related to climate change and sustainable development through active debate and negotiation of current global environmental policy from different negotiating bloc and country perspectives.
The desired outcome at the Singapore Model COP closing plenary will be a declaration and commitment to address a key theme in climate change.
The National Model-COP Event (www.mcop.com), held on 16 November at Victoria Junior College, simulated the high-level environmental negotiations of the United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP) to be held at UAE, was timed to be a prelude to the launch of COP28 later this month. The inaugural National Model-COP brought together 22 teams of 16 and 17 year old student-delegates from schools across Singapore. They were mentored by 9 students from SMU College of Integrative Studies over the course of 3 weeks.
Participants represented various countries and were grouped into “negotiating blocs” – to negotiate climate agreements and draft resolutions that reflect the urgent need for global cooperation. By simulating the intricacies of international negotiations, delegates gained first-hand experience of the challenges and opportunities inherent in forging global agreements whilst gaining insights into current media and academic coverage of various key climate change issues.
This year’s key themes chosen for the students from COP 28 (Dubai) are:
+ Energy and a Just Transition
+ Food, Agriculture and Water
The winning teams and speakers were:
*Best Speaker (Energy and a Just Transition) – Qiu Peijie from Catholic Junior College
*Best Negotiating Country (Energy and a Just Transition) – National Junior College
*Best Speaker (Food, Agriculture and Water) – Prakhar Neel Kamal from Anderson Serangoon Junior College
*Best Negotiating Country (Food, Agriculture and Water) – Victoria School
The event also featured a special keynote address by Guest of Honor, SMS Zaqy Mohd, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Defence & Ministry of Manpower, Deputy Leader of the House, opening remarks by Prof. Winston Chow, Advisor of Model-COP, Co-Chair of Working Group II, IPCC, Associate Professor of Urban Climate and Lee Kong Chian Research Fellow, Singapore Management University’s (SMU) College of Integrative Studies and an expert panel on The Role of Youth in Sustainable Development moderated by Yunita Ong, Insights and Growth Strategy Manager & Senior News Editor, LinkedIn Editorial and speakers such as Sona Shahdadpuri, Head of Strategic Projects, Sustainable Finance, Standard Chartered Bank, Qiyun Woo, Sustainability Consultant, Unravel Carbon and Shawn Wang, Senior Manager, Sustainability and Climate Change.
The organizing committee extends its gratitude to all partners, including Singapore Management University, KOP, Lin Foundation and knowledge partner PwC and hosting partners Victoria Junior College.
Save The Date
Date: Thursday, 16 November 2023.
Venue: Victoria Junior College (VJC).
Time : 08:30am to 10:00am
Key Event Details for Singapore Model COP 2023:
Target student-delegates : We would like to extend our invitation to all 16 to 18 year olds studying in Singapore educational institutions including foreign schools based in Singapore (teams of 4) to participate in this conference.
Singapore Model COP is brought to you by
Women in Sustainability and Environment (WISE) Singapore
in collaboration with
Singapore Management University (SMU) College of Integrative Studies (CIS),
supported by
Victoria Junior College (VJC), KOP Limited, Lin Foundation
and PricewaterhouseCoopers as Technical Knowledge Advisor.
What is Singapore Model COP?
The Singapore Model COP event, is a simulated version of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties, targeting youth delegates aged 16-18 years in Singapore. it is critical that student-delegates take on the role of negotiators so as to rigorously evaluate global or regional policies, to ensure the viability of environmental proposals towards the best outcomes for their country.
The event will span one day for the 2023 inaugural edition and will provide an immersive experience for delegates to understand the complexities of international climate negotiations from the perspective of individual countries and foster a greater sense of ownership in finding sustainable solutions.
The event sponsors and supporters hope that the Singapore Model COP youth alumni and interactions thus formed would also translate into future efforts of cooperation towards a more sustainable planet.
Mission of Singapore Model COP
Singapore Model COP vision and mission objectives are as follows:
1 Educate youth in sustainability: Provide a comprehensive understanding of climate change, its impacts, and the importance of sustainable development to youth delegates.
2 Foster leadership skills: Cultivate leadership qualities among participants by encouraging critical thinking, negotiation, and public speaking in a diplomatic setting.
3 Promote collaboration: Facilitate networking and collaboration among participants, encouraging partnerships and the exchange of ideas. The intended collaborations are as follows:
i) Between students from the junior colleges and IBs;
ii) Between the junior college students and the undergraduate facilitors from SMU’s College of Integrated Studies (CIS);
iii) Between the SMU CIS undergrads and the expert sustainability consultants at global consulting firm Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC) and eminent professors of SMU such as Prof Winston Chow.
4 Empower youth voices: Provide a platform for youth to voice their concerns and ideas on climate change and sustainable development. Student delegates at Singapore Model COP should be able to voice their views emphatically and form logical, impactful opinions on key climate issues on a world stage.
5 We hope the annual Model COP can also serve as a link to the Singapore Pavilion at COP – by helping to identify 2-4 youth delegates to represent the voices of Singapore’s youth on climate change issues. (1-2 delegates fr JC1 cohort and 1-2 delegates from SMU)
Event Plenary
The Singapore Model COP event will be held annually in the 3rd week of November. It is timed with the lead up to the main United Nations led Conference of Parties (COP). This is the annual meeting held by member countries that have ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Participants
We aim to host approximately 80-100, 16-17 year old student-youth delegates from diverse backgrounds from the junior colleges and IB Programs in Singapore.
Morning Expert Panel Sessions
The event will feature expert panels speaking on the selected COP themes of that year identified for the Model COP student delegates by the organizing committee.
Afternoon Negotiation Sessions
Interactive sessions. Participants will engage in simulated negotiations and propose solutions to the issues being discussed based on their points of view as country delegates from negotiating blocs. Student-delegates are expected to gain practical insights into the complex decision-making processes in climate negotiations – and to present their individual cases to put their representative country in the most advantageous positions.
Themes
This year’s key themes identified from COP 28 (Dubai) are :
Energy and Just Transition
Food, Agriculture & Water
Negotiating Blocs
Blocs = Together promote their common interests and concerns on international climate negotiations
G77
G77: It is a coalition of developing countries, consisting of 134 members, This bloc represents developing countries, particularly those from the Global South, and aims to address issues related to equity, finance, and technology transfer.
Umbrella Group & European Union
Umbrella Group: This group includes countries like the United States, Australia, Canada, Japan, and others. They often prioritize economic considerations, technology cooperation, and market-based approaches.
The EU : It negotiates as a bloc and advocates for ambitious emission reduction targets, international cooperation, and climate finance.
Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
It represents the interests of low-lying coastal and small island countries that are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, such as rising sea levels. They advocate for stronger mitigation efforts and support for adaptation in their communities.
Arab Group
Comprising Arab countries, this bloc emphasizes the need for adaptation financing, technology transfer, and capacity building to address climate change challenges in the region.
“BASIC” Group
BASIC Group: This group is comprised of 4 newly industrialized countries namely: Brazil, South Africa, India, and China, the BASIC bloc focuses on issues such as sustainable development, adaptation, technology transfer, and financing.
Contact
For more information or queries pls contact the Singapore Model COP secretariat at :