WASHINGTON (Nov. 12, 2025)-- The world’s biggest climate conference kicked off recently in Brazil with representatives from more than 190 countries, according to media reports. Climate experts will be negotiating ways to mitigate climate change after a decade of heat waves, flooding, melting glaciers and stronger storms including Hurricane Melissa.
The conference, known as COP30, is taking place in the city of Belem, which is known as the gateway to the Amazon. Climate change has threatened the Amazon rainforest, which is experiencing rising temperatures and a cycle of frequent fires.
The George Washington University has experts who can comment on all aspects of climate change. To schedule an interview please contact GW Media, gwmedia
gwu [dot] edu (gwmedia[at]gwu[dot]edu).
Robert Orttung, research professor of International Affairs and director of research at Sustainable GW, is attending COP28 with a group of GW students. Orttung is leading two National Science Foundation grants focused on promoting urban sustainability in the Arctic and is serving as the editor of the forthcoming Sustaining Russia’s Arctic Cities. He can discuss a number of topics related to climate change and the Arctic.
Susan Anenberg, Director of the GW Climate & Health Institute, and professor of environmental and occupational health. Anenberg’s research focuses on the health implications of air pollution and climate change. Her team has published studies finding links between health problems like asthma and exposure to emissions and other pollutants.
Gaige Kerr is a senior research scientist at the GW Milken Institute School of Public Health. He studies air pollution, inequities in access to clean air, and can discuss interactions between air pollution and climate change as well as strategies that can mitigate the harmful effects of both greenhouse gases and climate change.
Caitlin Grady, assistant professor of engineering management and systems engineering, studies the form and functions of interconnected infrastructure across water, food, and energy systems. Her research seeks to combine network models, socio-technical data, and ethical-epistemic analyses to create a more sustainable and secure environment. Grady’s areas of expertise include the state of climate adaptation, infrastructure resilience, and global environmental negotiations.
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