Montana Tech assistant professor of Civil Engineering, Dr. Jessica Daignault, will attend the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Egypt from November 6 to 18. Heads of State, ministers, negotiators, climate activists, mayors, civil society representatives, and CEOs will meet in the Egyptian coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh for the largest annual gathering on climate action. The conference seeks renewed solidarity between countries to take action on an array of issues critical to tackling the climate emergency – from urgently reducing greenhouse gas emissions, building resilience, and adapting to the inevitable impacts of climate change to delivering on the commitments to finance climate action in developing countries.
Traveling with Dr. Daignault will be a Montana Tech alumnus, Emily Rutledge. Rutledge graduated with a master of science degree in Environmental Engineering in May 2022. She works for CLEARAS Solutions as a bioresources scientist. The duo will be giving a press conference at the COP that summarizes the results of a recent life cycle assessment study, completed by Dr. Daignault and Ms. Rutledge, which quantifies the environmental impact of the CLEARAS Solutions patented ABNR tertiary wastewater treatment system. The research will also be shared in a climate-solutions display at the United States Center in partnership with the U.S. Department of State.
Dr. Daignault will be moderating a panel discussion as a member of the Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education titled "Climate Leadership Across Generations," highlighting innovation and advances in climate action, sustainability, and resilience-related initiatives at Montana Tech and college campuses across the United States.
"It is an honor and privilege to attend the United Nations COP27 alongside people from all walks of life and all ends of the earth," added Daignault. "The COP offers an opportunity for dialogue, relationship-building, collaboration, and, most importantly - action. When I think about climate change, especially from a civil engineering perspective, I think about large storm events that can wreak havoc on communities and have become more unpredictable. These storms' social, economic, and environmental impacts disproportionately impact communities with fewer resources available. We need to see action that slows and reverses impacts due to climate change to more reliably design infrastructure that will protect and serve communities for years to come."
The press conference will be broadcast live worldwide.