Harvard University researchers and students are actively engaged at COP30, participating in events ranging from integrating art, Indigenous wisdom, and science for climate action to centering resilience in primary health care and advancing biodiversity goals. The Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability is supporting select Harvard students to attend the conference in Belém.
This month, two Harvard University students are joining Peace Boat US at COP30 in Belém, Brazil (November 10-21, 2025), bringing their commitment to youth empowerment, ocean–climate action, and peace for climate justice to the world’s largest climate gathering.
The Conference of the Parties (COP) is the largest annual global United Nations event for discussions and negotiations on climate change. Brazil is hosting the thirtieth COP with a view to building on previous successes and paving the way for future ambition to effectively tackle the global challenge of climate change. Belém provides a unique platform to discuss climate solutions firmly rooted in the heart of the Amazon. For more information about Peace Boat events at COP this year, visit the website : https://peaceboat-us.org/cop-30
Throughout the conference, Peace Boat will highlight the urgent connections between ocean health and the climate crisis, and emphasize that peace is essential to building just and sustainable futures. By amplifying youth voices, strengthening networks, and linking the climate, ocean, and peace agendas, Peace Boat US continues its work to ensure that global climate action is inclusive, resilient, and just.
Meet Natalia Thorup
Natalia Thorup is a Master of Science student in Environmental Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and a graduate intern at the Salata Institute. She will be attending COP30 as an observer delegate with Peace Boat.
Natalia is honored to join COP30 as part of Peace Boat’s observer delegation. With the Amazon at the center of this year’s COP, it’s an especially critical moment to elevate frontline voices in shaping climate–health solutions—an approach at the heart of her work.
As a graduate student at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability, she focuses on strengthening climate resilience through cross-sector collaboration. Her work connects research, policy, and community-led action across health, environment, and development systems. She has worked with Partners In Health in Peru to integrate climate adaptation into health programs and is eager to deepen connections with organizations driving equitable climate transitions, particularly those working at the nexus of health systems, adaptation finance, and Indigenous knowledge.
Harvard students featured in the Peace Boat Press Conference: Ecoship and Youth for the SDGs in the UN Ocean Decade
Peace Boat will host a press conference on November 18 featuring Kenzo Kimura, another Harvard-funded student attending COP30.
Kenzo Kimura is a Japanese-Brazilian-American Master of Science student in Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, concentrating in Humanitarian Studies. He currently serves as Harvard Chan’s Student Body President and is a China-Harvard-Africa Network Fellow, attending COP30 as an observer delegate with Harvard University.
His recent work includes serving as a Rose Service Learning Fellow in Southcentral Alaska researching Indigenous health and cultural adaptations to climate change with leaders on the field, and as a US Fulbright Scholar to Portugal studying aging populations navigating universal healthcare. He is eager to discuss community-led efforts in climate resilience and connecting with youth leaders across the globe.