Harvard at COP31

As COP31 progresses in Antalya, Türkiye, Harvard faculty are helping global leaders more accurately measure methane emissions and navigate the energy transition. At the same time, a cohort of Harvard students attending the convening with support from the Salata Institute are gaining firsthand experience in the complexities of international climate cooperation.
News
Nov 13, 2026
Measuring methane: putting a new tool to work 

Through panel events and briefings with country delegations, researchers with the Harvard Initiative on Reducing Global Methane Emissions are helping correct a global underestimate of methane emissions. A new tool developed at Harvard combines satellite and on-the-ground measurements to get a more accurate read on methane emissions. Using the tool, Harvard postdoc James East estimated that human activities globally released about 15 percent more methane in 2023 than countries’ UN reports indicated.  

This kind of miscount matters, argue Harvard faculty. 

“If the Paris Agreement is going to have any effect on tackling climate change, there has to be an accurate accounting of what’s been achieved compared to what was pledged,” Robert Stavins, the A.J. Meyer Professor of Energy & Economic Development at Harvard Kennedy School, recently told the Harvard Climate Brief. 

Heading into COP31, Stavins and Daniel Jacob, Vasco McCoy Family Professor of Atmospheric Chemistry and Environmental Engineering at Harvard University, prepared assessments for over 40 of the largest methane emitting countries. These fact sheets, paired with briefings, enable Harvard researchers to directly address this consequential gap in emissions accounting at a key time: Biennial transparency reports are next due on December 31.  

Official events planned by the Harvard Initiative on Reducing Global Methane Emissions at COP31: 

Reducing Methane Emissions: Abatement Costs in the Oil and Gas Sector 

November 18, 2026 | 13:00–14:30 | IETA Pavilion | In this panel event, speakers will summarize the Harvard study, present complementary perspectives, and discuss implications for reducing methane emissions.  

Quantifying and Communicating Methane Emissions for NDCs and the Global Methane Pledge 

November 19, 2026 | Side Event Room Yellow | Methane emission inventories are uncertain and not readily accessible, compromising the ability of stakeholders to set and assess achievement of targets. Satellite observations and advanced web interfaces can yield a consistent set of accessible methane inventories for all countries. Featuring: Professor Daniel Jacob; Professor Robert Stavins; Daniel Cusworth, Project Scientist, Carbon Mapper; Giulia Ferrini Head, International Methane Emissions Observatory. 

Navigating the energy transition 

The transition away from fossil fuels raises sweeping and complex questions of equity and justice. At COP31, Amruta Nori-Sarma, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health and Population Science at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Deputy Director of Harvard C-CHANGE, will share insights on the public health dimensions of the energy transition.  

An environmental epidemiologist, Dr. Nori-Sarma studies environmental exposures associated with climate and extreme weather events, as well as the associated health outcomes in vulnerable communities. Dr. Nori-Sarma’s research interests include the impacts of interrelated extreme weather events on mental health and evaluating the success of policies put in place to reduce the health impacts of climate change. 

Dr. Nori-Sarma will join the following official event:  

The Health and Economic Benefits of a Just and Equitable Transition Away from Fossil Fuels 

November 14, 2026 | Side Event Room Purple | Discover the health benefits and economic case for accelerating just and equitable transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Speakers from across geographies and health disciplines will share evidence and successful approaches to advance health and energy justice worldwide.  

Featuring: Michelle Isles, Climate and Health Alliance; Jamaji Nwanaji-Enwerem, MD, PhD, MPP, ISEE Africa, University of Pennsylvania; Amruta Nori-Sarma, PhD, MPH, Deputy Director, Harvard Chan C-CHANGE; Jitana Lee, PhD, DNP, MSN, MBA-HC, RN, ANHE; Arda Irmak, IFMSA Liaison Officer for Public Health Issues; and Swasti Raizada, International Institute for Sustainable Development.  

Students gain firsthand experience 

This year, 13 students from five Harvard schools received support through the Salata Institute’s COP Student Observers Program to travel to Antalya. This unique experiential learning opportunity allows students to engage with an international cohort of stakeholders working on climate change. 

Students attending COP31 through this program and other Salata Institute support this year include: 

  • Hailey Akey, Harvard College 
  • Lauren Ambrosini, Harvard Kennedy School 
  • Riti Bedi, Harvard Kennedy School 
  • Fiona Brainerd, Harvard College 
  • Cathy Cheng, Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences 
  • Emilly Fan, Harvard Business School 
  • Zihua He, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health 
  • Olivia Kim, Harvard College 
  • Radha Munver, Harvard College 
  • Olive Nye, Harvard College 
  • Ayomiposi Oluwakuyide, Harvard Kennedy School 
  • Joy Shen, Harvard College 
  • Dilafruzkhon Sobirova, Harvard College 
  • Emma Ticknor, Harvard Kennedy School 
  • Yimar Yu, Harvard Kennedy School