Beyond COP28: Student Visions for a Sustainable Future

Abul Bashar Rahman (he/him)

Bashar is a climate activist born and raised in Bangladesh and is currently in his 4th year at UBC. Trained as an economist, he finds his true calling in storytelling, adopting an approach marked by deep listening before engaging in dialogue. His expertise lies in integrating design thinking into system crafting, sometimes dabbling into filmmaking. He attended COP27 and COP28 as UBC’s undergraduate delegate and has been covering topics related to climate finance.

Evan Accettola (he/him)

Evan Accettola, a dual Canadian/American citizen born in Texas and raised in rural Ontario, brings a unique Indigenous perspective to his work on climate justice. As a citizen of the Métis Nation of Ontario (descendent of the Dusome-Clermont family line), he holds roles as Chair of the Métis Nation of Ontario Youth Council and the Simon Fraser Society Indigenous Studies Student Union. He also champions Indigenous voices on the Canadian Nurses Association Indigenous Relations Circle. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with minors in Criminology and Indigenous Studies at Simon Fraser University. Evan's recent participation in COP28 and the Student Energy Summit demonstrates his commitment to addressing climate change and representing Métis youth on a global scale.

Hailin Wang (she/her)

Hailin is an aspiring actuary passionate about climate action. As the world gets “riskier” with the worsening climate crisis, she is interested in financing resiliency against catastrophes in vulnerable communities, especially in the Global South. Outside of the classroom as a newcomer to Metro Vancouver, Hailin is trying to learn more about the city through its climate action programs, and hopes to establish a community where she can bridge connections between youths of different cultures in order to make the climate space more inclusive and accessible.

Mina Nepali (she/her)

Mina Nepali is a youth leader and activist from Japan and Nepal specializing in International Relations at The University of British Columbia. She has a wide breadth of leadership positions, one of her most profound roles being the Chair of the Youth Forum for the 14th United Nations Crime Congress. Beyond this, she has represented organizations at CSW67 and ECOSOC Youth Forum (both hosted at the United Nations Headquarters) as well as served as a UBC youth delegate to COP28. Through her wide range of experiences, she empowers youth to be leaders of positive change and advocates for their voices to be heard in decision-making.

Rhea Dinesh (she/her)

Rhea is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of British Columbia, majoring in International Relations with a focus on International Economy and Development. A Tamil woman raised in India and Nigeria, she currently studies and works on Musqueam territory where she is in a constant process of learning and unlearning in radical spaces within colonial institutions. She finds joy in engaging in dialogue as a means to challenge existing systems and has unexpectedly discovered a passion for climate justice while pursuing her university degree.

Zahila Rehman (she/her)

Zahila is a second year student at SFU studying business as well as a member of Embark Sustainability. She is quite interested in topics such as climate change and food waste and how students can take action. She is excited to learn all about COP 28 from the speakers and apply their knowledge to her own life.

Mahin E Alam (he/him)

Mahin E Alam is a third-year BA student in the Interdisciplinary Studies program, with a primary focus in Climate Justice and Environmental Politics and a secondary focus in Gender studies. He resides and works in the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm people. Mahin is passionate about understanding the politics of global sustainability and justice, and how global environmental politics play a key role in advancing our struggle against climate change.