Seri Welsh is a third-year undergraduate (College ’26) majoring in political science and human rights. She is interested in the intersection of climate change and immigration, specifically politcal and legal advoacy displaced persons and environmental justice communities.
She is Vice President of Phoenix Sustainability Initiative, the largest sustainability RSO on campus and a subcommittee member of UChicago’s Green Fund. Previously, Seri has worked at the UChicago Environmental Law Clinic, and hopes to pursue environmental law in the future. Seri attended COP29 with UChicago to hear discussions of equity-driven transitions to collaborative international solutions and global mitigation strategies.
“COP29 provided a unique opportunity to witness global environmental issues being discussed by those with the greatest power to drive change. However, a recurring theme of frustration emerged, particularly from developing countries and island nations. Their grievances centered on the slow progress and lack of meaningful commitments from the world’s highest-emitting nations. This disconnect underscores a troubling reality: those with the most power to act are often the least affected by the immediate impacts of climate change, leading to a palpable lack of urgency. Climate change is not a distant threat—it is already disrupting lives today. Superficial, “greenwashed” solutions that prioritize comfort over bold action will fall woefully short of what is needed to address this global crisis.”