Visiting climate specialist shares her perspective

On Monday, April 20, the Political Science Department and the International Affairs Club collaborated to hold an event titled “Perspectives from Jordan: Navigating War, Refugees and a Changing Climate.”

The conversation explored speaker Emily Sena’s work in Jordan and connections between climate change and conflict.

Sena is a climate finance and adaptation specialist who has worked across the globe with the goal of
advancing sustainable development.

She assists civil society organizations, development banks and governments in deciphering and simplifying climate policy into bankable projects.

According to Sena, such projects aim to strengthen water security, reduce disaster risk, and create agriculture and social protection for communities that need it most.

Sena has been involved with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and Adaptation Fund (AF), both of which aim to assist developing and vulnerable communities across the globe to adapt to climate changes.

She also spoke on building a career in a field focused on climate finance and adaptation services.

Sena shared her experience after graduating from an institution similar to CSB+SJU in its liberal arts education.

She explained how her studies led her to enter the climate finance industry in new countries and how niche that industry can be.

Pedro dos Santos, Professor of Political Science at CSB+SJU, was the main organizer of this event.

Santos has worked with Sena for a few years, having had her as a former student at a previous institution and as a part of his classes via Zoom.

“This year, [Sena] was going to join my Introduction to International Relations class, but as the war in Iran continued and she kept sharing with me the tensions in Jordan, I thought it would be good to make the event open to everyone and ask her to share how the conflict has impacted her life and the life of Jordanians,” dos Santos said.

Sena, who is an alumna of the Public Leadership Education Network, is committed to advancing transformative climate and development solutions.

As a part of this network, Sena provides advisory support to both regional and national institutions associated with GCF and AF, making sure that these entities are ready to control their own agendas regarding climate change.

She brings forth climate-centered finance solutions and environmental knowledge, guiding organizations through various compliance and accreditation processes.

Within the “Perspectives from Jordan: Navigating War, Refugees and
a Changing Climate” conversation, she applied her knowledge surrounding those topics with students and faculty.

Sena explained the inner workings of climate finance and its impact on countries such as Jordan, a country that she worked in during her career.

She also touched on the conflict within Iran and that region as a whole.

Although Jordan has not been a direct target of Iran, the United States or Israel, Sena addressed consequences of the violence in her talk.

Dos Santos shared his thoughts on the importance of students
and faculty to experience this conversation.

“There is a war going on that impacts our students directly and indirectly, and because climate change will affect us all, so learning about what other countries are doing is helpful for perspective,” dos Santos said.