Dear Delegates,
Welcome to the BERMUN 2026 conference!
This year’s conference theme is “Resilient & Sustainable Development to Combat Climate Inequality," which will focus on climate inequality and how to combat it through development. Climate change is inherently inequitable, with those who produce the least pollutants experiencing the same effects as those who produce the most. This is most prevalent in the divide between the West and the Global South, with lower-income countries facing a higher risk of experiencing the detrimental effects of climate change compared to More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs).
One popular attempt to close this gap is carbon credits, which are tradable certificates that permit the offsetting of carbon emissions through the support of projects in predominantly the Global South. This is done by corporations to achieve carbon neutrality goals without actually reducing individual emissions, with 1 carbon credit representing the removal or avoidance of the production of 1 metric ton of carbon dioxide. Some, however, criticize that some of these projects lack validity and oversight, as well as that carbon credits promote greenwashing, increase production costs, reduce competitiveness, and offer a cheaper solution to long-term infrastructural changes. This spurs the debate about how and to what extent carbon credits should be used in the global industry and market.
On a personal note, I am a 17-year-old German-American in 12th grade at the John F. Kennedy School in Berlin, which I have been attending since 6th grade. I have lived in Berlin my whole life and in my free time enjoy cooking, biking with friends, and playing guitar. I have been a part of the MUN program for almost four years now, and this year’s conference will be my 8th BERMUN conference, as well as my sixth time chairing.
I look forward to seeing you all in November, and I hope that we can make this a memorable conference for everyone!
Sincerely,
Benno Thomas
Chair of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization
BERMUN XXXV 2026
