HWS News
15 December 2025 Malhotra '26 Attends UN Climate Summit
Tarang Malhotra ’26 recently attended COP 30 in Brazil to aid his Honors project and provide background knowledge into the world of sustainability.
Driven by a commitment to sustainable energy solutions and inspired by his Honors research and career aspirations, Tarang Malhotra ’26 represented Hobart and William Smith at COP 30, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil — one of the world’s most consequential gatherings on climate policy and action.
Each year, COP convenes heads of state, climate experts, policymakers and industry leaders to assess progress toward the goals originally established at the 1992 Earth Summit and reaffirmed through the Paris Agreement: limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius by transitioning away from fossil fuels. Marking the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, COP 30 served as a critical checkpoint for the world to reflect on advancements — and the urgent work still ahead.
“Attending COP 30 was an incredibly rewarding experience,” says Malhotra, an economics and environmental studies double major. “I gained exposure to a diverse set of perspectives and a deeper understanding of each country’s needs and goals in climate action. Because the conference took place in Brazil’s Amazon region, it was meaningful to see the voices of Indigenous peoples elevated. It was inspiring to see youth, Indigenous communities and women at the forefront, one of the main reasons it was called the People’s COP.”
Malhotra’s participation deepened the impact of his Honors project with Professor of Business Management and Entrepreneurship Tom Drennen, which evaluates the economic and environmental benefits of virtual power plants— networks of renewable energy resources that operate like a single power plant. Malhotra points out how through their decentralized locations, VPPs can prevent power outages and increase power capacity without adding new structures.
“Many households in developing countries experience frequent outages, which VPPs could help address,” he says. “They offer a way to accelerate the clean energy transition without large upfront investments.”
The experience reaffirmed Malhotra’s ambition to pursue a career in renewable energy with a focus on carbon markets. “After witnessing the global push toward a clean energy transition, I am certain that I want to work in the renewable energy sector,” he says.
He learned about the opportunity to attend COP 30 after speaking with Finn Foley ’25 during HWS Day 2025. Foley attended COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan as part of his Honors work on renewable energy solutions on campus.
"I can spend a lot of time talking about why international climate agreements are so difficult, but there’s no substitute for being at the negotiations and hearing nearly 200 countries grapple with climate change in real time," says Drennen. "When Tarang debriefed me afterward, it was clear that he understands the complexity, and just as encouraging to hear him think through the opportunities his generation has to create workable solutions."
Malhotra attended through the Kloman Fellowship Fund. Generously supported by Bonnie and Dick Wilson P’08 in memory of their daughter Courtney Wilson ’08, the fund provides financial assistance for students interested in research projects focused on the natural environment or marine life.
The visit also helped share the nuances in the approach to solving climate change. “Climate action cannot simply be equal; it must be just and equitable,” he says. “I learned that if the energy transition isn’t just, there will be no transition at all.”
Malhotra credits his courses “Natural Resources and Energy Economics” and “Value Creation in Carbon Markets” for providing the background knowledge and understanding on topics such as renewable energy, carbon capture, environmental policy and environmental justice while at COP 30.
On campus, Malhotra is a member of the Druid Society, was a member of the Orange Key and was a semifinalist in 2025 for the Todd Feldman ’89 and Family Pitch Competition for his service Eco-Wealth, an impact investment platform supporting renewable energy projects in rural India. He studied abroad in Freiburg, Germany in the summer of 2022. As a four-year member of the Statesmen tennis team, Malhotra was selected as a team captain heading into his final season as a Statesman. Over his four seasons, Malhotra has compiled an 8-6 record in singles play and a 1-3 record in doubles play. Malhotra is a three-time ITA Scholar-Athlete and a two-time Liberty League All-Academic. He was named an Arnold Memorial Scholar-Athlete in 2025.
Top: Tarang Malhotra '26 poses with the COP 30 sign in Belém, Brazil.
