Sarah Tegas

Sarah Tegas is a PhD Candidate in Political Science (International Relations), researching the influence of Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in international climate negotiations. Her thesis is conducted as part of the research project "Beyond coalitions: Small states in international climate negotiations" (BeCoSS Climate). Sarah investigates how SIDS navigate and exercise leadership amidst rising geopolitical tensions, a decade into the Paris Agreement. As part of her research, she attended COP30 in Belém as a member of the Belgian delegation, as well as the SBs 62 and 64 in Bonn. She also conducts interviews with senior diplomats and climate negotiators.

Sarah has been a visiting researcher at the University of Oxford's Department of Politics and International Relations from January to May 2026. She will be joining the University of the South Pacific from September to October 2026. 

As part of her teaching commitments, Sarah has developed a seminar on the EU Green Deal and transnational climate governance that she teaches to undergraduate students. She also assists Prof. Thierry Balzacq and Dr. Elise Rousseau in their course on "Diplomatic Performances". 

Prior to her position, Sarah completed her Master's in Transnational Governance at the European University Institute (EUI) and her Bachelor's in Politics and International Relations at the University of Manchester. Sarah worked as a trainee for the EUI Climate Chair and has been an intern at the European Parliament's Transport Committee. She also worked for the pan-European political party Volt Europa as a policy advisor on climate and economic policies, shaping their 2024 election programme. 

Other affiliation

Resilient and Sustainable Islands Initiative (Overseas Development Institute)

Beyond Coalitions: Small States in Climate Negotiations (BeCoSS Climate)

SIDS climate diplomacy in the post-Paris regime of negotiations, co-supervised by Carola Klöck and Jack Corbett (Monash University)

• Lecturer for “Transnational climate governance: The case of the EU Green Deal”, second-year undergraduate course, Collège Universitaire de Sciences Po
• Teaching Assistant for Diplomatic Performances by Prof. Thierry Balzaqc and Dr. Elise Rousseau, second-year undergraduate course, Collège Universitaire de Sciences Po
• Methods class convener for Introduction to Political Science by Prof. Florence Haegel, first-year undergraduate course, Collège Universitaire de Sciences Po

Bries, N. & Tegas, S. (2026) "Legal rhetoric or climate obligations? SIDS mobilisation of the ICJ AO at COP30”. Belgian Review of International Law. Forthcoming.

Bindy, C., Bradley, A., Ifwanga, T., Lempereur, A., Nicolaidis, K., Tegas, S. (2023) "Making Progress Under Pressure II: How C-ROADS Can Train Better Negotiators". MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative. Available at: https://mitsloan.mit.edu/centers-initiatives/sustainability-initiative/making-progress-under-pressure-ii-how-c-roads-can-train-better-negotiators

Tegas, S. (2025) “Debunking COP30: Myths, expectations and key outcomes”, Conférence, Sciences Po. Available at: https://conference.sciencespo.fr/content/2025-12-08/debunking-cop30-myths-expectations-and-key-outcomes_jApiC6JvP2x3teOsqQzH

Tegas, S., Kloeck, C., Tarlea, S. et al. (2026) "Climate agreement-making across negotiation and non-negotiation spaces: how states participate in the UN climate negotiations".  International Environmental Agreements: Politics, Law and Economics. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10784-026-09730-3

Media

Interview at France Culture, « COP 30 : comment les petits États insulaires s'imposent-ils dans les négociations ? », Les Chantiers de la Recherche, 26.11.2025. Recording : https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceculture/podcasts/les-chantiers-de-la-recherche/cop30-comment-les-petits-etats-insulaires-s-imposent-ils-dans-les-negociations-2017247