COP28 Calendar

COP28 Local Climate Action Summit 

• António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General
• H.E. Dr Sultan al Jaber, COP28 President & UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change
• Michael R. Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and Founder of Bloomberg Philanthropies & Bloomberg L.P.
• H.E. Abdulla Mohammed Al Basti, Secretary General of The Executive Council of Dubai
• Premier Nomusa Dube-Ncube, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
• Mayor Abigail Binay, Makati, Philippines
• Mayor Anne Hidalgo, Paris, France
• Governor Yuriko Koike, Tokyo, Japan

DEC North Hall – WCAS Theatre
Livestream

The COP28 Local Climate Action Summit will be a first-of-its-kind gathering to recognize the critical role local leaders play in reducing emissions, addressing climate risk, and supercharging national efforts to move further and faster on climate progress. Hosted by the COP28 Presidency and Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Summit aims to bring together hundreds of national and subnational climate leaders to transform climate finance, enhance global action, fast-track the energy transition, and strengthen resilience and adaptation at the local level.

Harnessing the Positive Potential of AI for Climate Action 

• Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP27 and UN Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Development Agenda (Opening speaker)
• Jonathan Banks, Global Director, Methane, Clean Air Task Force (CATF)
• Brigitte Hoyer Gosselink, Director AI & Sustainability, Google.org (Moderating)
• Marcene Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Climate Change, World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US)
• Janet Ranganathan, Managing Director of Strategy, Learning and Results, World Resources Institute (WRI)
• Wayne Walker, Chief Scientific Officer, Woodwell Climate Research Center

WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

While the effects of climate change have been warned by scientists for decades, its consequences have never been more pressing or salient. However, communities, policymakers, and businesses lack the information necessary to support effective action. To address this problem, we're gathering a number of AI x Climate projects that accelerate technological advances in climate information and action. They are empowering decision makers with key AI-enabled insights to accelerate climate action and avoid the worst harms of a changing planet. Leaning into the opportunity for AI to support climate action and resilience, this event will bring together WWF, Google, and partners with leaders to discuss the opportunities and challenges of leveraging AI to accelerate climate mitigation, resilience and beyond.

We Mean Business - Fossil to Clean Campaign Flagship Event 

Marcene Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Climate Change

IRENA Pavilion
Livestream TBA

The Fossil to Clean campaign is a global movement of businesses going from fossil fuels to clean solutions. Those that take action to phase out fossil fuels will help send a clear market signal that will lead energy suppliers, capital providers, and governments to accelerate the provision of affordable and clean alternatives. Join us at this event, that will bring together business leaders, policymakers, and wider stakeholders to hear how businesses are taking climate action - and why businesses are calling on all political leadership attending COP28 to take this historical opportunity and seek outcomes that will lay the groundwork to phase out fossil fuels and ramp up clean energy solutions at pace.

America Is All In Opening Ceremony 

• Gina McCarthy, Managing Co-Chair, America Is All In
• Marcene Mitchell, Senior Vice President for Climate Change (WWF-US)

WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

How An All In Climate Strategy Can Improve Health and Socio-Economic Benefits 

• Ryna Cui, Research Director, Center for Global Sustainability
• Gina McCarthy, Managing Co-Chair, America Is All In
• Shelly Schlenker, Chief Advocacy Officer, Commonspirit Health
• Liane Randolph, Chair, California Air Resources Board
• Gaurab Basu, Director of Education and Policy, Harvard Chan C-CHANGE

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

Climate mitigation and action across all of society are critical to achieving both U.S. and global climate goals. However, these benefits extend beyond emissions reductions to health, social, and environmental advantages. This event will help launch America Is All In’s new report, “All-In climate action for improved U.S. air quality & health benefits,” and provide commentary on the importance of decarbonization for reducing pollution, improving health outcomes, and achieving a more equitable society.

Financing the Transition to Nature-Positive, Climate Resilient Economies 

• Anabel Gonzalez, VP for Countries at IDB (Moderator)
• Sylvie Lemmet, Ambassador, France (Opening Remarks)
• Alejandro Costa, CEO, Puerto Antioquia
• Marcene Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Climate Change, World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US)
• Douglas Eger, CEO, Intrinsic Exchange Group – Tradable asset classes for nature
• Akanksha Khatri, Head of Nature Action Agenda at WEF – Investor Demand
• Razan al-Mubarak, President, International Union for the Conservation of  Nature (TBC)

IDB Pavilion
Register for the live broadcast

The event will feature high-level discussion panels that will raise the conversations to guide our audiences through the climate change agenda in the region. It will also nurture the discussion on achieving decarbonized and resilient economies in Latin America and the Caribbean.This session will explore several experiences in innovative finance, detailing specific transactions, the financial engineering required to make them work, the KPIs behind reporting on their results and MRV systems of support.

Flowing Together: Integrating Freshwater in NDCs and NAPs 

• Danielle Frank, Indigenous Youth Water Defender, Klamath River; Board Member, Rios to Rivers
• Professor Ainun Nishat, Centre for Climate Change and Environmental Research (C3ER), BRAC University
• Valerie Hickey, World Bank, Global Director of Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy
• Emily Weeks, USAID, Senior Policy Advisor in the Bureau of Resilience Environment and Food
• Amir Said M’zé, Youth Representative, Madagascar, Think Green
• Government of Gabon
• Government of Pakistan

Water for Climate Pavillion
Livestream

This session will be an opportunity to dive deeper into the questions surrounding how to ensure strong integration of water resources and freshwater ecosystems into national climate planning efforts. Using a panel format, it will showcase countries’ integration and potential implementation of water into NDCs/ NAPs. Real-world examples will offer inspiration for other countries to do the same, while offering practical recommendations for how to implement, as well as exploration of the role of non-state stakeholders in successful integrated water/climate planning and implementation.

IRA, BIL, AND Justice40: Advancing Climate Justice and Community- Led Solutions: Opportunities & Challenges

• Marcene Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Climate Change, World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US)
• Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder and Executive Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice
• Dany Sigwalt, Managing Director, Green Leadership Trust
• Crystal Upperman, Senior Manager for Government and Public Services, Deloitte

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

America Is All In, U.S. largest climate coalition is representing a whole-of-society effort to advance climate acti by convening a group of climate justice and equity experts for a panel discussion around how to leverage U.S. policy landscape to advance climate justice and deliver benefits for disadvantaged communities. The panel will elaborate on opportunities and challenges for IRA, BIL and Justice40 to meet the climate justice agenda.

Greening America’s Cities: Opening Equitable Access to Nature for All

• Andre Dickens, Mayor, Atlanta, GA
• Angie Fyfe, Executive Director, ICLEI USA
• Lauren McLean, Mayor, City of Boise, ID
• Anton Seals Jr, Lead Steward, Grow Greater Englewood
• Andrew Steer, President & CEO, Bezos Earth Fund
• Sandra H. Smithers, Executive Director, New Castle Prevention Coalition

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

Humanity depends on nature to continue to live and thrive. Nature provides many of the necessities of life including but not limited to clean water, clean air and healthy foods—yet inequitable access to nature can prevent all people from fairly benefiting from nature’s benefits.

In this session, Bezos Earth Fund and ICLEI USA will bring together leading cities that are safeguarding biodiversity while ensuring nature’s services are open to all community members. Attendees will hear from community-based organizations, mayors and experts who are Greening America’s Cities, with lessons for communities across the world.

All Hands on Deck: How the U.S. Climate Alliance is Securing America’s Net-Zero Future with State-Led Action

• Casey Katims, Executive Director, U.S. Climate Alliance
• Michelle Lujan Grisham, Governor, New Mexico
• Ali Zaidi, White House National Climate Advisor
• David Hochschild, Chair, California Energy Commission
• Serena McIlwain, Secretary, Maryland Environment
• James Kenney, Secretary, New Mexico Environment Department

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

This year, we’ve seen it all: unprecedented firestorms and wildfire smoke, extreme heat and drought, severe wind and hail, and catastrophic flooding. No state, no community has been spared. Join top state officials from across the U.S. Climate Alliance for a discussion on how this climate action coalition is answering the call. At the event, the Alliance will also release new data on the progress its states and territories are making toward near and long-term emission reduction targets and the health, economic, and environmental benefits of this action.

Concluding Session: NDC/NAP Day

• Meike van Ginneken, Dutch Water Envoy
• Jakob Granit, Director General Sida, Sweden
• Kate Hughes (Moderator)
• Rachael McDonnel, AGWA
• John Matthews, AGWA
• Dr. Musonda Mumba, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
• Partha Partha Hefaz Shaikh, Director, Programmes and Policy Advocacy, WaterAid, Bangladesh

Water for Climate Pavilion
Livestream

This session will summarize the 'Watering the NDCs and NAPs’ day and reflect on the experiences and expertise shared, with the objective to identify next steps and targeted action within the framework of the climate convention processes.

U.S. Action on Fossil Fuel Phase Out and Accountability

• Rob Bonta, Attorney General of the State of California
• Marcene Mitchell, Senior Vice President of Climate Change, WWF-US
• Andrew Prag, Managing Director of Policy, We Mean Business Coalition
• Mitch Reynolds, Mayor of La Crosse, WI
• Jonathan Misk, Director of Oversight & Senior Counsel, Committee on the Budget

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

Join a pivotal panel discussion at COP28, co-hosted by the California DOJ, featuring AG Rob Bonta and other U.S. officials and international representatives from the public and private sectors. Explore groundbreaking climate accountability lawsuits against major GHG emitters and learn about the policy leadership and legal frontiers that are shaping a sustainable future. Engage in this dynamic dialogue to understand how legal efforts, voluntary actions, and public campaigns are driving environmental change and inspiring a shift - in the United States and beyond - to move beyond fossil fuels.

Senior Leadership in Higher Education Driving Climate Action

• Karin Hilgersom, President, Truckee Meadows Community College
• Julie Zimmerman, Vice Provost for Planetary Solutions, Yale University
• Tim Carter, President, Second Nature
• Maurie McInnis, President, Stony Brook University

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

This panel will discuss the unique role that presidents and senior leadership at higher education institutions play to drive climate action, including leveraging some of higher education's key distinctives to support cross-sector climate solutions.

Financing the Transition for Impact

• Elizabeth Lien, America Is All In Program Lead and Senior Director for Federal Climate Policy, WWF
• Ethan Zindler, Climate Counselor to Secretary Yellen, U.S. Department of the Treasury
• Ivan Frishberg, Chief Sustainability Officer, Amalgamated Bank
• Karen Fang, Managing Director, Global Head of Sustainable Finance, Bank of America
• Dan Stiles, External Counsel, Coalition for Green Capital
• Harold Pettigrew, CEO, Opportunity Finance Network

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

Community banks, green banks and other U.S. banks are critical partners in the net-zero transition. Banks’ existing relationships within the communities that they serve are an important tool to encourage climate ambition and banks are a necessary partner as individuals, subnational entities and private businesses seek out ways to finance their transition.

Supercharging Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation – The Minnesota Model

• J. Drake Hamilton, Senior Science Policy Director, Fresh Energy
• Elizabeth Kautz, Mayor, Burnsville, MN
• Scott Tew, Vice President for Sustainability, Trane Technologies
• Patrick Hamilton, Manager of Sustainability Initiatives, Science Museum of Minnesota

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

In spring 2023, the Minnesota Legislature and Governor Walz enacted 45 new energy and climate policies. From 100% carbon-free electricity by 2040 to extreme weather resilience, Minnesota's climate action is an unprecedented surge to reduce greenhouse gasses and prepare for the climate changes already evident and those anticipated. This session will explore how this burst of policy action was achieved, how it is being implemented, and how it can inform similar surges in climate action elsewhere.

Power to the Youth: Amplifying Youth-Driven Solutions to Addressing Climate Change

• Arielle King, Environmental Justice Educator & Strategist
• Saima Rasool, ESG Climate Risk and Strategy Assistant Manager, KPMG
• Daniela Macaya, Environmental Children’s Book Author and Environmental Studies Student at Yale
• Diamond Spratling, Executive Director, Girl Plus Environment
• Errick Simmons, Mayor of Greenville, MS

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

In the climate movement, we spend so much time focused on the problems, the barriers, and the issue at hand, but very little time focused on the equitable solutions that can combat climate change. The remarkable efforts underway on the ground, particularly those spearheaded by youth leaders, offer invaluable lessons. In this panel session, we'll delve into the compelling narratives of global youth climate leaders. They will share their inspiring stories, detailing their endeavors to foster an equitable transition toward a green economy, increase diversity within the climate sector, and champion climate justice in their communities.

Scaling Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities Access to Climate and Biodiversity Finance

• Kristen Walker Painemilla, CI/ IUCN CEESP
• Neema Lekule, Ujamaa Community Resource Team
• Lucas Che, Ak’Tenamit
• Maria de Souza, Red de Cerrado
• Luis Barquin Valle, Conservation International
• Anita Tzec, International Union for Conservation of Nature
• Paul Hartman, Climate Investment Funds
• Gabriella Richardson, Global Environment Facility

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

This event will highlight the progress and lessons learned from initiatives led by Indigenous Peoples and Local Community around access to climate and biodiversity finance. Speakers will share perspectives on what is needed to scale up support for these initiatives and their importance for achieving the Paris Agreement and the Global Biodiversity Framework goals.

Rapid Response to the Global Stocktake: An Ambitious 5-Point Plan

• Manish Bapna, President and CEO, NRDC
• Nat Keohane, President, C2ES
• Marcene Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Climate Change, World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US)
• Helen Mountford, President and CEO, ClimateWorks (TBC)
• Andrew Steer, President and CEO, Bezos Earth Fund

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

The success of COP28 will largely be determined by how national governments respond to the outcomes of the global stocktake which demonstrates that we are not on target to reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. This panel will present key, specific actions that the Parties can take across mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage to send clear signals that COP28 is a turning point in climate action.

Clean Tech Investments: U.S. Policy Accelerates Business Action on Climate 

• Geoffrey Pyatt, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Energy Resources, U.S. Department of State
  
• Paul Lau, CEO, Sacramento Municipal Utility District
• Ken West, President & CEO of Energy and Sustainability Solutions, Honeywell
• Heather Zichal, Global Head of Sustainability, JP Morgan Chase
• Laura Tierney, Vice President, International Programs, Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE)
• John Boesel, CEO, Calstart
• Nat Keohane, President, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)
• Reihaneh Irani-Famili, Vice President, Capital Delivery – Project National Grid
• Amy Chiang, Chief Sustainability and Public Affairs Officer, Topsoe

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

Senior executives in major U.S. industries will describe how U.S. federal legislation is catalyzing new investment flows into the next generation of clean energy technologies. This event will explore how the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act are enabling companies to deploy the solutions needed for the U.S. to reach its NDC to reduce emissions 50-52% by 2030 and how new public-private partnerships are enabling greater market uptake of new technologies.

Saving Energy, Saving Lives: Energy Efficiency as a Climate Unifier 

• David Turk, United States Deputy Secretary of Energy
• Bob Hinkle, President and CEO, Metrus Energy
• Paula Glover, President, Alliance to Save Energy
• Laura Tierney, Vice President, International Programs, BCSE
• Helen Walter-Terrinoni, Global Decarbonization Lead, Trane Technologies
• Destenie Nock, Professor, Carnegie Mellon University, CSO, Devvstream Inc., CEO, Peoples Energy Analytics

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

Energy efficiency is often described as the “first fuel”, highlighting the value of prioritizing demand-side solutions early in decarbonization strategies. Through innovative technology and finance solutions, energy efficiency has been proven to lower carbon emissions, save money and reduce pollution in underserved communities, and boost jobs and economic development. This panel will bring together experts on finance, frontline communities, labor, and more to discuss how to spur intersectional investments in energy efficiency to meet global decarbonization and development targets.

Cities Tackling Extreme Weather Patterns and Financing 

• Andy Ginther, Mayor of Columbus, OH
• LaToya Cantrell, Mayor of New Orleans, LA
• Frank Cownie, Mayor of Des Moines, IA
• Barbara Buffaloe, Mayor of Columbia, MO
• Elizabeth Kautz, Mayor of Burnsville, MN

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

Mayors will address current challenges and opportunities to protect their citizens, including their most vulnerable populations, as extreme weather patterns take a more drastic turn. Mayors will openly discuss how they’re utilizing programs like the IRA, IIJA and creative solutions to finance their climate action plans.

From Commitments to Results: How Leading States Can Deliver Big on the U.S. NDC 

• Gina McCarthy, Managing Co-Chair, America Is All In
• Rick Duke, Deputy Special Envoy, Climate U.S. Department of State
• Serena Coleman McILwain, Secretary of the Environment, Maryland Department of Environment
• Pam Kiely, Associate Vice President U.S. Region, Environmental Defense Fund
• Caroline Choi, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Edison International

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

Many U.S. states, long-standing climate leaders, stepped up in the absence of federal guidance to align with U.S. climate targets in the Paris Agreement. With recent shifts in federal policies, how can 25 leading states capitalize on this moment to advance climate action? This panel will highlight state progress, emphasize their pivotal role in closing the gap to the U.S. NDC, and explore the potential of binding state emissions policies to facilitate governors and policymakers in meeting climate commitments, unlocking federal investments for public health, and fostering robust clean energy economies.

Road to 2030: The Role of Subnational Governments and Non-State Actors in Delivering Strengthened NDCs 

• Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, UNFCCC High-level Champion COP28
• Manuel Pulgar Vidal, Climate Change and Energy Global Lead at WWF
• Gonzalo Muñoz, UNFCCC High-level Champion COP25

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

To realize the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement, countries need to address the well documented ambition, implementation and finance gaps and strengthen domestic ambition cycles. This requires comprehensive planning and enabling conditions at the national level, coupled with strong and collaborative partnerships with non-state actors. This side event puts the spotlight on the role of subnational governments and non-state actors to deliver strengthened NDCs that put countries on track to meet 2030 targets like the IRA, IIJA and creative solutions to finance their climate action plans.

UAE Alliance for Climate Action: One Year of Impact 

• David Ramons, Head of Sustainability, HSBC MENAT
• Ricardo Bosshard, Director, WWF Chile
• Julia A. Carlow, Head of Sustainability, American University of Sharjah
• James Craven, Middle East President, Live Nation
• Salwa Al Maflahi, Director Sustainability and Community Outreach, Aldar

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

This event marks a major milestone in the UAE’s climate action journey, promoting accountability, collaboration, and transparency among UACA members across the UAE.

Harnessing Multi-Level Action: Reflections on the Local Climate Action Summit 

• Toshiko Chiba, Climate Change Specialist and Director, Tokyo Metropolitan Government
• Mauro Tamayo, Mayor of Cerro Navia, Chile
• Cícero Lucena, Mayor of João Pessoa, Brazil

America Is All In Action Center, WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

The COP28 Local Climate Action Summit, will unite for the first time subnational and national leaders to establish a new paradigm for fully integrated climate action between governments at all levels across four core themes: Local climate finance; integrating local contributions to enhance global action; fast-tracking the local energy transition; and strengthening local resilience and adaptation. In this side event, four representatives from subnational governments across the world reflect on what is truly needed to realize the vision of the Local Climate Action Summit. like IRA, IIJA and creative solutions to finance their climate action plans.

Building Resilience in a Highly Uncertain Environment 

• Carolien du Bruin, Senior Director, Equity Action & Member of the WBCSD Extended Leadership Group
• Sheila Bonini, Senior Vice President of Private Sector Engagement, WWF
• David Knipe, Partner, Bain & Company
• Julian Mylchreest, Executive Vice Chairman Bank of America
• Natasha Santos, VP, Head of Global Stakeholders Affairs & Strategic Partnerships, Bayer Crop Science

Climate Action Innovation Zone
Livestream TBA | Register in person

In this era of unprecedented uncertainty, resilience is critical to success for boards and executive teams. It's the ultimate strategic differentiator. Executives should beware of the pitfalls of traditional approaches that myopically address short-term risks, leaving businesses exposed to longer-term threats. Join a dynamic panel of executives to explore the urgent need for action and the cutting-edge approaches employed by industry leaders in confronting strategic, operational, and supply chain challenges.

Climate Technology and Climate Justice: Can the Two Be Compatible? 

• Chris Field, Director, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, Sanford University (Moderator)
• Mizan R. Khan, Deputy Director, International Centre for Climate Change and Development
• Marcene Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Climate Change, World Wildlife Fund
• Ambuj Sagar, Deputy Director, Strategy & Planning and Professor of Policy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
• Mustafa Santiago Ali, Executive Vice President, National Wildlife Federation, USA

Blue Zone, SE Room #6
Livestream

Planetary Health: The Case for Collaboration to Protect People and Planet 

• Jessica Beagley, Policy Lead, Global Climate and Health Alliance
• Alex Dehgan, CEO, Conservation X Labs; Former Chief Scientist, USAID
• Marcene Mitchell, Senior Vice President, Climate Change, World Wildlife Fund (WWF-US)

Warehouse Four
Register for livestream

The Past, Present & Future of the Amazon Protected Areas Program (ARPA)

• Carter Roberts, World Wildlife Fund President and CEO
• João Paulo Capobianco, Executive Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Brazil
• Aileen Lee, Chief of Programs, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation
• Rosa Lemos de Sá, Secretary General of Funbio, Brazilian Biodiversity Fund
• Letícia Santiago de Moraes, Secretary for Youth - CNS (National Council of Extractivists)
• Mauricio Voivodic, Executive Director, WWF-Brazil
  

WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

The Amazon Protected Areas Program (ARPA) is the world's largest initiative for the conservation of tropical forests. This highly successful program has reduced deforestation by 264,000 ha equivalent to 104 M tons of avoided CO2 emissions. At the United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, this event will convene community leaders, partners and members of government to discuss how to use ARPA’s structure to strengthen the socio-bioeconomy and clarify the status of undesignated lands across the Amazon.

Is Deforestation Stoppable by 2030? Progress and Pathways

• Roselyn Fosuah Adjei, Forestry Commission of Ghana
• Maggie Charnley, Head of the International Forest Unit, UK Government
• Dr. Mary Gagen, WWF-UK
• Jillian Gladstone, Forest Declaration Assessment and Climate Focus
• Juan Carlos Jintiach, Chair Global Alliance of Territorial Communities

WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

The Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use (GLD), signed by 145 countries at COP26, reaffirmed the need for swift action and stronger political commitment to halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation by 2030. Two years on, the outlook is not strong. Still, both developed and developing forest countries have demonstrated the transformative power of political will and dedicated action. Well over 50 countries are on track to eliminate deforestation within their borders by 2030. And there is widespread recognition that we cannot meet our global goals, whether they be on climate, nature or sustainable development, without halting and reversing deforestation. This event provides an update on progress and pathways towards global forest goals, building on the recently launched Forest Declaration Assessment 2023 and Forest Pathways Report (WWF).The event will feature a discussion on progress and pathways, including the role of the Forest and Climate Leaders Partnership.

Today’s Science for the Amazon of Tomorrow

Mauricio Voivodic, Executive Director, WWF-Brazil, Speaker

WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

This session will feature the launch of three policy briefs focused on the following topics: 1) Human Impact on Carbon Emissions, Losses in Ecosystems Services and Finance for Amazon Solutions; 2) Land Markets and Illegalities: The deep roots of deforestation in the Amazon; and 3) A New Infrastructure for the Amazon.

Nature First: From Land to Ocean, Our Best Ally for Climate Action

Josefina Braña Varela, Vice President and Deputy Lead, Forests, WWF-US (Moderator)

Arena 1 (Al Hur), Global Climate Action Hub, Blue Zone

This event will bring a landscape-to-seascape overview of the role of nature in fighting climate change, solution approaches under implementation with a stock take of progress, focusing on their linkages to the economy, food security and nutritious diets, risk management, the inclusion of frontline communities and peoples, and the role of decisionmakers in developing long-term, low-emission development strategies.

Inspiring Partnerships for Sustainable Financing of Tiger Landscapes

• Stuart Chapman, WWF TAI Lead
• Celina Chien, Board Member, Panthera (Moderator)
• Fred Launay, CEO, Panthera
• Kirsten Schuijt, DG, WWF-INT
• Karma Tshering, Secretary, MoENR, RGoB
• Carter Roberts, President & CEO, WWF-US
• Stewart Maginnis, Deputy Director General, IUCN
• Joe Walston, Executive Vice President, WCS
• Diako Makhmalbaf, Director, ESG Solutions, HSBC
• Angelica Shamerina, Climate Change Program Advisor, UNDP
• Sonam Wangdi, Chief, Nature Conservation Division, MoENR, Royal Government of Bhutan

Blue Zone, Opportunity District, Building Area B6, Building No. 71
Livestream

As an umbrella, keystone and flagship species, tigers are measurable drivers and indicators of biodiversity. Their status is tied to the health of those forests: the carbon they capture and store; the water they retain and release slowly and dependably; the resources they supply to local communities; and other essential ecosystem functions. The value of the ecosystem services where tigers are present is an estimated $11 trillion dollars per year.

Despite a 11% decline in tiger range, the Global Recovery Tiger Program has produced some encouraging results, with tiger numbers increasing in some areas while habitat loss and fragmentation stabilized. However, while sustained investment in tiger conservation over the past decade has bent the curve toward progress, that success is both sporadic and fragile. Now, the world has a decision to make about the future of tigers, their landscapes, and the more than 100 million people who depend upon them: continue the hard-won upward trajectory achieved over the past twelve years and leverage the investment, or risk a downturn, from which recovery will be far more expensive, if attainable at all.

Protecting Blue Carbon: promoting marine conservation and maritime security partnerships for protecting blue carbon sinks in the Galapagos

• Sheldon Whitehouse, Chairman, Budget Committee, U.S. Senate
• Sarah Glaser, Senior Director, WWF-US
• Tarsicio Granizo, Country Director, WWF-Ecuador
• Siri Bjune, Head, UNODC Global Maritime Crime Programme
• Karina Barrera, Undersecretary of Climate Change, Government of Ecuador (TBC)

WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

Climate resilience for vulnerable coastal communities and robust blue carbon sinks rely on well-protected marine environments. WWF and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime will feature collaborative maritime security and improved legal finishes for crimes against the environment by showcasing our partnership in Ecuador.

Scaling Durable Finance to Benefit People, Nature, and the Climate

• Gillian Caldwell, Chief Climate Officer, USAID
• Carter Roberts, CEO, WWF-US
• Ben Cardin, Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
  
• Chris Coons, Chairman, Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State and Foreign Operations
• Jennifer R. Littlejohn, Acting Assistant Secretary of State, OES
• Rick Duke, Deputy Special Envoy for Climate

WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

This session will highlight the ways the US government is working to help unlock innovative, durable finance for nature and climate, working with partner governments, NGOs, multilateral institutions, and the private sector. The discussion will have particular focus on how to drive large-scale public-private finance efforts that conserve biodiversity, mobilize Nature-based Solutions to climate change, and provide sustainable economic benefits for Indigenous Peoples and local communities. WWF-US CEO Carter Roberts will moderate a discussion with leaders in the U.S. Congress and Administration and representatives from partner countries that are implementing these investments on the ground.

Nature Positive and Resilient: The Infrastructure We Need

• Tom Carper, Chairman, U.S. Senate Committee on Environment & Public Works (EPW)
• Rebecca Shaw, Chief Scientist & Senior Vice President, WWF-US
• Michael Schiffer, Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Asia, USAID
• Devon Swezey, Senior Manager of Global Energy and Climate, Google

Resilience Hub (Blue Zone) Zone: B7, Building 90
Livestream

Infrastructure is core to sustainable growth and development, underpinning modern society and serving as a key contributor to reducing poverty. At the same time, poorly planned infrastructure can significantly contribute to biodiversity loss and global greenhouse gas emissions. The infrastructure sector needs to play its part in helping us meet our global climate and conservation goals, and this requires putting nature at the heart of design and planning. This session will highlight public and private sector leadership in this space, including how the U.S. Government is investing in 21st century infrastructure that is resilient and nature-based domestically, how USAID is advancing best practices for nature positive infrastructure in Asia, and how leading companies are deploying clean energy infrastructure while also using cutting-edge technology to help enhance nature-based solutions for climate resilience.

China-Brazil Partnership for Deforestation and Conversion-Free Supply Chains

WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

At COP28, WWF China and WWF Brazil will join forces in a historic event, with the essential participation of the CMA (China Meat Association), soy trader LDC (Louis Dreyfus), and the Marfrig meatpacking company.This meeting will be a milestone in the pursuit of deforestation- and conversion-free supply chains--and the goal of achieving full traceability of these chains--thereby bringing greater transparency to the process. This event follows a visit by the CMA to Brazil in November of this year, aimed at understanding the reality of Brazilian agricultural production and the impact of intensive international trade without the ability to track production back to the point of origin.

25 Years of the Tropical Forest Conservation Act: Lessons Learned Pioneering Debt-for-Nature Swaps

• Carter Roberts, CEO, WWF-US
• Brian Schatz, Chairman, Indian Affairs Committee, U.S. Senate
• Albina Ruiz, Minister of Environment, Government of Peru
• Adam Wang-Levine, Deputy Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of the Treasury
• Gillian Caldwell, Chief Climate, Officer, USAID
• Gregory Watson, Inter-American Development Bank
• Josefina Brana Varela, Vice President and Deputy Lead, Forests, WWF-US

Peru Pavilion (Blue Zone) Zone: B5; Building 60
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Many developing countries are facing both devastating climate change impacts and high debt burdens. Debt for nature swaps are gaining renewed attention from developing countries, international financial institutions, and civil society as a potentially powerful tool to address both crises. The United States Government and WWF have decades of experience implementing debt for nature swaps, and the 25th anniversary of the Tropical Forest and Conservation Act (TFCA) is an opportunity to showcase the successes of this program and share lessons learned that could inform other debt swaps. When all payments have been made into the local conservation funds, TFCA and TFCCA agreements will have provided more than $380 million for grants to projects that help conserve and sustainably manage tropical forest and coral reef ecosystems in beneficiary countries. Panelists will discuss the lessons learned from these swaps and the circumstances under which other types of debt swaps can be a powerful tool.

Finance and Innovation for Climate-Friendly Food Systems

Al Shaheen (Lab 1)

The event is organized by the Alliance of Biodiversity and CIAT/CGIAR, WWF International, FMONL (Dutch Development Bank), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action - Land Use Action Group, and the NDC Partnership.

The session will focus on barriers that hinder access to international climate finance for farmers and policies and investment opportunities to create an enabling environment for uptake of innovation and technology at the country level.

Delivering on Glasgow: Halting and reversing forest loss by 2030

Al-Waha Theatre

COP28 will put nature at the heart of the climate agenda. Conserving, restoring and sustainably managing nature can provide up to one-third of the mitigation potential needed to achieve Paris Agreement temperature goals, while offering significant benefits for adaptation and sustainable development. Yet we continue to see unprecedented levels of degradation across natural ecosystems, negatively affecting both our climate goals and the communities that depend on a healthy planet.

We are inviting leaders to come forward at this event to outline how they are implementing the Glasgow Leaders Declaration on Forests and Land Use. This will include the recognition and inclusion of Indigenous Peoples and local communities in conservation, evidence of systemic policy reforms that promote deforestation-free sustainable development, as well as financial announcements and ambitious plans for delivering scaled up ambition by 2030.

Livestock for NDCs

• Maria Elena Varas, Senior Director Sust. Livestock and Feed, WWF- US
• Hilen Meirovich, IDB
• Marcos Pereda, President of Sociedad Rural Argentina
• Bernard Kimoro, Government of Kenya- Livestock Climate Change Specialist at State Department for Livestock
• Ciniro Costa Jr, Multifunctional Landscapes and CGIAR Hub for Sustainable Finance - The Alliance of Biodiversity and CIAT (CGIAR)
• Josefina Eisele, Regional Director, Latin America

IICA Pavilion
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The event will showcase concrete examples of how sustainable livestock management and technologies can restore and improve grassland ecosystems, contributing to the strengthening of grassland restoration and management. This, in turn, plays a crucial role in delivering on the commitments included in NDCs. The event aims to bring together practitioners facilitating the sharing of successful experiences and encouraging the replication and scaling up of existing practices across regions.

Considering that there are approximately 1.1 billion hectares of degraded land worldwide, the discussions will delve into how effective grazing management, expansion of conservation agriculture, and implementation of mixed crop-livestock production systems can offer strategies to address land degradation.

Journey of Water Film Screening

• Andreas Karlsson, Director of Communications, Stockholm International Water Institute (Moderator)
• Ruth Mathews, Senior Manager / Coordinator, Action Platform for Source-to-Sea Management, Stockholm International Water Institute
• Christine Cholvin, Water Policy Lead, WWF
• Floris Boogaard, City of Rotterdam, The Netherlands (TBC)

Water for Climate Pavilion
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This event will screen the Journey of Water New York film created by WWF and SIWI, and be followed by a short panel discussion about nature-based solutions for freshwater adaptation.

US Action on Clean Trade and Transparent Supply Chains for Climate and Nature

• Carter Roberts, CEO, WWF-US
• Tom Carper, Chairman, Senate Environment & Public Works Committee
• Sheldon Whitehouse, Chairman, Senate Budget Committee
• Brian Schatz, Chairman, Indian Affairs Committee
• Sara Schonhardt, International Climate Reporter, E&E News by Politico
• Jan Yves Remy, Director, Shridath Ramphal Centre for International Trade Law, Policy and Services (SRC)
• Joojin Kim, Founder and CEO, Solutions for Our Climate
• Jean-François Timmers, WWF Policy and Advocacy Lead, Deforestation and Conversion-free Supply Chains

WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

This session will explore how an integrated US clean trade approach covering clean energy supply chains, CBAM policy, and deforestation-free supply chains can drive global outcomes for the climate, nature, and people. US Congress Budget Committee Chairman Sheldon Whitehouse will discuss actions corporates can take to increase transparent, low-carbon and nature-positive supply chains and the bipartisan PROVE IT act while Senator Brian Schatz will speak to the need for traceability and transparency in global commodities supply chains to remove illegal deforestation and associated abuses from global trade, via the FOREST Act, as its lead sponsor.

How Leading Companies are Starting to Phase Out Fossil Fuels

• Edward Markey, Chairman, Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate & Nuclear Safety, U.S. Senate
• Viviane Raddatz, Climate & Energy Head, WWF Germany
• Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)
• Yolanda Fernandez Montes, Chief of Sustainability for EDP Spain
• Christopher Adamo, VP Public Affairs & Regenerative Agriculture Policy, Danone

Global Renewables Hub (GRH) in the Blue Zone (B2 17)
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As part of the panel discussion, we will hear from businesses and policy makers on how businesses can lead the way in this transition away from fossil fuels. How are these plans integrated into their science-based targets, transition plans and investments in net-zero solutions? We would also hear about the policy and regulatory enabling conditions that are critical to catalyse this transition, at the pace and scale that science requires.

Making Good on Promises: Addressing Forest Footprints and Investing in Forest Restoration

Josefina Braña Varela, Vice President and Deputy Lead, Forests, WWF-US (Moderator)

WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

Companies and national actors are worryingly behind on delivering 2030 deforestation and restoration goals. This event will convene complementary platforms for corporate action on forests and outline a systemic approach to addressing forest footprints and investing in high quality forest restoration that could improve delivery against targets.

Freshwater Challenge: Ministerial Roundtable on Protection and Restoration of Freshwater Ecosystems Presidency Roundtable

Livestream TBA

The ministerial roundtable on the Freshwater Challenge will announce new country signatories and their commitments to protecting and restoring freshwater ecosystems, which are essential to mitigating and adapting to climate change and currently the most degraded type of ecosystem worldwide. The Freshwater Challenge, launched at the UN 2023 Water Conference, is the world's most ambitious freshwater restoration initiative to date, aiming to restore over 300,000 km of rivers and 350 million hectares of wetlands by 2030, or approximately 30% of Earth's degraded freshwater ecosystems. The Freshwater Challenge is a way to promote the inclusion of water-related targets in multilateral environmental agreements and development frameworks, such as the Agenda 2030 and the Sendai Framework, and accelerate their implementation. This event will also consist of a multistakeholder facilitated discussion on ways to implement and deliver on commitments.

Recharge Pakistan

• Carter Roberts, President and CEO, WWF-US
• Mafalda Duarte, Executive Director, Green Climate Fund (GCF)
• Dina Esposito, Assistant to the Administrator, REFS Head
• Saadia Madsbjerg, President, The Coca-Cola Foundation (joining virtually)
  

WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

Recharge Pakistan was announced via press release in July 2023. A panel event at COP28 is an opportunity to bring the partners together on a global stage to share their perspectives on the significance of the project, and to lead a conversation on the importance of nature-based solutions, green infrastructure, and climate change adaptation in Pakistan and beyond.

The Amazon as The Catalyst of the Brazilian Economy

WWF Panda Pavilion, COP28 Blue Zone
Livestream

The Amazon is facing a crucial tipping point of deforestation and degradation that would be devastating for Brazil and the world. The New Economy for the Brazilian Amazon report offers a roadmap for a low-carbon, deforestation-free future which positions the Amazon region as a catalyst for decarbonizing the entire Brazilian economy.