The COP28 UN Climate Change Conference takes place from 30 November to 12 December 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It represents a vital opportunity for UNECE member States and all Parties worldwide to scale up commitments to deliver on the Paris Agreement. UNECE will be fully engaged at COP28 to support urgently-needed climate action.
Key events include:
1 DEC
- Carbon sponge City – or why forests can help save our climate problems in cities – 1 Dec, 13:00, Finnish Pavilion
Experts will discuss the role of cities in reducing global carbon emissions and how they could become important carbon sinks with the increased use of low carbon or carbon negative construction materials such as more wood.
3 DEC
- Transition Finance: from Ambition to Action - 10:30–12:00, Blue Zone Room 2.
High-level discussion with the European Commission, DZ-Bank and High-Level Climate Champions
- Climate Change is Not Cool - 13:30-15:00, Italian Pavilion
Discussion with the National Chamber of Italian Fashion (Camera nazionale della moda italiana).
- European Regional Dialogue: Accelerating Action on Climate and Health - 15:15-16:30, WHO Health Pavilion
- NDCs and NECPs as the new financial roadmaps for facilitating a transition towards renewable energy in South-East Europe - 17:15-18:00, IRENA Pavilion
Discussion with IRENA on how to support increased renewables uptake linked to Just Transition.
- Better food-packaging for a sustainable tomorrow – the role of forests – 15:00. Finnish Pavilion
The panel will provide insights into the role of forest fibre-based packaging for a healthier, low-carbon future with less plastic wrapping.
4 DEC
- Regional Platforms for Climate Finance: unlocking climate finance flows through project acceleration - 16:00-17:30, Action Room 2, Blue Zone
Discussion with High-Level Climate Champions and UN Regional Commissions in follow-up to projects featured in compendium presented at COP-27.
- Accelerating the Just Energy Transition: decarbonizing industrial value chains with clean hydrogen – 16:45-18.15pm, UNFCCC SE room 9.
This side event will address how clean hydrogen could accelerate the Just Energy Transition through decarbonizing industrial value chains and promoting socio-economic growth.
5 DEC
- Global Energy Interconnection: Advancing Just and Inclusive Energy Transition - 09:30-11:00, UNFCCC SE Pavilion
Discussions will explore pathways and solutions for an energy-inclusive and just transition, contributing insights towards global energy security and climate resilience.
- Transport decarbonization and global standards for the export and import of fuels and used cars - 09:30, Benelux-EIB Pavilion
23 million used vehicles were exported in 2015-2020, around 66% of which were exported to developing and transitional countries, bringing significant pollution and climate change impacts. The event will discuss the development of global standards to ensure that only quality used vehicles can be exported.
- Transport-Energy Ministerial: Transport-Energy Nexus to Deliver Climate Goals and a Just Transition - 13:00-14:30, GCA Lab 1
- OFFICIAL SIDE EVENT: Enabling climate action through data, transparency, and finance - 13:15-14:45, SE Room 2
UNECE will emphasize the need to improve climate change-related statistics and leverage existing data systems to produce reliable, coherent, and accessible data for reporting, policymaking, and informing the public.
- Watering the clean energy transition – 17:00-18:00, Blue Zone.
All low and zero-emissions fuels and power sources for electrification need water, in some cases at a large scale, and countries lack standardized tools to effectively measure and manage these dependencies. The event will launch a call to action on water for climate by countries willing to work together on these issues.
- Towards Resilient Energy Transition in a Changing Climate – 17:45-18:45, IPCC-WMO-MERI-NCM Pavilion
Grounded in climate science, the session will discuss how climate hazards and climate change impact the energy sector in different regions.
6 DEC
- Ministerial Meeting: Urbanization and Climate Change – 9:30-12:00, Blue Zone, Plenary 2 – Al Ghafat
- Combating climate change through strong transport sector mitigation and adaptation actions – 09:35-10:50, SDG Pavilion (DESA)
High-level panellists will focus on policy measures and actions aimed at avoiding inefficient transport, shifting to low carbon transport modes and improving vehicles, infrastructure and operations.
- OFFICIAL SIDE EVENT: Responsible and inclusive management of critical energy transition minerals - 11.30-13.00, UNFCCC SE room 4
Coordinated by UN Regional Commissions, UNDP, and UNEP, this event will present the activities of the UN Working Group on ‘Transforming the Extractive Industries for Sustainable Development’, formed to support a just energy transition through sustainable minerals development.
- Trees in dry cities: luxury or a fundamental climate and SDG solution? - 14:30-16:00, WGEO Pavilion
Discussions will explore the contribution of urban forestry to climate action in arid conditions.
- Financing adaptation in transboundary basins – 14:00-15:00, Water and Climate Pavilion
This discussion, with insights from the UN Water Convention, will focus on financing transboundary water cooperation, best practices, and support from the World Bank in this regard.
- Water Action Agenda commitments and their intersection with climate change - 16:00-17:00, IAEA Pavilion
Almost 800 commitments were made towards the Water Action Agenda at the UN Water Conference in March 2023. This event will focus on the intersection in many commitments between climate change and water resource availability.
- High-level panel on peace, security and health - 17:00-18:00, Water and Climate Pavilion
With climate change driving water stress worldwide, this discussion will focus on water's linkages with peace, security and health. The panel will be held on Thematic Day 7 on Peace, Security and Health.
8 DEC
Climate and Clean Air Ministerial of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition - 18:00-20:00, Action Lab 1 (Al-Shaheen)
10 DEC
- Water for peace and security: From risk to resilience - 10:00-11:30, Connect Conference Multipurpose Hall, Green Zone
UNECE will share insights from cooperation under the Water Convention.
- Restoring and conserving wetlands as a tool to reduce water scarcity in transboundary basins - 13:00-14:30, Azerbaijan Pavilion
Discussions will showcase interlinkages between ecosystem restoration and reducing water scarcity; sharing best practices and lessons learnt in the Pan-European region.
- Improving climate resilience through transboundary cooperation - 16:45- 17:45, SDG Pavilion
UNECE will share perspectives from experience under the Water Convention.
UNECE support for climate action
The UNECE region is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, responsible for 34% of the world’s CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion. The people of the region are increasingly feeling the impacts of climate change - from wildfires to flooding, heatwaves and drought.
Through its norms, standards, conventions and policy assistance, UNECE provides practical tools to support countries in their climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, to leverage financing, and to strengthen collaboration.
Explore resources in UNECE's climate action brochure.