Ahead of COP 28, and at the end of a record-breaking year of heat, UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report and Adaptation Gap Report showed dangerously slow progress on emissions reduction and adaptation planning and finance. The UN Climate Conference (COP28), taking place from 30 November to 12 December, offers a chance for Member States to build greater ambition for the next round of climate pledges and to commit to ambitious, credible climate action.
The conference marks the conclusion of the first Global Stocktake (GST), the main mechanism through which progress under the Paris Agreement is assessed. The Stocktake will help align the efforts on climate action, including measures that need to be put in place to bridge the gaps in progress.
UNEP’s engagement at COP28 will focus on: climate finance; climate adaptation; loss and damage; climate technology; a just and equitable transition that prioritizes the rights and needs of communities and groups most affected by the climate crisis, and supporting the COP28 UAE Presidency on a range of activities and topics, including sustainable cooling, methane, food systems, nature and land use.
During COP28, UNEP will host its own pavilion and host the first Faith Pavilion in collaboration with the Muslim Council of Elders and the COP28 Presidency. UNEP will also launch a number of reports at the conference.
*All events highlighted below are in Gulf Standard Time (GST/GMT+4). [CET +3]
UNEP report launches at COP28
1 December
14:00
An Eye on Methane: The Road to Radical Transparency highlights how the combination of pioneering technology and the UN’s convening power could plug major methane emissions knowledge gaps and trigger action at the scale and speed needed to fulfil essential climate pledges.
4 December
Launch of UN-convened Net-Zero Export Credit Agency Alliance
13:30, ADGM stage in the Green Zone (Energy Hub)
At COP28, the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) will launch of the UN-convened Net-Zero Export Credit Agency Alliance (NZECA), the first net-zero alliance comprising public finance institutions globally. In working to deliver net-zero economies by 2050, the NZECA will help decarbonise global trade and facilitate joint action from public and private finance.
5 December
Unveiling of Global Cooling Pledge + launch of UNEP’s Global Cooling Watch
11:30 (venue/hybrid link TBC)
The Pledge aims to raise ambition and international cooperation through collective global targets to slash cooling related emissions. Achieving the Pledge would increase access to sustainable cooling, save 78 billion tonnes CO2e by 2050, improve the lives of hundreds of millions, and realize huge financial savings for governments and end-users. The Pledge is one of nine non-negotiated declarations, pledges, and charters that constitute key outcomes for the COP28 Presidential Action Agenda.
At the same event, the UNEP-led Cool Coalition will launch the Global Cooling Watch, which takes a comprehensive view of cooling and trajectories and opportunities to achieve near-zero emissions. It evaluates the mitigation potential and policy actions related to all types of cooling including stationary applications (residential and non-residential space cooling, cold chains and process cooling) and transport applications (mobile air-conditioning and refrigerated transport).
8 December
What’s Cooking? An assessment of the potential impacts of selected novel alternatives to conventional animal products
(Time, venue/hybrid link TBC)
Emerging novel alternatives to animal products such as meat and dairy may contribute to significantly reducing the environmental footprint of the current food system, particularly in high- and middle-income countries, provided they use low-carbon energy, according to this UNEP assessment.
9 December
State of Finance for Nature Report
11:00 (venue, hybrid link TBC)
This year’s State of Finance for Nature report will be launched on the Thematic Day on Nature at COP28. The report is a series that aims to quantify public and private finance flows to nature-based solutions and the extent to which finance flows are aligned with global targets and the investment needed to limit global warming to below 1.5°C, halt biodiversity loss and achieve land degradation. The report sheds light on the scale of finance going to activities that have a direct negative impact on nature.
10 December
Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Report on Climate Change and Migratory Species
10:00, Press Centre, COP28 conference venue
Many of the world’s most iconic species are migratory, finely adapted to specific habitats that change with the seasons. This major new UN report finds for the first time that climate change is already impacting migratory species now. It also highlights the contributions of migratory animals to healthy functioning ecosystems and nature-based solutions. The CMS report, commissioned by the UK government, is being launched at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) ahead of the CMS’s own 14th Conference of the Parties (COP14) set to take place 12-17 February 2024 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
10 December
Launch of the Buildings Breakthrough
The Buildings Breakthrough aims to strengthen international collaboration to transition towards near-zero emission and resilient buildings by 2030, a vital aim when the buildings and construction sector is responsible for 37 per cent of energy-related CO2 emissions.
UNEP at the COP28 Pavilions
UNEP is hosting its own pavilion focusing on the key role of science, transparency and sectoral solutions in the fight against the climate crisis. Several events, workshops and other activities will be hosted within and outside the negotiations. The Pavilion can be found in the Blue Zone (B7, Building 87).
UNEP’s Pavilion will feature 12 thematic days with hybrid, live webstreamed events. All events will be conducted in English, with live translation where possible. More information will be added on a regular basis.
Faith Pavilion
At this year’s COP28, UNEP and the Muslim Council of Elders, in close collaboration with the COP28 Presidency, have formed a strategic multi-partnership with FBOs and civil society partners to host a first-of-its-kind Pavilion in the Blue Zone. The Pavilion will be a dedicated space for different faiths, traditions, and perspectives to come together to achieve a better future for planet Earth and humanity. It will provide an opportunity to connect with religious representatives and activists dedicated to environmental protection and climate justice, while engaging new audiences on innovative solutions to the climate crisis.
Related Pavilions
Other environment related pavilions at COP28 include: Buildings pavilion (2 – 10 December), Montreal protocol pavilion (1 – 11 December) and Rio Conventions Pavilion (30 November – 12 December).
Other UNEP events
UNEP Ministerial Events
4 December, 18:30 – 20:00 | Global Methane Pledge Ministerial
6 December, 09:30 – 12:00 | COP28 Ministerial Meeting on Urbanization and Climate Change
8 December 16:00 – 17:00 | High-Level event by the COP28 – Uniting for Climate Action: Calling for International Cooperation on Technology and Innovation
8 December, 18:00 – 20:00 | Climate & Clean Air Ministerial 2023
9 December, 13:00 – 14:30 | High-Level Event on Artificial Intelligence for Climate Action
9 December, 16:45 – 18:15 | Driving integrated implementation of national climate and biodiversity frameworks for 2030 action
UNEP COP28 Presidency Events
6 December, 15:00 – 16:30 | Local Ecosystem Restoration for Nature-Positive Cities and Regions
6 December, 18:30 – 20:00 | Global Cooling Pledge: Environment and Climate Sustainability
UNEP Official Side Events
3 December, 18:30 – 20:00 | Circularity as a game changer for climate action: upscaling applied research and economic solutions
4 December, 13:15 – 14:45 | Accelerating NDC implementation and addressing Global Stocktake outcomes through TNAS
5 December, 09.00 – 10.00 | How to increase adaptation effectiveness to reduce loss and damage: Insights from the UNEP Adaptation Gap Report 2023
5 December, 10.00 – 11.00 | What we need from the Global Stocktake – Insights from the latest UNEP Emissions Gap Report and UNFCCC NDC Synthesis Report
5 December, 15:00 – 16:30 | UN raising ambition and delivery on the ground: multilevel climate action for local resilience
To receive press materials of reports under embargo and/or to send questions ahead of the launch, please contact: UNEP’s News and Media Unit (unep-newsdesk@un.org).
For interviews: please contact Ms. Keisha Rukikaire (rukikaire@un.org), Mr. Moses Osani (moses.osani@un.org) and News and Media Unit (unep-newsdesk@un.org).
For more information, please see UNEP at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) for live updates