Climatological, meteorological and environmental factors in the COVID-19 pandemic. Building America’s new climate economy. How deep can building retrofits go? How local governments can buy renewable energy and support market development. Energy management, crises and competitiveness. Frontiers in forest monitoring. Scaling up financing for clean energy, sustainable landscapes and climate adaptation. Find out about these and more online events of the week!
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3 August, 1:30 – 3:00 PM CEST
“Engaging with the Green Climate Fund – A Civil Society Toolkit” (by CARE)
The webinar will be a detailed presentation of the toolkit ‘‘Engaging with the Green Climate Fund – A Civil Society Toolkit’’. The toolkit aims to provide civil society actors and their organisations, as well as any other stakeholders interested in the Green Climate Fund (GCF), with relevant information, deeper knowledge, and guidance on how to get involved with the fund. GCF is one of the primary funding institutions of the international climate finance architecture under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement. ts overall goal is to promote a “paradigm shift towards low-emission and climate-resilient development pathways’’…
3 August, 4:00 – 5:00 PM CEST (10:00 AM EST)
“(Mis)allocation of Renewable Energy Sources” (International Association for Energy Economics – IAEE)
Policies to incentivize the adoption of renewable energy sources (RES) usually offer little flexibility to adapt to the varying benefits of those sources at different locations within the same jurisdiction. In this webinar, experts will offer a general framework to evaluate the geographical misallocation of RES that is potentially caused by the uniform nature of feed-in-tariffs (FiT). Register here.
3 August, 6:30 – 7:30 PM CEST (12:30 PM EST)
“Working with NOAA Climate and Weather Data: Opportunities to enhance infectious disease modeling and pandemic preparedness” (by National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – NOAA)
In this webinar, NOAA scientists will describe new informational and data resources for the environmental health research community interested in linkages to infectious disease. Register here.
4 – 6 August
“Climatological, Meteorological and Environmental factors in the COVID-19 pandemic” (by World Meteorological Organisation)
This international virtual symposium will help elucidate what is known, understood, and can be reliably predicted about environmental variables’ influence on the trajectory of the COVID-19 epidemic, from global, hemispheric, regional and local perspectives. Symposium outcomes will include a synthesis of the information presented and recommendations for further research at local to global scales. The online symposium will include pre-recorded contributions from registered and selected delegates, and live session panels chaired by members of the scientific committee and open to all delegates.
4 August, 8:00 – 9:00 AM CEST (4:00 PM AEST)
“Why Large-Scale Solar Alone no Longer Makes Sense” (by PV Magazine)
With grid congestion and curtailment plaguing utility-scale PV development in many parts of Australia and the proposed 5-minute settlement by the Australian Energy Market Operator, live from October 2021, the case for coupling solar arrays to large-scale storage is becoming increasingly compelling. But how can solar + storage projects be effectively executed? And what are the keys for developing a successful business model?
Register here.
4 August, 11:45 AM – 12:30 PM CEST (10:45 AM BST)
“Capital Conversation with Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the UK Environment Agency” (by London Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
Learn about the role that business has in tackling the climate emergency on our webinar with Chief Executive of the Environment Agency.
4 August, 12:00 – 1:00 PM CEST
“What does the Paris Agreement’s transparency framework mean for least developed countries?” (by International Institute for Environment and Development – IIED)
Least developed countries (LDCs) are the most affected by climate change, yet contribute the least to it. Undeterred by this unfair burden, they are proactively working at national level to put the goals of the Paris Agreement into practice. They are designing long-term, low-carbon development strategies, reporting on progress towards their mitigation and adaptation actions, and finding new solutions to the adverse effects of climate change. This webinar is the first in a series bringing together practitioners from LDCs with global practitioners, technical experts and other stakeholders to share their experiences in implementing frameworks and national policies, including the opportunities and challenges in bringing the Paris Agreement to life. Speakers will also share how COVID-19 has affected implementation activities.
4 August, 2:00 – 3:00 PM CEST
“Drought Impacts: Agricultural Systems” (by GlobeDrought)
Drought is the most important abiotic stressor, influencing cropping systems and consequently, food security. In this webinar, experts explain the characteristics and importance of agricultural drought compared to other droughts (e.g. meteorological, hydrological, etc.). They will introduce the capability of global crop water models and remote sensing approaches in the detection of drought signal on specific crops at global and regional scales.
4 August, 2:00 – 3:00 PM CEST
“Localising the Sustainable Development Goals: Lessons from South Africa” (by ICLEI)
The webinar will seek to explore the South African SDG landscape, with inputs from National departments, Metropolitan Municipalities, Intermediary Cities, and practitioners, in order to draw out some key learnings and insights that could be applied elsewhere to inspire localisation of the SDGs across the African continent. Reflecting on the South African SDG localisation experience to date will serve as a case study from which lessons will be shared by a diverse panel of speakers who have first-hand experience in navigating the complexities of sustainable development.
4 August, 2:00 – 3:30 PM CEST (8:00 AM EST)
“High-level dialogue on climate change and COVID-19” (by Inter-Parliamentary Union – IPU, Sustainable Development Solutions Network – SDSN and Parliamentarians for the Global Goals – PFGG)
Participants include parliamentarians and their staff from over 60 countries, as well as experts on climate policy. Experts share thoughts on how Parliamentarians can ensure economic recovery packages support the transition away from fossil fuels, to simultaneously meet Paris Agreement committments while rebuilding economies post-COVID.
4 August, 3:00 – 4:00 PM CEST
“Forced Displacement and Climate Justice in Mongolia and Nepal” (by Centre for Climate Justice at Glasgow Caledonian University)
Within the context of the continuing increase of the world’s forcibly displaced population, the first talk of the webinar draws attention to one of the nation-wide examples of ‘slow emergency’ – a pervasive condition of interrelated and unrelieved environmental and socio-economic crises in Mongolia, which has been forcing hundreds of thousands of nomadic herders to abandon centuries-old way of life and migrate to the Mongolian capital, Ulaanbaatar, as an ultimate survival strategy. Second presentation will be about regional geopolitics and environmental degradation in the everyday lives of Tibetan refugees in Nepal.
4 August, 4:00 – 6:00 PM CEST
“Just Transition in the Aviation Sector” (by Stay Grounded)
Covid-19 grounded the majority of flights. How can this pause of aviation serve to transition towards a climate-just transport system – one that will involve less flights also in the long run? Just Transition is a demand originally developed by trade unions and now widely supported by the climate justice movement. It aims to protect the workers and communities dependent on the industry, while safeguarding the future of workers, communities and the planet. What are the current discussions inside trade unions – how to deal with employees in the current time of crisis? Could jobs be shifted to other sectors? This webinar will discuss how such a transition can be organized in a just way, taking into account the global scale, recognizing the current power balances and also looking into the role of the state and public ownership. Register here.
4 August, 5:00 – 6:00 PM CEST (11:00 AM EST)
“Building America’s New Climate Economy” (by World Resources Institute – WRI)
Join the webinar with a diverse set of leaders exploring how states and businesses are making progress toward a low-carbon future and what policy interventions, corporate leadership, technology trends and other activities can accelerate this transition, while ensuring that workers aren’t left behind. The webinar will feature a brief presentation on “America’s New Climate Economy: A Comprehensive Guide to the Economic Benefits of Climate Policy in the United States”. Launching on July 28, the paper explains how low-carbon investments and policies would create jobs, provide widespread public health benefits and accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. Register here.
4 August, 7:00 – 8:00 PM CEST (1:00 PM EST)
“How Deep Can Building Retrofits Go?” (by American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy – ACEEE)
Energy-efficient building retrofits will be critical for saving money, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and meeting climate goals. This free webinar, a sneak peak to this month’s Summer Study Buildings, will explore the potential scale and energy savings of retrofits for single-family homes as well as multifamily and commercial buildings in the US. Authors of three Summer Study papers will preview and discuss their findings.
4 August, 8:00 – 9:00 PM CEST (2:00 PM EST)
“State Leadership in Clean Energy: NYSERDA’s Offshore Wind Program” (by Clean Energy States Alliance – CESA)
Offshore wind offers an unprecedented source of affordable, renewable power for New York. The State is supporting the development of 9,000 megawatts of offshore wind energy by 2035 to power nearly 6 million homes. In 2019, NYSERDA issued the single largest renewable energy award in the nation’s history of 1,696 MW. The state issued a pioneering Offshore Wind Master Plan in 2018 and provided leadership to launch the National Offshore Wind Research and Development Consortium (2018). NYSERDA’s Offshore Wind Program is developing offshore wind in the most responsible and cost-effective way possible and bringing clean, locally produced power where the burdens of climate change are highest. Join to find out more.
5 August, 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM CEST (4:00 PM Bangkok)
“Climate and Clean Energy Opportunities for Southeast Asia” (by PFAN and UNIDO REEEP)
The Private Financing Advisory Network (PFAN) is a global network of climate and clean energy financing experts that aims to bridge the gap between entrepreneurs developing climate and clean energy projects and private sector investors. PFAN provides coaching support to developers of climate resilient and clean energy projects and links them to sources of investment. This webinar will explain how PFAN works, introduce participants to PFAN country coordinators, project developers and investors, and highlight specific sector-focused opportunities. Register here.
5 August, 2:00 – 3:30 PM CEST
“Energy Management, Crises and Competitiveness” (by Climate Group and National Business Initiative)
Webinar featuring Climate Group’s global EP100 Initiative members in South Africa.
5 August, 2:30 – 3:30 PM CEST (8:30 AM EST)
“Frontiers in Forest Monitoring: Research Horizons for Global Forest Watch” (by World Resources Institute – WRI)
Thanks to innovations in satellite monitoring, we’ve never had a better understanding of when and where forests are changing around the world. Global Forest Watch (GFW) provides the most up-to-date forest data available online for free, offering unprecedented transparency on the state of the world’s forests. Join experts from GFW for “Research Horizons for Global Forest Watch”, the third installment in our “Frontiers in Forest Monitoring” webinar series. This webinar will preview GFW’s ongoing research, focusing on three core questions: can we detect forest change faster and in greater detail? can we improve our understanding of what causes forest loss? and can we map how much carbon forests are emitting and sequestering? Register here.
5 August, 3:00 – 4:00 PM CEST (9:00 AM EST)
“Enhancing the Role of National Development Banks in Supporting Climate-Smart Urban Infrastructure” (by Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance)
This webinar will focus on a think piece commissioned by FELICITY-GIZ, and developed in collaboration with the Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance, that focuses specifically on enhancing the role that National Development Banks (NDBs) play in supporting the acceleration of climate-smart urban infrastructure investment. With more than USD 5 trillion in assets and several comparative advantages relative to other financiers, NDBs are well-positioned to lead this shift. However, maximizing their potential will require strengthening the enabling environments of urban institutions, as well as, making some strategic adjustments at the NDB institutional and financing levels.
5 August, 4:00 – 5:00 PM CEST (10:00 AM EST)
“Human Rights Strategies in Climate Change Litigation – A Latin-American Perspective” (by Global Network for Human Rights and the Environment)
The failure of the international community to agree on more stringent climate action from states has prompted increased climate litigation, pushing for increased mitigation commitments and better adaptation to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Jurisprudence in the Global South, and particularly in Latin America, is developing rapidly and challenging our assumptions about the most fundamental questions, changing the way we think about the relationship between the states and the regional and international communities, the obligations owed by states to present and future generations, and the place of humanity in our planetary ecosystems. This webinar will broaden our knowledge and deepen our understanding about cases and trends in human rights-based climate litigation in Latin America. Register here.
5 August, 6:00 – 7:00PM CEST
“How to Facilitate a World Climate Simulation” (by Climate Interactive)
This webinar will provide insight into the World Climate Simulation, a mock-UN climate negotiation exercise that tens of thousands have participated in. This simulation exercise can help people better understand what is needed to address climate change and what is happening at the international level. During this webinar you will learn how to facilitate the exercise, hear how others have been successful with events, and be able to ask any questions you may have. Register here.
5 August, 7:00 – 8:00 PM CEST (1:00 PM EST)
“Race & Energy” (by Pecan Street Inc.)
Join the panel which will take a deeper dive into the issues surrounding race and how it impacts energy affordability, the need for equal opportunity to participate in emerging clean energy programs and markets, and models for how to design equitable energy programs in the US. Register here.
6 August, 1:00 – 2:00 AM CEST (11:00 AM New Zealand)
“How can our coastal communities adapt to an uncertain future?” (by Resilience to Nature’s Challenges)
Join team of researchers for an update on their recent research on dynamic planning, proactive coastal adaptation and managed retreat. Featuring thought leaders in coastal science, management and adaptation from New Zealand’s University of Auckland, Victoria University of Wellington and NIWA. This free webinar will be useful to anyone involved in climate adaptation and coastal planning within central or local government, iwi and hapū, and coastal communities, as well as researchers and students.
6 August, 3:00 – 4:30 PM CEST (9:00 AM EST)
“Scaling up Financing for Clean Energy, Sustainable Landscapes, and Climate Adaptation” (by USAID)
The amount of development assistance available for clean energy, sustainable landscapes, and climate adaptation is relatively small. National governments have multiple, urgent, competing needs for public expenditures, recently exacerbated by the global pandemic and economic recession. Increasing investments in climate mitigation and adaptation will require greater private sector engagement, more access to international and domestic capital markets, and new sources of financing from institutional investors and impact investors. Development assistance organizations can play a major role in leveraging new private sector financing, but will have to adopt new approaches to scale up impacts. This webinar will describe experiences of USAID and other development assistance organizations to expand investment from the private sector and other sources. Experts will highlight options for improving enabling environments, strengthening information and capacity, and creating or strengthening financing mechanisms and instruments. Register here.
6 August, 8:00 – 9:00 PM CEST (2:00 PM EST)
“Educating the Next Generation of Conservation Leaders” (by World Wildlife Fund – WWF)
For 25 years the Russell E. Train Education for Nature Program (EFN) has helped build the next generation of conservation leaders committed to protecting the world’s most biologically diverse places. Started in 1994 to honor the late Russell E. Train, founder, president, and chairman of the board of WWF, EFN provides financial support to conservation leaders in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, to help them gain the skills and knowledge necessary to address environmental challenges in their home countries. Since the program began, EFN has supported more than 2,700 individuals and organizations around the world. Join to hear about this experience and vision for the future of the EFN program. Register here.
6 August, 8:00 – 9:00 PM CEST (2:00 PM EST)
“How Local Governments Can Buy Renewable Energy and Support Market Development” (by SolSmart Program)
Many local governments in the US are interested in renewable energy procurement as a way to directly expand clean energy use. To learn more, join this event. The webinar will include national experts, and community leaders to discuss renewable energy procurement strategies for local and regional governments. The webinar will cover strategies local governments can consider to procure renewable energy and support renewable energy market development, including power purchase agreements (PPAs), virtual power purchase agreements (VPPAs), community solar, and more. This webinar will also cover how the regulatory landscape impacts the RE purchasing options available to a particular community and highlight case studies from local governments across the U.S. that have successfully implemented these strategies, including Arlington, Virginia and Denver, Colorado. Register here.
7 August, 3:00 – 4:00 PM CEST
“Climate Change and Food, Health & Social Systems Resilience: Lessons learned from Covid19” (by Sustainability Health Education Foundation, Climate Technology Centre and Network, UNEP, Loyola Marymount University, Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, Nutrition Vegetarian Society in Taiwan and ProVeg International)
This events is a part of webinar series aiming to provide a Solutions Space where stakeholders including civil society, scientists, UN and governments can share lessons learned from the Covid19 crisis, in a world already challenged by the impacts of Climate Change, Malnutrition and Inequity. Experts, innovators and visionaries will identify climate resilient development pathways, for transformative and equitable food systems, that can contribute to One Health Planetary Health and green, inclusive and healthy recovery. This session will showcase exemplary initiatives addressing current compounding risks and will identify short- and long-term strategies to build Health, Food and Social Systems Resilience during Covid19. Register here.
7 August, 4:00 – 5:00 PM CEST
“Conversation with UN Special Rapporteurs on Indigenous Peoples, Water, and Climate” (by UNDP-SIWI Water Governance Facility)
Indigenous peoples play a vital role when it comes to the environment. As stewards of fragile marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems, their role and inclusion in equitable and sustainable water management is essential. Worldwide, indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities also suffer disproportionally from economic, social and political marginalization and human rights violations, including poor access to water and sanitation services. In order to raise awareness of indigenous peoples, every 9 August commemorates the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, chosen in recognition of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations held in Geneva in 1982. This year, the online dialogue will highlight the role of indigenous peoples’ knowledge and perspectives in sustainable water management and climate change, and what other communities could learn from them. Register here.
7 August, 4:30 – 5:30 PM CEST (10:30 AM EST)
“EnergySource Innovation Stream: Hydrogen fuel cell technology and infrastructure in the commercial transportation industry” (by Atlantic Council Global Energy Center)
Listen to a business representative of a company that is an emerging player in the zero-emission transportation space. The company aims to manufacture zero-emission vehicles—mainly focusing on long-haul fuel cell trucks—and to develop the hydrogen infrastructure to fuel the vehicles. The speaker will discuss how fuel cell electric vehicles can meet a critical need for long-haul routes and can transport heavy payloads. She will explain company’s plans to generate clean energy at its hydrogen fueling facilities using electrolysis with electricity generated by solar panels or wind.
7 August, 7:00 – 8:00 PM CEST (1:00 PM EST)
“Smart Distributed Energy Resource Systems: The Missing Link” (by Pecan Street Inc.)
Panel of experts in energy production and management, all working at the cutting edge of intelligent Distributed Energy Resource (DER) and energy management technologies, will discuss the following questions and more: Are the impediments to distributed, real-time, DER management policy-based or technology-based? What needs to be standardized in order to ease widespread integration of smart DERs? What would create a ‘smart’ energy system? What is a possible solution for real-time integration of customer-side DER and use data with grid data? Register here.