Rebalancing our economy with nature. Mobility, migration and climate change. Adapt to defend: the security dimension of climate change. The world’s first energy islands – hubs for aggregation and distribution of offshore wind power. Driving forest conservation at scale. Nature-based solutions for recovery. Energy efficiency means business. Collaborative climate action. Discover these and more online events of the week!
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Biodiversity & Environment
1 – 5 March
“World Ocean Summit Virtual Week” (by The Economist)
The 2021 agenda will deliver fresh, robust, and action-oriented insights into creating a sustainable ocean economy. The virtual week offers the opportunity to access highly curated content and the chance to make meaningful connections no matter where you are in the world. Join over 5,000 participants and 150 speakers, as we continue to focus on high-level conversation and policymaking in plenary sessions as well as specific industry detail in six dedicated tracks (energy, plastics, fishing, shipping, tourism and aquaculture). Register here.
3 March, 8:00 – 9:00 CET and 14:00 – 15:00
“Nature-based Solutions for Recovery” (by IUCN)
As the leading organisation on Nature-based Solutions for Societal Challenges (NbS), IUCN is working with its members and partners across the world in making NbS a central component for national post-COVID19 recovery plans and policy frameworks. Capitalising on NbS for recovery can also enhance pathways and positive impacts for addressing the climate crisis as well as biodiversity loss crisis. 10 governments will join IUCN’s Director General, Dr Bruno Oberle, in lively and engaging discussions on what is being achieved and what more can be done to leverage the power of NbS for recovery.
4 March, 9:00 – 10:00 and 14:00 – 15:00 CET
“Rebalancing our economy with nature” (by ICLEI)
This webinar will reflect on the recently published Dasgupta Review, its implications for green recovery and sustainable economic development in cities and regions, and how this informs local and subnational action for biodiversity.
4 March, 9:30 – 11:00 CET
“What are the realities of the EU’s Biodiversity and Farm to Fork strategies?” (by Euractiv)
The two strategies, the Biodiversity and Farm to Fork, prompted a number of questions about the overall coherence of what was proposed. For example, reductions on pesticides and fertilizers, and a forced decrease of agriculture land, were proposed, without providing an impact assessment. Can a high level of environmental protection be combined with an equally high level of economic development and growth? Are trade-offs inevitable here? Will EU farmers face an uneven playing field, being obliged to adhere to stricter environmental conditions than their competitors? Is the relationship between the Farm to Fork Strategy and the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and its reform coherent? Register here.
5 March, 18:00 – 19:00 CET
“Driving forest conservation at scale: Architecture for REDD+ transactions” (by Atlantic Council)
Protection and restoration of tropical forests are crucial elements to maintaining the pathway towards global net zero emissions by mid-century. Recognizing this, Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, known as REDD+, is included in the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The unique feature of REDD+ is a pay for performance system, encouraging participation through financial rewards per ton of reduced emissions. However, there is often a disparity between scales of intervention and levels of funding compared to the magnitude of the challenge …
Climate Finance
1 March, 12:00 – 13:00
“Opportunities with Green Bonds and EU’s Sustainable Finance Reform” (by Graduate Institute Geneva)
One of the biggest sustainable finance stories of the past few years has been the growth of the green bonds market, and its offspring of social bonds, sustainable bonds, pandemic bonds and the like. Where did that growth occur and what are its key features? How has it led to a revolution in thinking about climate investments pitting “science-based thinking” against politically constrained national climate policies (for example in the new EU Taxonomy of Sustainable Finance)? What are the next probable developments? Register here.
Climate Policy & COP26
2 March, 10:00 – 11:00 CET
“Launch of Report on Collaborative Climate Action” (by GIZ)
There’s no doubt – in order to tackle climate change, a concerted and cooperative approach between national and subnational governments is necessary. Collaborative Climate Action, the politically intended, well-organised cooperation across different levels of government, is key to turn the tide against global warming. Join the launch event of a newly published report “Collaborative Climate Action – a prerequisite for more ambitious climate policy”. You will learn more about how national governments can create the framework conditions for subnational governments to translate national policies to the local level and how the national level, in turn, can benefit from ambitious action pioneered by cities and regions. Join here.
2 March, 18:15 – 20:00 CET
“Mobility, Migration and Climate Change” (by Graduate Institute Geneva)
The impact of environmental change on human mobilities and the way migration can act as a response to environmental hazards are attracting an increasing attention from both policy-makers and researchers worldwide in the context of climate change. Yet, knowledge in this field remains limited and fragmented. Numbers of future “environmental refugees” are often forecasted without reliable methodologies and concepts such as “trapped populations” or “climate migrants” are discussed without proper defini-tions. This talk will provide an overview of the environmental change migration nexus and investigate the key issues at stake. The concepts and methods most adequate to address the complexities of these phenomenon will also be questioned.
3 March, 17:00 – 18:00 CET
“GHG Protocol and SBTi for Forest, Land and Agriculture” (by World Resources Institute – WRI)
This webinar will provide updates on related initiatives under development to help companies set targets and track their progress on reducing climate impacts for the land sector (food, agriculture, forestry, etc.). The Greenhouse Gas Protocol team will share updates on their upcoming Land Sector and Removals Guidance on accounting for and reporting greenhouse gas impacts for companies in land sector value chains, including guidance for CO2 removals. The Science Based Targets initiative’s Forest, Land and Agriculture project (SBTi FLAG) will also present on their upcoming guidance to enable companies to incorporate deforestation and land-related emissions into science-based targets.
4 March, 15:00 – 16:30 CET
“Adapt to defend. The security dimension of climate change” (by Clingendael Institute and the British Embassy in the Netherlands)
The security dimension of climate change is increasingly recognized by the Defence sector. Whereas climate change initially was considered just as a new risk factor, attention has shifted to how the increase of extreme weather events impacts todays’ military capabilities, how defence organisations and institutions can adapt and mitigate, and to how the military can contribute to environmental peacebuilding efforts. Another area of attention is how military research and innovation could better align with energy transition objectives, and become a test-bed and accelerator of new technologies and how new tech can be harnessed to reduce the climate impact of defence organisations. Join the webinar to discover how the military can contribute more to reducing security risks related to climate change. Register here.
Energy Efficiency
5 March, 18:00 – 19:30 CET
“Energy Efficiency Means Business” (by Environmental and Energy Study Institute – EESI)
EESI invites you to a briefing to hear from a panel of experts about how federal energy efficiency programs create jobs and deliver direct meaningful savings to constituent homeowners, consumers, and businesses—all while reducing the stresses and strains on our energy system. Making investments in energy efficiency also encourages productive public-private partnerships and collaboration, improves the sustainability and resilience of our communities, and contributes to meaningful, near-term reductions in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Watch the event live here.
Renewables & Energy Transition
2 March, 15:00 – 15:30 CET
“The world’s first energy islands—hubs for aggregation and distribution of offshore wind power” (by Atlantic Council Global Energy Center)
Hanne Storm Edlefsen, vice president of Energinet, discusses how Denmark is establishing the world’s first energy islands, marking the beginning of a new era for large-scale offshore wind power. Ms. Edlefsen will discuss how the Danish Parliament is preparing for the construction of two energy islands in Denmark—in the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The islands are to be completed in the early 2030s and are expected to produce 5 GW of power initially, with plans to scale up to 12 GW. The design of these energy islands will enable them to pool power from multiple offshore wind farms to supply Denmark and the neighboring countries with clean energy.
3 March, 10:15 – 11:30 CET
“Policy Dialogue: Cost-efficient and sustainable pathways for meeting future power demand” (by Powering Past Coal Alliance – PPCA)
This PPCA Summit session brings together policymakers, multilateral bodies and think tank representatives to share their experience on current trends that are leading to shifts in power sector policy and infrastructure. Discussions will also touch up the socio-economic and technical impacts on these shifts and future trends following the global COVID-19 pandemic.
3 March, 11:00 – 12:00 CET
“Integration of Renewable Energies in the Industry Sector. Challenges & Opportunities” (by ΕU-GCC Clean Energy Technology Network and Regional Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency)
The aim of the webinar is to exchange relevant best practices, information and lessons learned and advance regional initiatives on the integration of renewables energies in the main sectors of the region’s economies in the context of inclusive and sustainable energy transitions. In addition, it will discuss the challenges facing the European region and what can be done to transform these challenges into different business and economic opportunities including the creation of SMEs.
4 March, 15:00 – 16:00 CET
“Wind Energy in Europe 2020: Trends and Statistics” (by WindEurope)
WindEurope analysts will discuss the latest developments within the European wind industry, outlining key installations in wind farms, supply chain activity, and investment trends. They will analyse how the covid19 pandemic has affected the sector and the outlook for the next 5 years. Register here.
Sustainability & Circular Economy
3 March, 12:00 – 13:00 CET
“Transforming Food Systems and Investing in Nutrition for Growth – Staple Food Fortification and the Role of the Private Sector” (by Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, Ajinomoto, SUN Business Network and World Business Council for Sustainable Development – WBCSD)
This webinar will highlight the importance of private and public sector collaboration to develop, produce, and promote micronutrient-fortified foods and opportunities for new commitments looking toward the UN Food Systems Summit and the Tokyo Nutrition For Growth Summit.