The lead up to COP29 – this month’s key events
As we enter September, momentum is building towards COP29, which will take place in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11th-22nd November. A series of events focusing on accelerating action to tackle the climate crisis will be held by leading organisations globally across the month
The Conference of the Parties (COP) are the foremost global forums for multilateral discussion of climate change matters. Last year, at Dubai’s COP28, the UEA Consensus marked a historic agreement among 198 countries to transition away from fossil fuels. Additionally,132 parties signed a pledge to triple installed renewable energy generation capacity by 2030. This year, at COP29, countries will present their updated national climate action plans under the Paris agreement, which are due by early 2025. A key focus of this year’s will be on finance and the need to invest in a livable planet for all.
However, the COP is not the sole event for dialogue on the action needed to address the climate crisis and at what pace and scale. These discussions are ongoing throughout the year and take place through a variety of means including international conferences, forums and regional summits, as well as closed roundtables consisting of key climate leaders.
Below provides an overview of this month’s upcoming events on the climate calendar. Whilst it is not exhaustive, it highlights the critical touchpoints for international organisations preceding COP29.
Upcoming events:
Fifth Global Conference on Strengthening Synergies between the Paris Agreement on Climate Change
Date: 5th-6th September
Location: Rio de Janeiro
Theme: Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet
Organisers: UN DESA, UNFCCC, Government of Brazil
Taking Place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the conference is co-convened by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC), and hosted by the Government of Brazil in conjunction with their G20 presidency. It will serve as a platform for high-level dialogue on fostering integrated approaches to address the interlinked challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, and sustainable development.
ASEAN Specialised Meterological Centre, WMO Regional Forum
Date: 4th- 6th September
Location: Marina Bay Sands, Singapore
Theme: Towards a Weather-Ready and Climate Resilient ASEAN
Organisers: ASMC and WMO
The year, the first ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) – World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Regional Forum will bring together global, regional and national leaders and partners from across the climate services value chain to focus on how climate services, including high-resolution regional climate projections and early warning systems, can better support climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction in Southeast Asia.
MENA-Europe Future Energy Dialogue 2024
Date: 8th September
Location: Thessaloniki, Greece
Theme: A Focus on Energy Infrastructure
Organisers: Ministry of Environment & Energy (Greece), and Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (Federal Republic of Germany).
MEFED24 will focus on cross-regional energy infrastructure for green electricity, hydrogen and derivatives to enable increasing energy trade between the MENA region and Europe. The conference will bring together high-level representatives of the public and private sector, infrastructure operators and financial institutions.
Fifth International Forum on Long-Term Energy Scenarios
Date: 9th-11th September
Location: Bonn, Germany
Organiser: IRENA
At the 5th edition of its annual flagship International Forum on Long-term Scenarios for the Clean Energy Transition, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) will bring together scenario practitioners in government, academia, technical institutions, international organisations, and the private sector. The Forum will focus on alignment between energy and climate planning, the role of scenario planning for de-risking investment for the clean energy transition, scenario communication, lifestyle changes, energy security, and hydrogen integration.
Date: 9th – 13th September
Location: Multiple
Theme: REDUCE. ELECTRIFY. ADAPT.
Organiser: World Green Building Council (WorldGBC)
World Green Building Week (WGBW) is the world’s largest campaign to accelerate sustainable built environments across the globe. It is led by WorldGBCs global network of over 75 Green Building Councils and their 46,000 members.
COP29-IEA High-Level Energy Transition Dialogue
Date: 24th September
Location: New York City, United States
Organisers: IEA and COP29 Presidency
This will be the third in a series of high-level energy transition dialogues convened by the COP29 Presidency and International Energy Agency (IEA) ahead of the COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November. The dialogues are co-chaired by IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol and COP29 President-Designate Mukhtar Babayev, and held in close partnership with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat. They aim to continue building international consensus around pathways to drive energy sector emissions to net zero and limit global warming to 1.5 °C.
United Nations Summit of the Future
Date: 22nd-23rd September
Location: United Nations Headquarters, New York City, United States
Theme: International cooperation
Organiser: United Nations
The Summit is a high-level event, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how to deliver a better present and safeguard the future. In September, world leaders will convene at the United Nations to adopt the Pact for the Future, which will include a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations as annexes.
Date: 22nd-29th September
Location: New York City, United States
Theme: It’s Time.
Organiser: Climate Group, in partnership with the United Nations General Assembly
Climate Week NYC brings together over 600 events and activities across the City of New York – in person, hybrid and online. Each year, business leaders, political change makers, local decision takers and civil society representatives of all ages and backgrounds, from all over the world, gather to drive the transition, speed up progress, and champion change that is already happening. Climate Group hosts the official program during the week that brings together the most senior international figures from business, government, civil society and the climate sector.
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