In this section you can find the full programme of events that will take place in the IUCN Pavilion during COP23.
12:00-13:30
Integrating Traditional Knowledge in Climate Action
The session will focus on how traditional knowledge can be integrated into climate action both from a policy and implementation perspective. This dialogue will build on the development of the Indigenous and Local Communities platform within the UNFCCC
14:30- 16:00
Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIP): a force for transformative change in raising ambition & inclusion of non-state actors
Through this event, panellists will share different perspectives and approaches to promote inclusivity, transparency and integration of diverse IPLC knowledge practices and innovations into relevant UNFCCC processes at multiple levels.
10:00-11:30
IUCN Forests Breakfast Open House: Unlocking the potential of NDCs through forest landscape restoration
Join IUCN, Climate Focus, and other NYDF Assessment Partners at this breakfast open house. We will share the findings of our in-depth analysis of country NDCs in the context of forest landscape restoration (FLR), which was conducted for the 2017 update on progress toward meeting Goal 5 of the NYDF. Meet our forest policy teams and discuss the role of FLR as a nature-based solution with great potential for unlocking the mitigation and adaptation potential of the forest and land sector to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Light refreshments will be served. Contact sandra.caya@iucn.org for more information.
12:00-14:00
IUCN Forests Lunch & Launch: Financing landscapes for forests with IUCN, EDF, Forest Trends and WWF
EDF, Forest Trends and WWF, with the support of IUCN, have conducted a rapid analysis of the funding landscape for REDD+ and climate action on forests. Join us for a lunchtime launch and discussion of this important topic, exploring public and private financing alternatives for all REDD+ phases and the related arrangements and requirements at national and international levels as a contribution for discussions on how to increase coordination of support for REDD+. Light luncheon will be served. Contact sandra.caya@iucn.org for more information.
14:30-16:00
IUCN Forests Country Showcase
Learn from country experiences in applying forest landscape restoration as a nature-based solution for addressing the drivers and impacts of climate change through forest and non-forest landscapes, as well as for delivering other social and environmental benefits for achieving national commitments under the UNFCCC and other conventions. IUCN and partners will share country experiences highlighting the diversity of enabling/transformative policies for forests that contribute to strengthening and promoting cross-sectoral policies while unlocking domestic funding for advancing climate actions at the country level. Contact sandra.caya@iucn.org for more information.
16:30-18:00
IUCN Forests High-Level Dialogue: Achieving national climate goals through forest landscape restoration
Achieving the objectives under the Paris Agreement for limiting average global temperatures below degrees, will not be possible without halting deforestation and forest degradation, and particularly if its effects are not reversed through effective protection, sustainable management and restoration of forest ecosystems. High-level political will and momentum on FLR is being built through Regional High-Level Bonn Challenge events, and at the national level, IUCN has been working with over 26 countries - at national or jurisdictional level - to assess their restoration potential through the Restoration Opportunities Assessment Methodology (ROAM), which has facilitated a bottom-up and multi-stakeholder process to define cost-effective policy interventions and technological packages to address country-specific drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in forest landscapes.
Join this high-level meeting between country representatives, including Hon. Anuradha Jayaratne, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, Sri Lanka; Rachel Biderman, Director, WRI Brasil, on behalf of the Brazilian Coalition on Climate, Forests and Agriculture; Stewart Maginnis, Global Director, Nature-Based Solutions Group, IUCN; and others, discussing their national successes with FLR in achieving domestic climate goals through the Bonn Challenge. Contact sandra.caya@iucn.org for more information.
18:30-20:00
IUCN Forests Cocktail Celebration: Going global with the Bonn Challenge
Achieving the targets of the Bonn Challenge is essential for a 1.5-degree and climate-resilient world. Forest landscape restoration, underpinning the Bonn Challenge, has a crucial role as a nature-based solution for unlocking the adaptation and mitigation potential of the forest and land sectors for achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Celebrate Bonn Challenge milestone achievements with announcements and keynote speeches, followed by refreshments and networking. The Bonn Challenge is truly going global, as regional initiatives and events take the stage. Hear from partners and special guests, including Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary, Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany; Hon. Anuradha Jayaratne, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, Sri Lanka; and Bianca Jagger, Founder, President and Chief Executive of the Bianca Jagger Human Rights Foundation and IUCN Bonn Challenge Ambassador. Help us celebrate the global restoration movement. Contact sandra.caya@iucn.org for more information.
10:00-11:30
Nature Based Solutions for an Uncertain Future?
This event will focus on the challenge of identifying scalable natural solutions to adapt to climate change, and how to raise the necessary financial and technical capital for natural infrastructure adaptation solutions.
Effective country-driven climate change adaptation reflects the importance of water management in reducing vulnerability and building climate resilience. Over 90% of I/NDCs refer to water management as a key response to climate change impacts. Climate resilience is strengthened through healthy ecosystem services that provide natural pathways to adaptation. Adapting to climate change relies on well-functioning river basins that provide key economic and environmental services for freshwater and marine ecosystems.
Many nature based solutions are focussed at project intervention level, yet the climate change impacts on hydrology will be across river basins and regions, impacting agriculture, human health, and ecosystems. Panellists will respond to presentations followed by active discussion with the audience.
14:30-16:00
Coastal resilience in West Africa
The West African coastline contains natural resources and habitats that provide important ecosystem services and play a vital role in protecting against food insecurity, coastal erosion, marine pollution, storms and extreme weather events. However, this area is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to the impacts of climate change.
This side event will be an opportunity to present this coastline and the challenges it currently faces. Further, initiatives to strengthen the resilience of this coast will be presented and will focus on examples in three countries in the sub-region.
16:30-18:00
Enhancing Adaptive Resilience through Forest Landscape Restoration: Bridging Gaps between Theory and Practice
IUCN welcomes you to an event that aims to bring together forest and adaptation practitioners, policy makers, and donors working on issues at the intersection of Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR), climate adaptation, mitigation, risk reduction, and overall human resilience. Through an interactive knowledge sharing panel discussion and presentation on examples of application of FLR in various contexts, together with active audience involvement, this event will enable a discourse to identify measures and opportunities to enhance forest and land use policies and practice towards climate resilience of both humans and ecosystems while implementing FLR approaches.
10:00- 11:30
Strengthening legal and institutional frameworks for Ecosystem-based Adaptation
Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) is gradually proving to be an effective approach to increase resilience and reduce the vulnerability of people and the environment to climate change. This approach to be up scaled requires clear and coherent legal frameworks governing the conservation and sustainable management of ecosystems. In this sense, and in the context of the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions INDCs, it is essential for States to realize the importance of strengthened legal, policy and institutional frameworks for EbA.
12:00- 13:30
Strategic Partnerships for Forest Conservation in Peru
The event, organized by Conservation International and the Ministry of Environment of Peru, will highlight strategic partnerships between the national government, indigenous peoples and civil society organizations. The presenters will describe complete examples of these partnerships and lessons learned which help inform public policies.
14:30- 16:00
From policy to action: how the energy sector is addressing gender equality and can inform mitigation actions
The event will present the findings of the two latest EGI (Environment and Gender Index) reports on energy policies and SEforALL country action documents. In addition, examples of how countries are implementing gender-responsive actions to increase the uptake of renewable energy technologies will be presented. Finally, two panellists will reflect on how the content of these analysis and actions could be used to inform the discussions under the UNFCCC.
16:30-18:00
Assessments of Nature-Based Solutions within NDCs: Where we are and what next?
Several assessments have been undertaken on the extent to which countries have integrated nature-based solutions (NBS) within their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), often with different scopes and methodologies. This event will present some of these key assessments with the aim of exploring a future consolidation to help inform the 2018 Facilitative Dialogue, and provide common guidance to Parties on how to incorporate enhanced NBS-based measures in their next round of NDCs
14:30- 16:00
Islands and EU Overseas at the frontline of Climate solutions
From the poles to the tropics, islands are highly vulnerable to climate change impacts but contribute minimally to greenhouse gas emissions. Particularly dependent on the health of their natural capital for their physical and economic well-being, islands present perfect opportunities to showcase nature-based solutions to mitigation and adaptation and to increasing overall resilience.
The different panellist of the Islands and EU Overseas event will showcase promising actions and initiatives at the local, regional and international level, that show helpful tangibles activities in order to address the pressing Climate change challenge and support the Paris agreement implementation.
10:15-11:45
IUCN Youth Voices
This side event focuses on discussing strategies for addressing global climate change challenges from the youth perspective. The event will promote the exchange of experiences, strengthening interaction between ‘youth voices’ and young environmental leader panelists. The event will encourage the role of the youth community in environmental problems.
12:00-13:00
Meet the World Commission on Environmental Law Specialist Group on Climate Change
The World Commission on Environmental Law (WCEL) is a network of environmental law and policy experts from all regions of the world who volunteer their knowledge and services to IUCN. The WCEL Specialist Group on Climate Change can play a key role in the development and implementation of a framework for mitigating and adapting to climate change at the national and international levels in the coming years.
13:00-14:15
Adaptive Governance: Formulating a flexible legal framework for Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) in the context of water
This session adopts a multi-disciplinary and multi-level lens to provide an overview of adaptive governance in relation to shared water resources in the face of climate change. The aim of this meeting is to promote Ecosystem-based Adaptation as a viable tool to enable sovereign states to cooperate and to jointly manage water resources and adapt to, but also mitigate, the effects of climate change most effectively, by bridging the gap between different sectors and providing a more holistic management of resources. This session provides a platform for discussion of climate change adaptation in the context of shared resources. Lastly, this session aims to identify the best practices in terms of legal and policy instruments which enable Ecosystem-based Adaptation to climate change.
14:15-15:15
Integrated Planning for Climate Change and Biodiversity
IUCN, with the support of the International Climate Initiative of the German Federal Ministry of the Environment has been exploring options to use planning tools to maximize the consideration of biodiversity and climate change issues into multiple planning processes in Viet Nam, Colombia, Tanzania and Zambia.
This event will focus on the challenges and opportunities of mainstreaming biodiversity and climate change into land use planning frameworks, introducing a training course on integrated land-use planning jointly developed by IUCN and the UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and will in particular feature local experiences in implementing best practices for land use planning integrating climate change and biodiversity.
16:30-18:00
Financing Conservation in a Changing Climate: Launch of the IUCN incubator for nature conservation
Protected Areas are some of the most valuable places on the planet, but face a global funding gap of over a billion dollars. Can protected areas make money…enough to sustain themselves and the planet’s future? Join a group of experts to discuss opportunities and innovation in financing protected areas.
10:30-11:30
Report launch: IUCN World Heritage Outlook 2 – a conservation assessment of all natural World Heritage sites
Join IUCN’s Director General Inger Andersen for the launch of the IUCN World Heritage Outlook 2. This new report reveals for the first time whether the conservation prospects of natural World Heritage sites are improving or deteriorating. It highlights how climate change impacts on the outstanding values of these places are changing. It also reports on other threats and trends, and how some sites succeed in responding to them. IUCN is the official advisor on nature under the World Heritage Convention and the IUCN World Heritage Outlook is its flagship product in this field. Coffee and local delicacies will be offered.
11:45-12:30
The Benefits of Natural World Heritage: how the world’s natural treasures contribute to addressing climate change
Natural World Heritage sites not only possess outstanding values, they also provide solutions to the planet’s challenges. These areas contribute to global climate stability by storing great amounts of carbon and buffer natural disasters. They often include large wilderness areas, which also serve as refuge for species that need to migrate to survive. IUCN will present its work on ‘The Benefits of Natural World Heritage’, supported by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, and discuss key points on large landscapes and seascapes.
14:30- 16:00
Utilizing the Critical Role of Ocean and Coastal Ecosystems for Adaptation and Mitigation in NDCs
Many countries have identified the role of ocean and coastal ecosystems for addressing climate change in their nationally determined contributions for both adaptation and mitigation. This session will share working examples for implementing mitigation and adaptation commitments and integrating these actions into national accounting mechanisms.
16:30-18:00
Innovative financing solutions for resilient coasts
Clear investment opportunities and revenue streams are needed to make commercial opportunities and value creation in the coastal natural capital economy possible. The combination of investment sectors (ie marine data technology innovation) can generate bankable coastal ecosystem projects (ie. mangroves) with climate mitigation and adaptation benefits.
This side event discusses current thinking and ongoing initiatives on this topic.
18:00-20:00
Taking climate action: Celebrating successes of nature-based solutions in coastal ecosystems
This reception event will celebrate and showcase the successes and advancements made by governments, NGOs and other stakeholders to implement blue carbon activities across the world.
The audience has the opportunity to see first-hand from the displayed posters what efforts are been undertaken to include coastal ecosystems into national and project level mitigation and adaptation activities.
The event provides the possibility to discuss directly with project implementers about opportunities and challenges to apply nature-based solutions to climate change adaptation and mitigation (blue carbon) in the field.
10.00- 11.30
What role for primary forests, including intact forest landscapes, in climate change mitigation and adaptation?
This event will discuss the climate change mitigation and adaptation significance of primary forests, including intact forest landscapes, and consider the policy implications for the Paris Agreement guidelines and rules.
Speakers will examine how primary forest protection and ecological restoration can be integrated into a landscape approach that optimises mitigation and adaptation outcomes, sustainable livelihoods, and other ecosystem service benefits include biodiversity conservation. Recent research findings on monitoring forest degradation will also be presented.
12:00-13:30
Nature based solutions for a climate resilient Europe
By conserving nature and sustainably managing and restoring ecosystems, nature-based solutions (NbS) are a crucial part of the toolbox for addressing climate change. Healthy, well-functioning ecosystems improve the resilience of nature and society and often have a high return on investment rate. This event highlights the opportunities offered by NbS and aims at an interactive discussion on how NbS can help Europe to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
14:30-16:00
Getting it right: FLR investments for ecological and economic gains, while enhancing food production and productivity at global and local level
International, national and sub-national organisations, governments and communities, as well as consumers and producers, are at the heart of the formulation and implementation of cross-sectoral policy frameworks This session will demonstrate that investing in FLR can deliver ecological and economic benefits.. Panellists will engage in discussions on promoting cross-sector learning for policy uptake that can inform global, national and sub-national agendas on FLR and food systems. Contact sandra.caya@iucn.org for more information.
18:30-20:00
IUCN Forests Cocktail Celebration: Driving Bonn Challenge Momentum
Celebrate Bonn Challenge momentum with keynote speeches followed by refreshments and networking. The Bonn Challenge is growing, as new commitments are made and champions take up the cause. Hear from new and existing long-term partners and special guests and help celebrate the global restoration movement. Contact sandra.caya@iucn.org for more information.
10:00-13:30
Adaptation under the Global Stocktake: the role of Adaptation Communication considering EbA experiences and others
Experiences on adaptation and how they can provide inputs to Adaptation Communication to enhance action towards the Global Stocktake. The event will open the discussion on Adaptation Communication and Global Stocktake, considering Colombia’s experiences and inviting other countries and on the ground experiences, i.a. Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EBA), with the aim of advancing towards the Global Stocktake.
This event aims to provide concrete insights and promote an open discussion regarding the current negotiations on the above-mentioned topics to collect inputs that could be useful for current and further negotiations.
14:30-16:00
Oceania and Climate Change: Perspectives from the Blue Continent
This side event will follow the Pacific “talanoa” approach to explore the climate change solutions underway and planned in the Pacific Islands - including national commitments to large marine protected areas and innovative marine protected area networks, restoration projects for mangroves, coral reefs and fisheries, and importantly the challenges of securing climate finance to support this work.
This Pacific talanoa will seek to foster learnings and partnerships at the climate change: ocean nexus, to identify problems and seek solutions, to recognize achievements and acknowledge challenges and to strengthen the marine community of practice which is needed to secure this Blue Planet’s ocean future.
16:30-18:00
Investing in Nature, a smart choice to reach the Paris Agreement targets
The event aims to highlight how and why NBS are a necessary tool to be used by countries if we wish to reach the targets agreed to under the Paris agreement.
Deforestation and forest degradation, for example, currently account for around 12% of anthropogenic CO2 emissions, therefore, efforts to address these can make a significant contribution towards global mitigation efforts. Likewise, restoring 350 million hectares of degraded or deforested landscapes by 2030 can, by some estimates, generate about US$170 billion per year in benefits from ecosystem services while sequestering 1-3 billion tonnes of CO2e per year. A recent study shows that natural climate solutions can provide over one-third of the cost-effective climate mitigation needed between now and 2030 to stabilize warming to below 2 °C.
This event will enable senior leaders in government, multilateral financial institutions, bilateral development banks, and the private sector to share their insights on the value and opportunities of investing in Nature as a solution, and to discuss the challenges in this regard.18:30-20:00
Celebrating the Journey of EbA: Nature Based Solutions for Climate Change
IUCN, together with Members and partners coined the term Ecosystem based Adaptation (EbA) in 2008 at UNFCCC COP14, after which the CBD led the approval process for EbA’s official definition in 2009. Since then joint efforts have successfully promoted the integration of EbA into broader adaptation plans and strategies in addition to international policy instruments.
In collaboration with BMUB-IKI, IUCN and the Friends of EbA are pleased to invite you to a reception where we will come together to celebrate the journey and reflect on our successes achieved and challenges faced in striving towards the Sustainable Development Goals through EbA.
14:30-16:00
Oil and gas industry in Uganda - what it means for climate resilience
This event will present how the oil and gas industry will impact on forest, wetlands, tenure and human rights among others
In this section you can find the programme of IUCN events held on other venues during COP23.
10:00- 12:00
2nd Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) Knowledge Day
Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) has fast emerged as a viable option to deal with the challenges of climate change in the context of a holistic adaptation strategy.
EbA knowledge day aims to address this demand by bringing together policy makers, practitioners, researchers, and donors working on issues dealing with climate adaptation, ecosystem conservation & management and human resilience to:
- share knowledge on approaches for strengthening EbA into international and national policy frameworks including SDGs and NDCs
- showcase effectiveness and evidence of EbA benefits,
- identify gaps and opportunities to make financing effective (panel discussion), and
- share experiences, methods and tools and implementation examples for strengthening EbA into climate change and sector policies (market place with poster inputs)
German Development Institute /Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE). Tulpenfeld 6 - 53113 Bonn
09:00-13:00
PANORAMA - Solutions for a Healthy Planet: Combatting cliamte change through innovative knowledge exchange
Learning from innovative, replicable solutions at local and regional level to achieve impact on the global scale in the face of climate adaptation and mitigation: PANORAMA – Solutions for a Healthy Planet is a growing partnership with a new knowledge sharing approach in nature conservation and sustainable development. At COP23, the partnership celebrates the launch of a new theme, ‘Agriculture and Biodiversity’ – reflecting the high demand for solutions proven to make a difference.
Join GIZ, IUCN, UN Environment, GRID-Arendal and Rare in the launch of the new theme and an interactive hands-on workshop.
GIZ (Mäanderbau Kantine), Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 36 + 40, Bonn
15:00-16:30
Fast-tracking and financing coastal and marine nature-based solutions for climate resilience
Join IUCN, Ramsar and Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco in this side-event to discuss the urgent need to respond to, and help reverse, patterns of destruction of coastal natural habitats through valorizing ecosystem service benefits, enabling local communities to manage them sustainably, and improving livelihoods of the poor.
Meeting Room 7 - Bonn Zone
