2017•10•31     Bonn

Now that the Paris Climate Agreement has come into force, governments are rolling up their sleeves and beginning to work on its implementation, coming together to determine how to take the next steps to secure a sustainable future.

This year’s conference, known as COP 23, will take place in Bonn, right beside the UNU-EHS offices on the UN campus. Between 6 – 17 November, 25,000 participants are expected to attend the negotiations and the hundreds of side events taking place across the city, making this a crucial forum for governments, climate researchers, NGOs, and the business community.

UNU-EHS will actively participate in the conference: we will be hosting two press briefings, and our researchers will be leading various discussions about some of the key thematic concerns of this year’s conference.

In the space below, you will find an overview of our activities at COP 23. It will be updated as more information becomes available. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook (@UNUEHS) to receive the latest information.

Monday, November 6:

Time: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Event: Biodiversity and Ecosystems in Climate Change – Biodiversity and protected areas under climate change
Venue: ZEF (Center for Development Research, Bonn University)
Further information

Time: 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm
Event: Upscaling Community Resilience
Venue: Fiji Pavillion, Bonn Zone

Tuesday, November 7:

Time: 9:00 am – 5 pm
Event: Measuring Adaptation Progress and Success: Towards the Stocktake under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement
Venue: Langer Eugen (UN Campus), Meeting Room 2309

Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Event: The Role of Climate Risk Insurance in Nationally Determined Contributions
This side event will serve as a launch of a joint publication between MCII and DIE (German Development Institute) on the added value of climate risk insurance for NDC implementation with a focus on resilience.
Venue: DIE Interconnections Zone, Sitzungssaal
Further information

Time: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Event: Biodiversity and Ecosystems in Climate Change- Ecosystem activities and climate change
Venue: ZEF (Center for Development Research, Bonn University)
Further information

Time: 4:45 pm – 6:15 pm
Event: Insurance and comprehensive climate risk management – addressing needs of the poor and vulnerable
MCII & Imperial College London experts will elaborate on climate risks & CRI good practice examples that benefit the livelihoods of poor & vulnerable communities
Venue: Meeting Room 7
Further information

Time: 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Event: Climate risk insurance – for people, against poverty: How innovative climate risk insurance solutions promote and protect livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable
Venue: German Pavillion (Bonn zone)

Wednesday, November 8:

Time: 9:30 am – 5:00 pm
Event: International Symposium on “Climate Resilient Coastal Infrastructure Investments: Challenges and Opportunities”
Sönke Kreft of MCII will present on the topic from 4:20 pm to 4:50 pm
Venue: KfW Development Bank, Ludwig-Erhard-Platz 1, 53179 Bonn

Time: 11:45 am – 1:15 pm
Event: Strong partnerships with SIDS: Linking NDC Mitigation and Adaptation Efforts with Climate Finance for Sustainable Development
Venue: German Pavillion (Bonn Zone)

Time: 12:00 – 1:30 pm
Event: Biodiversity and Ecosystems in Climate Change – Land degradation and Climate Change
Venue: ZEF (Center for Development Research, Bonn University)
Further information

Time: 1:15 pm – 2:45 pm
Event: Climate-related Human Mobility: Connecting the dots to implement the Paris Agreement
Taking stock of the work of the Taskforce on Displacement halfway through its mandate: What are the key achievements and the main challenges? How can the work undertaken at the global policy level feed the development of the Taskforce recommendations on climate-related displacement?
Venue: Meeting Room 12
Further information

Time: 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Event: Film screening: The Anthropologist
The film accompanies Prof Susan A Crate, who studies the effects of climate change on centuries-old indigenous communities. Susan will be present at the event and will be happy to answer your questions after the film. The event will be moderated by Matthias Garschagen, who currently works with Susan on the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (SROOC).
Venue: Langer Eugen (UN Campus), Meeting Room 2309

Thursday, November 9:

Time: 11:00 am – 11:30 am
Event: UNU Press Briefing: The impact of law on human mobility in the Pacific
Venue: Press Conference Room 1 (BULA zone 3)

Time: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Event: Biodiversity and Ecosystems in Climate Change – Ecosystem-based adaptation planning and implementation
Venue: ZEF (Center for Development Research, Bonn University)
Further information

Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Event: L&D Book Launch with Reinhard Mechler (IIASA)
Venue: Langer Eugen, Meeting Room 2309

Friday, November 10:

Time: 8:30 am – 18:00 pm
Event: Cambridge Group Climate Law and Governance Day
Venue: University Forum, Heussallee 18-24, 53113 Bonn
Further information

Time: 11:00 am – 11:30 am
Event: MCII Press Briefing: State of play on climate insurance: Is there progress at COP 23?
Venue: Press Conference Room 2 (BULA zone 3)

Time: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Event: Biodiversity and Ecosystems in climate change – ecosystem-based adaptation standards, criteria & linkages
Venue: ZEF (Center for Development Research, Bonn University)
Further information

Time: 03:00 pm – 05:00 pm
Event: Climate change loss and damage, why adaption is not enough
Venue: India Pavilion, Bonn Zone

Time: 6.30 pm – 8 pm
Event: Climate Action for Improved Water Management
Water is key for adaptation and mitigation and thus needs to be central in implementation of the Paris agreement. The side event will demonstrate recent tools, approaches and good practices in adaptive water management and climate financing for water.
Venue: Meeting Room 4 (Bonn Zone)
Further information

Saturday, November 11:

Time: 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Event: The water-food-energy Nexus
Side event organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Wageningen Economic Research
Venue: Room Tallinn (Bonn Zone)

Sunday, November 12:

Time: 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Event: Climate-induced Migration and Displacement in the Pacific
Location: Fiji Pavillion (Bonn Zone)

Time: 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Event: Cambridge Group Climate Law and Governance Initiative workshop
Venue: Langer Eugen, Meeting Room 2309
Further information

Monday, November 13:

Time: 14:00 pm – 16:00 pm
Event: ACRI+, ICRM Toolbox Workshop
Workshop for invited delegates.
Venue: Langer Eugen, Meeting Room 2309

Time: 17:30 pm – 19:30 pm
Event: The role of decision support tools for public-private climate risk insurance solutions
Joint side event by MCII, DIE, LMF (PIK).
Venue: EU Pavillion (Bonn Zone)

Tuesday, November 14:

Time: 10:00 am – 11:15 am
Event: Innovation and Entrepreneurship for Transformative Climate Solutions
The Paris Agreement recognizes that innovation is critical for an effective long-term response to climate change. The side event will showcase different experiences in leveraging the power of innovation to enhance livelihoods and improve resilience to climate change.
Venue: Meeting Room 10 (Bonn Zone)
Further information

Time: 10:00 am – 12:00 pm
Event: Adaptation in motion: under which conditions can migration contribute to climate-change adaptation?
There are two contrasting perspectives on migration and climate change: climate change receives much attention as a push factor for migration, and for resulting conflicts and crises. The notion of “migration as adaptation” takes a more positive perspective, recognizing migrants’ agency and potential contribution to adaptation processes. However, this has entered adaptation or migration policies only to a limited degree. The session brings together insights from research and policy and formulates key messages relevant for decision makers. It includes positive insights on migration, e.g. from migration as adaptation/development, but also critical perspectives such as migration and precarity; climate equity and justice; power and participation; or state responsibilities and human rights. The inputs will focus on conditions that enable migrants to be positive agents for change within climate change adaptation, and will provide valuable information for decision makers and policy choices.
Venue: DIE Interconnections Zone, Sitzungssaal
Further information

Time: 13:15 pm – 14:45 pm
Event: Clearing House Launch – Towards a Resilient Future: Frontiers of Risk Sharing
Venue: Bonn Zone

Time: 3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Event: High-level launch of the Global Centre of Excellence on Climate Adaptation
Venue: Langer Eugen, Meeting Room 2309
Further information

Time: 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Event: Momentum for Change Showcase Event
This year’s Showcase Event will recognize the 19 winners of the 2017 Momentum for Change Award that comprise of projects on sustainability, climate protection, environmental consciousness and social responsibility. MCII’s Livelihood Protection Policy (LPP) won the 2017 award in the category, Financing for Climate-Friendly Investment.
Venue: Meeting Room 8 (Bonn zone)
Further information

Time: 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Event: Building on the Sendai Framework in support of the Paris Agreement implementation and monitoring
The side event will focus on opportunities for coordination of the post-2015 development agendas identifying initiatives being carried to address Disaster Risk Reduction that could support the Paris Agreement such as the Sendai Framework Monitor, the Global Multi-Hazard Alert System-GMAS and others
Venue: Meeting Room 7 (Bonn Zone)
Further information

Wednesday, November 15:

Time: 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Event: Roundtable event: Financing for Climate-Friendly Investment
The winners of the 2017 Momentum for Change Awards in the category “Financing for Climate-Friendly Investment” will present their work.
Venue: Climate Action Studio (Bonn Zone)

Thursday, November 16:

Time: 9:00 – 5:00pm
Event: InsuResilience Global Partnership Forum at COP23
Venue: Deutsche Welle, beside the UN Bonn campus.

Time: tbc
Event: Capacity Building Day
Venue: Langer Eugen, Meeting Room 2309

Time: 12:45 pm – 2:30 pm
Event: Impact pathways for resilience on the micro level
This workshop will discuss conceptual gaps, innovative frameworks for resilience measurement in the context of insurance, as well as potentials for collaboration regarding impact evaluations of insurance schemes.
Venue: Deutsche Welle Bonn
Further information