From 30 November to 12 December 2023, the city of Dubai (United Arab Emirates) hosted the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP28). Attended by over 70,000 delegates, the event was the biggest-ever UN climate summit.
IUCN hosted the Unite for Nature Pavilion, where IUCN staff, commissions, members and partners organised over 70 events.
Additionally, IUCN Urban has been involved in two high-level initiatives:
- Nurturing Nature: Bringing Nature-Positive Cities to the Forefront of Urban Climate Action (2 December 2023).
The event launched the Urban Nature Program, which will provide financial and technical assistance to accelerate investments in nature in urban areas. The initiative showcases over 20 lighthouse cities that exemplify global leadership and will build a pipeline of ambitious cities that want to work with nature to address the impacts of climate change. The Program will be co-led by the World Bank through its Global Platform for Sustainable Cities (supported by the GEF), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) as part of the UN Decade on Ecosystems Restoration, and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, in partnership with the World Resources Institute, International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and C40 Cities. - 18th Global Forum on Human Settlements (3 December 2023).
The 18th edition of the Forum was organised under the theme ‘Synergistically Accelerating 1.5°C Goal and SDGs through Green, Fair and Smart Urban Transformation’. IUCN was among the co-organisers of the event, together with other UN Agencies and international organisations. Mr. Charles Karangwa, IUCN Head of Nature-based Solutions, addressed the opening remarks and moderated a session on Nature-based solutions for urban resilience and sustainability, developed in collaboration with the World Economic Forum.
The press release of the event is available here.