COP28 UAE
THEMATIC
PROGRAM

This decision was informed by widespread feedback received from stakeholders.

At the same time, these systems are also key contributors to climate change: one third of all human-made GHG emissions derive from agri-food systems, and 70% of fresh water consumed worldwide is used for agricultural production.
Specific food and agriculture focuses include innovation investment, regenerative agriculture, and national transformation pathways, underpinned by financing mechanisms and project preparation. Water programming will also look at freshwater restoration and conservation, infrastructure for urban water resilience, and integrated governance and management of water-food systems.

In seeking to transition land use and ocean systems to support climate-aligned and nature positive development, this thematic day will focus on scaling robust solutions that protect, restore and effectively manage natural ecosystems, address drivers of nature loss, empower Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and create resilient livelihoods. The day will also spotlight enabling actions that unlock new financial flows and mainstream climate-nature synergies across transition plans and reporting frameworks.

The day will additionally showcase efforts that accelerate the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, the recently adopted agreement that provides a clear framework for halting and reversing nature loss – to help deliver a climate-safe future.

and impacts from climate change for children and youth. The day will look at equitable representation, stronger engagement mechanisms, and resource allocation across the COP themes and policy tracks. Focuses will include investment in youth-led innovation and entrepreneurship, inclusion in policymaking processes capacity-building, and transforming education to close the skills gap for green jobs aligned with climate action.

The presidency will not run programming on this day.

and civil society leaders, united to accelerate climate action across all levels of government and society. The day will also highlight solutions to transition to low-carbon and resilient built environments and infrastructure, sustainable and circular waste systems, and sustainable mobility and freight. The day will particularly look at action in urban areas, where population growth, economic activity and greenhouse gas emissions converge.

and industrial value chains. While accelerating economic opportunity and job growth taking a holistic view of the just transition and the socio-economic considerations across all sectors, including energy. Key topics in the energy and industry track will include massive deployment of renewable energy, greater energy efficiency, innovation and action for heavy-emitting sectors (including steel, cement, and aluminum), unlocking the potential of hydrogen, and decarbonization of oil and gas supplies, including through methane abatement and carbon management technologies.
The day will also address universal energy access and the needs of workers across the energy sector transition and will have an additional special focus on cooling as a critical mitigation and adaptation factor.

Indigenous Peoples Day will recognize the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ intergenerational knowledge, practices, and leadership in climate action and in stewarding planetary health, as well as mechanisms to improve their direct access to finance. The day will notably strengthen the role of Indigenous Peoples - and reinforce the urgency of a fully inclusive, all-of-society approach - in the just transition.

To reach the scale that is needed and will put forward a Presidential agenda to showcase specific innovate approaches to close the finance gaps, especially where it is needed the most. This will include scaling up private financing for investing into climate transition to support inclusive as sustainable economic growth.

This thematic day at COP28 will focus on three key aspects: scaling up efforts, improving access, and enhancing affordability. This will involve reforms to the international financial system, the delivery of enhanced concessional support, the development of sustainable finance markets, and strengthening voluntary carbon markets. Additionally, COP28 will introduce trade as a means for climate-smart, equitable growth, including supply chain decarbonization, transition, and resilience.

We must also address the challenges that hinder financial support for women, girls, and marginalized groups. This includes ensuring a fair transition and finding solutions to broaden access to finance. The program will also examine accountability mechanisms to turn promises and ambition into tangible results.

The main objectives for this day are:

1. Showcase a coherent and ambitious action agenda on finance with a range of public, private, and blended finance solutions to accelerate action and close the climate finance gap. These solutions will involve actions in financial and carbon markets by UAE institutions and international partners, IFIs, and Philanthropies, building on efforts taking place both inside and outside the UNFCCC process, and generate new financing resources for climate transition, and specifically for developing economies. The initiatives are designed to highlight how climate finance must be structured moving forward to achieve real transformation.

 

2. Promote a gender-just transition by advocating for equal opportunities for decent work in impacted and emerging green sectors, supported by gender-disaggregated data and gender-responsive finance.

 

3. Establish accountability by reinforcing accountability measures at COPs. This includes defining common standards and creating a foundation for greater accountability, especially for the private sector, including a high-integrity net-zero accountability and recognition system.

 

4. Elevate the potential of international trade as a lever in climate action by setting the stage for the international trade community to step up their role in the design and delivery of solutions around climate action, especially around supporting a just transition and enabling market access policies for MSMEs to engage meaningfully with global supply chains and governments.

COP28 will host the first Health Day and climate-health ministerial that aims to build consensus on priority actions for the health system's response to climate change, paired with financing commitments for implementation.

Relief, Recovery, and Peace Day will focus on accelerating adaptation, preventing and addressing loss and damage, including in fragile and conflict-affected contexts, which face severe barriers to accessing climate finance and strengthening climate action.

business, youth, Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, frontline communities, science and other sectors to discuss concrete actions and plans aimed at scaling climate action. The summit serves as an important platform for major announcements and is intended to provide momentum and guidance to the remainder of the COP.

Equally important in the inclusion pillar is our next generation of workers, our youth. Ensuring that they are not only given the right skill sets to flourish but also the opportunity to have a seat at the table to create the conditions that they need at future COPs. 
 
This is why we have a focus on the next generation – ensuring that youth will be a formal part of COP’s going forward and are represented within their country delegations– in addition to a focus on harmonizing the climate education and green skills ecosystem to lay the groundwork for the skills demands of the economy of the future.

Transitioning a global economy is not only one of the climate imperative and the biggest commercial opportunities of our time, but it also will impact our workers, communities and supply chains.  Bringing in the private sector, small and medium enterprises and shining a light of specific issues they face in particular in the region and global south – and how the presidency is helping provide practical support - and collaboration as evidence of a COP of action. We will launch a specific capability building platform targeted for smaller businesses to support in their decarbonization journey.