COP28 UAE
THEMATIC
PROGRAM

The COP28 Presidency is pleased to share preliminary information on a first set of events planned for the thematic program at COP28 across the two weeks of the conference. The events are a product of guidance from a diverse set of stakeholders on the outcomes they would like to see under each thematic day, also reflecting inputs from the open consultation process earlier this year.

This draft program will be supplemented with additional events in several tranches over the coming months, including mandated events under the UNFCCC process. As the Presidency is looking into maximizing synergies, some event topics may change or be merged.

The COP28 thematic program is designed to unite a diverse range of stakeholders – all levels of governments, youth, business and investors, civil society, frontline communities, indigenous peoples, and others – around specific solutions that must be scaled up this decade to limit warming to 1.5 degrees, build resilience, and mobilize finance at scale. This set of solutions constitutes the response to the Global Stocktake, looking where the world stands on climate action and support, identifying the gaps, and working together to agree on solutions pathways to 2030 and beyond.

The Presidency together with the High-Level Champions, with the support from the Marrakech Partnership, and the UNFCCC secretariat aim to provide an integrated thematic program this year. It will notably be framed by the vision of the COP28 Presidency described in its letter to the Parties, and take into account the Climate Action Pathways, the Breakthrough Agenda, and the Sharm El Sheikh Adaptation Agenda , in order to drive the systemic transformations needed in every thematic area to fulfill the Paris Agreement. The High-Level Champions and the UNFCCC secretariat will be soon announcing the Marrakech Partnership and the Global Climate Action program for COP 28, which will be part of this full two-week thematic program.

agenda

TWO-WEEK SCHEDULE

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30 Nov

OPENING DAY

The 28th session of the Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC (COP28), hosted by the UAE, opens at Expo City, Dubai on 30 November 2023.
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1 Dec
2 Dec

WORLD CLIMATE ACTION SUMMIT

The World Climate Action Summit convenes heads of state and government, alongside leaders from civil society
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3 Dec

HEALTH / RELIEF, RECOVERY, AND PEACE

These two themes - new for COPs - aim to boost policies and investment that protect lives and livelihoods and support community resilience and stability.
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CROSS CUTTING THEMES

30 Nov
12 Dec

TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

COP28 will act as a catalyst, mobilizing the ecosystem of governments, corporates, multilaterals, academia, investors and startups to drive a step-change in the development and deployment of climate solutions to bring the world back to a 1.5C trajectory and reduce suffering for the most impacted populations and ecosystems. This will require a transformation greater than the industrial revolution. The theme of technology and innovation will be at the heart and center of everything we do.
30 Nov
12 Dec

FINANCE

At COP28, finance will emerge as a pivotal cross-cutting theme, intricately intertwined with Climate Transition & Adaptation. This multifaceted dimension encompasses critical issues ranging from water and food security to youth empowerment, gender equity, trade dynamics, renewable energy, and resilient relief systems. The mobilization of financial resources and innovative funding mechanisms will play a paramount role in realizing the sustainable transformation needed to combat climate change. As we convene for COP28, we recognize that effective financial strategies are key to building a more equitable and resilient world, where the impacts of climate change are met with adaptive solutions and sustainable prosperity.
30 Nov
12 Dec

INCLUSION

COP28 is focused on bringing everyone (including youth, entrepreneurs, gender groups, and Indigenous Peoples) to the table in a more inclusive process than previous COPs. The problem we are addressing is the lack of systematic inclusion, a lack of capacity building for smaller organizations on how to decarbonize and limited pathways on how to empower the next generation and those most impacted by the transition to a low carbon economy.
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SEQUENCING AND THEMES

Each day's programming incorporates four cross-cutting themes that underpin effective, interconnected delivery. These are: Technology & Innovation, Inclusion, Frontline Communities and Finance. Programming will explicitly include these themes through both content and speakers.