Student Energy Summit 2023
Student Energy Summit (SES) 2023
Organizers: Student Energy Summit
Taking place in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, Student Energy Summit 2023 will be the world’s largest youth-led energy event, providing a transformative space for young people to collaborate on energy solutions with industry leaders. SES will bring together 650+ young people and energy sector leaders from over 150 countries to the United Arab Emirates for a collaborative, multidisciplinary forum. SES 2023 will be hosted by New York University Abu Dhabi, in collaboration with Student Energy, a global youth-led organization working with a network of 50,000 young people from over 120 countries, alongside the headline sponsor for this year’s event, the Bezos Earth Fund, the largest individual philanthropic commitment made to fight climate change and protect nature. SES is hosted biannually in a new city around the globe. At the margins of COP28, SES will be coming to the Middle East for the first time, highlighting the success story and vision of the UAE's energy transition.
TWO-WEEK SCHEDULE
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9 Dec
NATURE, LAND USE, AND OCEANS
The sustainability of nature, land use, and oceans are integral to achieving all the Paris Agreement’s goals. The recent adoption of the 30x30 biodiversity goal creates an imperative for integrated policy and investment for climate and nature. COP28 will focus on delivering climate and nature co-benefits through a range of financing mechanisms and packages, co-designed with local and Indigenous Peoples, to sustainably manage and conserve natural carbon sinks and biodiversity hotpots. The day will also seek to accelerate private sector commitments to nature-positive accountability frameworks.
10 Dec
FOOD, AGRICULTURE, AND WATER
Climate change is creating severe pressure and risks for the agri-food and water systems that underpin human wellbeing. 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.
Read More
11 Dec
12 Dec
FINAL NEGOTIATIONS
On the final two days of COP28, there will be no thematic days to avoid extensive programming when the negotiation text is often being closed. This decision was informed by widespread feedback received from stakeholders.
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.
1 Dec
2 Dec
WORLD CLIMATE ACTION SUMMIT
The World Climate Action Summit convenes heads of state and government, alongside leaders from civil society, 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.
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.
COP28 will host the first Health Day and climate-health ministerial that aim 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-effected contexts, which face severe barriers to accessing climate finance and strengthening climate action.
Relief, Recovery, and Peace Day will focus on accelerating adaptation, preventing and addressing loss and damage, including in fragile and conflict-effected contexts, which face severe barriers to accessing climate finance and strengthening climate action.
Read More
4 Dec
FINANCE / TRADE / GENDER EQUALITY / ACCOUNTABILITY
COP28 has called on the relevant stakeholders to close outstanding commitments. It will work with others to articulate a vision going forward on scaling up climate finance 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Elevate the potential of international trade as a lever in climate action bysetting 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.
Read More
5 Dec
Energy and Industry / Just Transition / Indigenous Peoples
This day will focus on levers and pathways for rapid decarbonization, job growth, and economic opportunity and just transition across the full energy 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.
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.
Read More
6 Dec
MULTILEVEL ACTION, URBANIZATION, AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT / TRANSPORT
COP28 will feature a historic presence of local leaders, including mayors, governors, parliamentarians, business, 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.
7 Dec
DAY OF REST
COPs traditionally incorporate a ‘day of rest’ in the middle of the program for participants to reflect and recharge ahead of the second week. The presidency will not run programming on this day.
8 Dec
YOUTH, CHILDREN, EDUCATION, AND SKILLS
This day seeks to empower young people to shape the outcomes of COP28 and beyond, particularly considering the disproportionate risks 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.
9 Dec
NATURE, LAND USE, AND OCEANS
The sustainability of nature, land use, and oceans are integral to achieving all the Paris Agreement’s goals. The recent adoption of the 30x30 biodiversity goal creates an imperative for integrated policy and investment for climate and nature. COP28 will focus on delivering climate and nature co-benefits through a range of financing mechanisms and packages, co-designed with local and Indigenous Peoples, to sustainably manage and conserve natural carbon sinks and biodiversity hotpots. The day will also seek to accelerate private sector commitments to nature-positive accountability frameworks.
10 Dec
FOOD, AGRICULTURE, AND WATER
Climate change is creating severe pressure and risks for the agri-food and water systems that underpin human wellbeing. 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.
Read More
11 Dec
12 Dec
FINAL NEGOTIATIONS
On the final two days of COP28, there will be no thematic days to avoid extensive programming when the negotiation text is often being closed. This decision was informed by widespread feedback received from stakeholders.
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.
1 Dec
2 Dec
WORLD CLIMATE ACTION SUMMIT
The World Climate Action Summit convenes heads of state and government, alongside leaders from civil society, 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.
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.
COP28 will host the first Health Day and climate-health ministerial that aim 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-effected contexts, which face severe barriers to accessing climate finance and strengthening climate action.
Relief, Recovery, and Peace Day will focus on accelerating adaptation, preventing and addressing loss and damage, including in fragile and conflict-effected contexts, which face severe barriers to accessing climate finance and strengthening climate action.
Read More
4 Dec
FINANCE / TRADE / GENDER EQUALITY / ACCOUNTABILITY
COP28 has called on the relevant stakeholders to close outstanding commitments. It will work with others to articulate a vision going forward on scaling up climate finance 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:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Elevate the potential of international trade as a lever in climate action bysetting 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.
Read More
5 Dec
Energy and Industry / Just Transition / Indigenous Peoples
This day will focus on levers and pathways for rapid decarbonization, job growth, and economic opportunity and just transition across the full energy 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.
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.
Read More
6 Dec
MULTILEVEL ACTION, URBANIZATION, AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT / TRANSPORT
COP28 will feature a historic presence of local leaders, including mayors, governors, parliamentarians, business, 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.
7 Dec
DAY OF REST
COPs traditionally incorporate a ‘day of rest’ in the middle of the program for participants to reflect and recharge ahead of the second week. The presidency will not run programming on this day.
8 Dec
YOUTH, CHILDREN, EDUCATION, AND SKILLS
This day seeks to empower young people to shape the outcomes of COP28 and beyond, particularly considering the disproportionate risks 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.
9 Dec
NATURE, LAND USE, AND OCEANS
The sustainability of nature, land use, and oceans are integral to achieving all the Paris Agreement’s goals. The recent adoption of the 30x30 biodiversity goal creates an imperative for integrated policy and investment for climate and nature. COP28 will focus on delivering climate and nature co-benefits through a range of financing mechanisms and packages, co-designed with local and Indigenous Peoples, to sustainably manage and conserve natural carbon sinks and biodiversity hotpots. The day will also seek to accelerate private sector commitments to nature-positive accountability frameworks.
10 Dec
FOOD, AGRICULTURE, AND WATER
Climate change is creating severe pressure and risks for the agri-food and water systems that underpin human wellbeing. 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.
Read More
11 Dec
12 Dec
FINAL NEGOTIATIONS
On the final two days of COP28, there will be no thematic days to avoid extensive programming when the negotiation text is often being closed. This decision was informed by widespread feedback received from stakeholders.