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[2023] Side Events at UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 28)

Thursday, 30 November 2023 - 9:00am to Tuesday, 12 December 2023 - 5:00pm

Description 

From 30 November to 12 December 2023, the Government of the United Arab Emirates will host the 28th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP 28) in Dubai, UAE. The COP28 will 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.

For detailed information, please refer to the following COP28 official website: https://www.cop28.com/

The United Nations Office for Sustainable Development (UNOSD) will be organizing 3 side events during the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28). The side events will be a part of the SDG Pavilion hosted by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) and the Korea Pavilion hosted by the Government of Republic of Korea.

 

Side Event #1

"Fast-tracking the energy transition through green hydrogen production "

5 December 2023 / 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM / Opportunity District, Building OM01, Korea Pavilion, Blue Zone

This side event will focus on methods to fast-track a transition to green hydrogen for decarbonisation and net zero goals. It will discuss the importance of a science-policy-society interface to accelerate production, trade, standards, and partnerships for the transition to green hydrogen.

A high-level dialogue will discuss the importance of policy leadership for a green hydrogen transition to enable national ecosystems and a green hydrogen economy. A technical dialogue will then discuss advanced hydrogen-related technologies and standards for true “Green Hydrogen (GH2)”. The event provides a platform to share diverse perspectives from policy, science, and civil society to accelerate a GH2 transition.

The UN Office for Sustainable Development under the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs has provided policy support to member states on the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy for over ten years. As new technologies emerge, this side event aims to strengthen policy support for UN member states to accelerate a net zero future, while achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and energy for all. This event is supported by the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea.

This event is co-organized by UNOSD and Green Hydrogen Organisation

Concept Note and Programme

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwI-GcsaC7s&t=107s

 

Programme and Agenda

Moderator: Ms. Sara Castro-Hallgren, Sustainable Development Officer, UNOSD

Opening Remarks

  • Mr. Chun Kyoo Park, Head of Office, UNOSD, UN DESA
  • Mr. Jong Soo Yoon, Chair, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Korea

High-Level Policy Dialogue

  • Mr. Erik Solheim, Chair of the Green Hydrogen Development Plan, Green Hydrogen Organisation
  • Ms. Chantal Line Carpentier, Head, Trade, Environment, Climate Change, and Sustainable Development, UNCTAD
  • Ms. Nancy Laibuni, Associate Member, Council of Economic Advisors, Office of the President, Kenya

Technical Presentations

 

 

Side Event #2

"Global Accountability and Innovations for GHG Measurement, Reporting, and Verification"

5 December 2023 / 1:30 PM - 2:45 PM / Thematic Arena 3, space TA3-210, SDG Pavilion, Blue Zone

This side event will explore frontier innovations such quantum computing, block chain and more to strengthen carbon emissions measurement, reporting and verification systems globally and accelerate progress on climate mitigation. The side event will feature national experience, thought leaders and solutions for the application of digital MRV systems at country level and through greater global cooperation.

Leveraging frontier technologies can allow for more comprehensive, credible and global GHG progress measurement for the future carbon markets and to track progress on related Sustainable Development Goals and targets relying on GHG mitigation efforts.  Equally, greater regional and global cooperation on the use of frontier technologies can strengthen MRV through open data systems and interoperability for global reporting on climate targets under NDCs and the SDGs.

Governments, private sector, and academia are working on applying digital technologies that can streamline data collection, processing and quality control in MRV processing to reduce costs and barriers. This can increase the potential to access climate finance and expand credible progress on climate action, but greater cooperation, capacity and financing is needed for developed and developing countries to implement these innovative solutions. MRV processes can apply digital innovation using agreed methodologies. However, progress on the use of digital innovation needs to be equitable between developed and developing countries for global comparability on emissions and to enable carbon finance for all.

This event is co-organized by UNOSD, UN Economic and Social Commission for Asian and the Pacific (UNESCAP), UNFCCC Global Innovation Hub, and Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Research Center of Korea, Ministry of Environment of Republic of Korea

Concept Note and Programme

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_sRxoGs8so

 

Programme and Agenda

Moderator: Ms. Sara Castro-Hallgren, Sustainable Development Officer, UNOSD

Opening Remarks

  • Mr. Chun Kyoo Park, Head of Office, UNOSD, UN DESA
  • Mr. Massamba Thioye, Head of UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub, UNFCCC Secretariat

Introductory Remarks

  • Mr. Jong Soo Yoon, Chair, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Korea

Presentations

Discussion

  • Ms. Aida Maksut, Member, Board of Directors, Qazaq Green Association
  • Ms. Aneta Nikolova, Environmental Affairs Officer, UN Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific

 

 

Side Event #3

"Local Leadership in the Renewable Energy Transition and Green Hydrogen Economy"

6 December 2023 / 5:45 PM - 7:00 PM / Thematic Arena 3, space TA3-210, SDG Pavilion, Blue Zone

Led by the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development under DSDG, in cooperation with other partners, this event will explore how local leaders can ensure a just transition to renewables and advance a hydrogen economy to ensure a sustainable and low-carbon urban future for all. Globally, 70 million tonnes per year of grey Hydrogen (from fossil fuels), results in 830 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, equivalent to emissions of Indonesia and the United Kingdom combined. Given such measurements, renewable energy transition and green hydrogen economy will be critical in facilitating greener and more sustainable for achieving the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.

In particular, cities are at the forefront of efforts to mitigate climate change, ensure a just transition and provide renewable energy for all. Due to their concentration of population, economic activity, and energy consumption, local governments can have a substantial impact on reducing greenhouse gas emissions if they transition to renewables and are at the forefront of green hydrogen adoption. Hydrogen can be a key technology to help decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors such as urban transport and an increasing number of national and local governments are implementing hydrogen transition at city level from Asia to the America.

A green hydrogen economy at the local level requires short to long term planning, finance, capacity and collaboration between governments, industry, and the public. While complex, the transition to a hydrogen economy is already occurring and this event will profile leading initiatives, challenges and recommendations to accelerate energy for all and impacts from the transition across the 2030 profiling leadership initiatives in developed and developing countries.

This event is co-organized by UNOSD, Green Hydrogen Organisation, and UN-Habitat

Concept Note and Programme

Recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV1wE-6cXkI

 

Programme and Agenda

Moderator: Ms. Sara Castro-Hallgren, Sustainable Development Officer, UNOSD

Opening Remarks

Technical Dialogue