Author: Charles Gregoire

The Amazon, one of the most biodiverse and climate-critical regions on Earth, stands at a tipping point. Oil drilling, mining, deforestation, and industrial agriculture continue to devastate ecosystems, accelerate climate breakdown, and threaten Indigenous peoples whose territories sustain the forest.

This program explores the urgent call to end large-scale extraction in the Amazon Basin and to chart a just, post-extractive path forward. It examines how Indigenous stewardship, ecological governance, and new economic models can protect the Amazon as a living system vital to planetary balance.

COP 30: The Amazon’s Climate Reckoning asks:

Through expert insight, lived experience, and bold ideas, the program offers a vision for protecting the world’s largest rainforest — and safeguarding our shared future.

Agriculture emissions account for ~11% of global GHG emissions. At COP28 the COP presidency announced the ‘Emirates Declaration on sustainable agriculture’ with over 144 countries signing up to it. This panel will look at what has been achieved in the interim to date, as well as drawing on expert inputs around what can be done to scale and accelerate carbon reduction/sequestration from Forestry, Land Use & Agriculture (FLAG).

• With Egypt reducing its climate ambition by 40% only 2 years after hosting COP27, it is important that host countries be held to account and that momentum for meaningful change be achieved.

• Prof. Kimberly Nicholas: “We need agriculture to be part of the climate solution in a way that supports climate stability”.

“Climate Finance or Failure” at COP29 presents a critical evaluation of climate finance in a defining year for global financial commitments to climate action. Recognized as the “Finance COP,” COP29 serves as a platform to scrutinize new commitments such as the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) and the Loss and Damage Fund, questioning whether these initiatives will catalyze real action or risk becoming symbolic gestures.

This session will engage with the pressing need climate financing, climate specific funding mechanisms, equitable access, and will analyze the systemic challenges within current financial frameworks. Key discussions will highlight the potential role of private sector capital in accelerating climate solutions while addressing concerns about greenwashing and accountability. Additionally, the session will examine the ongoing debate over fossil fuel subsidies and divestment, and whether these financial mechanisms are being sufficiently reallocated to drive effective climate action.

John D. Liu and Aude Péronne will discuss the practical work of ecosystem restoration with real life examples from their work in the field with CommonLand and Ecosystem Restoration Communities.

“Transforming Food for a Sustainable World” is a critical session at COP 28 focused on the intersection of food systems, agriculture, and climate change. This program aims to explore the transformative potential of sustainable food practices and regenerative agriculture in mitigating climate change and promoting environmental sustainability. Discussions will delve into the challenges and innovations in food production, distribution, and consumption that are key to building resilient, sustainable, and equitable food systems.

This program at COP 28, titled “Fossil Fuel Endgame,” focuses on the pivotal juncture humanity faces in its reliance on fossil fuels amid escalating climate emergencies. In light of UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s dire warnings and the backdrop of geopolitical conflicts, this session critically examines the challenges and controversies in the global transition to clean energy. The focus is on the frontline activists fighting fossil fuel projects, the needs of island nations and international leadership towards clean energy.

The “Ecological Economics” program at COP 28 offers a deep dive into the intersection of economic systems and environmental sustainability. In an era where the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly pronounced, this session focuses on how economic models can be reimagined and realigned to support ecological health and sustainability. The discussion will explore the integration of green economies, the valuation of ecosystem services, and the creation of economic policies that foster both prosperity and environmental stewardship.

“The Climate Toll of War and Peace as Climate Action” at COP 28 delves into the climate impacts of conflict and the fundamental importance of peace for climate action. It will also explore how, fundamentally and practically, climate action creates peace. The discussion will cover topics such as the carbon footprint of military activities and resource exploitation during conflicts in addition to how practices like regenerative agriculture create peace. The discussion will also include the broader implications for global environmental and climate goals.