High Level Roundtable: Scaling up Adaptation Finance and Action at COP-29

Co-hosted by

The event took place in New York on September 24th, 2024

To partake in the discussion on social media please use #AdaptationAmbitionAgenda and tag the speakers (see X handles below)

The event took place in New York on September 24th, 2024 from 8:00-10:00am (UCT-4)

At the UN Climate Summit in Baku this November (COP-29), Parties will discuss and agree on the future of climate finance under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Whether these discussions will yield a strong outcome for adaptation finance is not yet certain. Therefore, building momentum for adaptation finance in the lead up to COP-29 seems more relevant than ever.

Hosted by DanChurch Aid, South South North, UN Foundation, E3G and Germanwatch, and held in the lead up to COP-29, this high level roundtable provided an opportunity to build up momentum, and critically, trust between developed and developing nations to secure a successful outcome at COP-29.

Programme

  • 08:00 – 08:25 Moderator Welcome and Introductory Keynote
  • 08:25 – 08:50 High Level Panel 1: Laying the Groundwork for Adaptation Ambition at COP-29
  • 08:50 – 09:05 Q&A with Audience
  • 09:05 – 09:30 High Level Panel 2: Approaches to closing the Adaptation Financing Gap
  • 09:30 – 09:45 Audience Q&A
  • 09:45 – 10:00 Concluding Remarks

Speakers

Moderator

  • Dr. Shehnaaz Moosa, Director, South South North

Introductory Keynotes

  • Hon. Elmaddin Mehdieyev (@M_Elmaddin), Finance Team Leader, COP-29 Presidency
  • H.R.H. Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme (@jaimedebourbon), Climate Envoy of the Netherlands

High Level Panel I: Laying the Groundwork for Adaptation Ambition at COP-29

  • Ambassador Janine Felson (@jfelson), Deputy Permanent Representative of Belize to the United Nations
  • Mr. Trigg Talley (@ClimateAtState), Managing Director for Climate Negotiations and Programs, Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, U.S. Department of State. 
  • Hon. Evans Njewa (@LDCChairUNFCCC), Chief Environmental Officer, Head of Climate Change and UNFCCC Focal Point for the Government of Malawi, LDC Chair.
  • Hon. Lotte Machon (@lottemachon), State Secretary for Development Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Denmark
  • Hon. Vositha Wijenayake (@Voshita), Technical lead, Office of the G77 and China Chair

High Level Panel II: Approaches to closing the Adaptation Financing Gap

  • Hon. Eamon Ryan (@EamonRyan), Minister for Environment, Climate and Communications, Minister for Transport, Ireland
  • Hon. Toeolesulusulu Cedric Pose Salesa Schuster (@toeolesulusulu), Minister of Natural Resources and Environment and Lands, Samoa
  • Hon. Alessandro Guerri, Director General for International and European Affairs, Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security, Italy

Concluding remarks

  • Mr. Jonas Vejsager Nøddekær (@jonasnoddekar), Secretary General, DanChurchAid 
  • Hon. Ana Toni (@anaatonii), National Secretary for Climate Change at the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Brazil