Last updated on November 27th, 2024
The U.S. Nature4Climate (USN4C) COP29 Resource Guide is designed to highlight USN4C member activities at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. This year, USN4C staff will not be attending COP29; however, below you will find information on the events hosted by USN4C member organizations and the resources they have published.
COP29 is organized into a number of thematic days that allows for a deeper dive into specific climate change issues. The links below include a short description of each day, as well as the plenary sessions that the COP29 Presidency will hold during each day.
Listing of Official UNFCCC Side Events
COP29 Program (Organized by Themes)
Thematic Days:
- November 11: Opening
- November 12-13: World Leaders Climate Action Summit
- November 14: Finance, Investment, and Trade Day
- November 15: Energy and Peace, Relief, and Recovery Day
- November 16: Science, Technology & Innovation, and Digitalization Day
- November 17: Rest Day
- November 18: Human Development, Children & Youth, Health, and Education Day
- November 19: Food, Agriculture, and Water Day
- November 20: Urbanization, Transport, and Tourism Day
- November 21: Nature & Biodiversity, Indigenous People, Gender Equality, Oceans, and Coastal Zone Day
- November 22: Final negotiations
USN4C Member Resources:
- Ceres COP29 Website: Ceres at COP29
- Conservation International COP29 Website: 2024 United Change Climate Change Conference
- Environmental Defense Fund COP29 Website: Environmental Defense Fund at COP29
- EDF COP29 Schedule of Events: Environmental Defense Fund at COP29
- Environmental and Energy Study Institute COP29 Website: COP29 Resources
- EESI COP29 Event: COP29 Resources: This page includes links to EESI’s What Congress Needs To Know About COP29 Briefing Series, EESI’s Dispatch Daily Newsletter, and a host of additional resources geared toward informing U.S. policymakers about COP29’s relevance to U.S. climate policy.
- EESI Exhibit Booth: EESI will host a booth at Zone B, Booth 23 from November 11-16
- Ocean Conservancy COP29 Website: Confronting Climate Change: Ocean Conservancy at COP29
- The Nature Conservancy COP29 Website: COP29: Your Guide to the 2024 UN Climate Conference
- TNC Resource: COP29 Scorecard (short version here)
- US Climate Alliance: US Climate Alliance’s media advisory
- US Farmers and Ranchers in Action Event Website: USFRA Events Calendar
- World Resources Institute COP29 Website: COP29 Resource Hub
Full Summary – USN4C Coalition Member Events (Sorted by Date)
Thursday, November 14, 2024
U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action
- USFRA Speaking Event November 14 (12:30-1:30am ET, 9:30-10:30am Baku Time):
Invasive Species Driving Biodiversity Loss and Food Insecurity (clicking this link will take you to the IICA COP29 events schedule). Sustainable Agriculture of the Americas Pavilion.
This event addresses how climate change is increasing and accelerating negative impacts and threats from invasive species and biological pollution on the marine, terrestrial, and freshwater ecosystems around the world. These alarming challenges result in biodiversity loss, famine, pestilence and pandemics in human, plant, animal and microbial populations. Using a fireside chat format, a diverse panel of scientists, policy makers, and stakeholders will share how they are responding to invasives by harnessing innovation and technology, collecting and analyzing data and encouraging the collaboration of a wider audience of stakeholders from science, governments, NGO’s, Universities, Farmers and Conservationists. This event is a wakeup call across UN platforms to recognize the increasingly interwoven vulnerabilities for our food, health and environmental security. USFRA Chair Michael Crinion will speak at this event.
U.S. Climate Alliance
- USCA Event November 14 (4-5am ET, 1-2pm Baku Time):
No Turning Back: U.S. Climate Alliance Governors Confronting the Climate Crisis & Building A Brighter Future. America Is All In Action Center.
The unprecedented surge of investment, collaboration, and action from the Alliance’s 24 member states and territories – alongside the Biden-Harris administration – is eliminating harmful climate pollution, growing the economy, and transforming communities across America. Join founding member of the U.S. Climate Alliance and All In Co-Chair Washington Governor Jay Inslee for a conversation with top federal leadership about the durability, continuity, and strength of state-led climate action and the path being charting to our net-zero future. Click here to livestream.
Friday, November 15, 2024
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
- EESI Press Conferences: EESI is holding 2 press conferences in Press Conference Room 2 (Zone C). Speakers will share observations of the negotiations and other key happenings at COP29 and what it means for climate action in the United States.
- November 15 – 6:30am ET, 3:30pm Baku Time: U.S. Perspectives from COP29 – Livestream here.
U.S. Climate Alliance
- USCA Event November 15 (7:45-8:30am ET, 4:45-5:30pm Baku Time):
Going All In & All Out: Sustaining & Accelerating America’s Progress with Bold, Durable Subnational Climate Action. U.S. Center.
The United States is better positioned than ever before to deliver a better, greener, healthier, net-zero future thanks to the power-packed combination of historic federal investment and increasingly ambitious, impactful, and durable subnational climate action. Join top local, state, federal, business, and civil society leaders representing America is All In, U.S. Green Building Council, the U.S. Climate Alliance, and ICLEI USA for a dynamic discussion on the past year of climate progress and the work ahead to sustain and accelerate it, including action to meet and exceed the country’s 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution. Livestream event on U.S. Center YouTube page.
Tuesday, November 19, 2024
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
- EESI Side Event November 19 (7:45-9:15am ET, 4:45-6:15pm Baku Time):
Impacts of Growing Wildfire-Related Emissions on the Global Carbon Budget, the +1.5 Limit, and the Next NDCs. Side Event Room 6.
EESI and the Woodwell Climate Research Center are holding a side event focused on how growing emissions from global wildfires and the resulting feedback loops threaten to undermine our ability to keep global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The panelists will present the latest science behind wildfire emissions as well as their impact on the global carbon budget, and discuss the viability of the 1.5°C limit and the preparation of the next nationally determined contributions (NDCs) in light of those impacts. The panelists will first introduce the latest research on increasing wildfire emissions, which are mostly due to more frequent and intense fires in the Arctic region. Panelists will highlight the latest scientific findings on Arctic wildfires and wildfire-permafrost interactions that are accelerating the release of greenhouse gas emissions. The panelists will show how these wildfire-related emissions affect the carbon budget that remains for limiting global warming to 1.5°C and consider how wildfire mitigation efforts, like those championed by the Arctic Council, may help achieve the Paris Agreement goals.
Finally, the panel will discuss the ongoing work to align the global climate effort with the 1.5°C limit, the preparation of the next NDCs due in February 2025, and what the research introduced at this event means for the already diminished remaining carbon budget. The panelists will be invited to discuss what is needed—both in terms of scientific advances, but also policy ambition—to keep the Paris process on track.
Speakers include:
- Jennifer Watts, Arctic Program Director and Associate Scientist, Woodwell Climate Research Center;
- Edward Alexander, Co-Chair of Gwich’in Council International; Head of Delegation to Senior Arctic Officials, Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna, Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response working groups;
- Pam Pearson, Director, International Cryosphere Climate Initiative; and
- Kaveh Guilanpour, VP for International Strategies, Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES).
Livestream event here.
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
Environmental Defense Fund
- EDF Event: November 20 (1-2am ET, 10-11am Baku Time):
Accelerating Win-Win Solutions for Animal and Human Health and the Climate. Action on Food Hub.
This event will show how animal health is connected to climate, and how countries can incorporate animal health interventions to fulfill their climate plans for near-term wins. John Tauzel, Senior Director, Global Agriculture Methane, Environmental Defense Fund, will speak at this event.
U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action
- USFRA Side Event: November 20 (4:15- 5:45am ET, 1:15-2:45pm Baku Time):
Agriculture as a Solution to Global Food Security & Climate Change (note that clicking this link will take you to UNFCCC’s COP29 side events schedule).
This event will highlight how agriculture provides food security, supports livelihoods and accelerates progress to limit climate change and enhance biodiversity. Explore new research showing how it can become a carbon sink. Featuring farmers, scientists and experts from a variety of ag production systems globally.
Speakers include:- Michael Crinion, Ash Grove Dairy Farm, Chair of U.S. Farmers and Ranchers in Action (moderator);
- Dr. Chuck Rice, Kansas State University professor and lead author of USFRA’s Agriculture as a Climate Sink report; (researcher leading National Academy of Sciences Report) Country Representative, as well as additional speakers.
The event will be livestreamed here.
Environmental and Energy Study Institute
- EESI Press Conferences: EESI is holding 2 press conferences in Press Conference Room 2 (Zone C). Speakers will share observations of the negotiations and other key happenings at COP29 and what it means for climate action in the United States.
- November 20 – 4:30am ET, 1:30pm Baku Time: U.S. Perspectives from COP29 – Livestream here. Note that U.S. Farmers & Ranchers in Action CEO Kevin Burkum and International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification Executive Director Jessie Turner will speak at this press conference.
American Forest Foundation
- AFF Event: November 20 (9:30-11am ET, 6:30-8pm Baku Time):
Advancing the Quality and Integrity of Forestry Climate NbS: Challenges, Innovations, and Strategies.
This side event, co-hosted by University of British Columbia (UBC), American Forest Foundation (AFF), Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), Balance Eco Foundation, Université Laval, and Zhejiang A&F University (ZAFU), will focus on advancing high-integrity forestry-based nature-based solutions (NbS) as critical tools for addressing climate change, enhancing biodiversity, and supporting socio-economic development. Featuring insights from global experts, the event will address pressing challenges and opportunities in forest carbon projects, including those specific to bamboo, and explore how these solutions can be scaled effectively in the global carbon market.
Speakers include:- Christine Cadigan, Executive VP, American Forest Foundation;
- Dan Morrell, CEO, Balance ECO Foundation;
- Jorge Matallana, Manager, Climate & Ecosystem Services, FCS; and
- Guomo Zhou, Former President and Professor, Zhejiang A&F University.