Newsweek at COP30

The Amazon and other tropical rainforests have loomed large in the three decades of United Nations talks on climate change. Science tells us that we can’t solve the climate crisis without Mother Nature’s help. This year, on the heels of the two warmest years on record, the annual UN climate talks will take place in the Amazon for the first time as Belem, Brazil, hosts COP30 November 10 to 21.

Newsweek will be there for these pivotal negotiations. We’ll shine a light on the Amazon’s role as a climate solution and explore how climate change is affecting this amazing ecosystem. With the Amazon itself as a backdrop, Newsweek’s expert panel discussions will analyze and explain what’s at stake at COP30. Leaders from industry, conservation and academia will discuss promising ways to stop deforestation and finance nature-based solutions.

Our in-person panel discussions will cover all of the biggest topics, including:

COP30 could be a breakthrough moment linking the climate crisis with nature conservation, agriculture and food systems. Initiatives to reduce deforestation and to protect and restore coastal marine ecosystems also present nature-based solutions to the climate challenge. About a third of greenhouse gas emissions come from food systems and agriculture, but regenerative farming practices and new technology hold the promise to help make our food systems draw down carbon instead of releasing it. We’ll learn how nature and farms can be sources of climate solutions.

10:00 AM – 10:15 AM

Registration and Networking

10:15 AM – 10:20 AM

Opening Words and Welcome

Amit Shah, EVP, Newsweek International

10:20 AM – 10:35 AM

Fireside Chat with Marinez Scherer

Marinez Scherer, COP30 Special Envoy for Oceans
Marine biologist and coastal management expert Marinez Scherer will join Newsweek Environment & Sustainability Editor Jeff Young for conservation about how climate change affects the oceans and the vital role oceans play for climate solutions. Scherer coordinates the Integrated Coastal Management Laboratory at the Federal University of Santa Catarina and has worked to improve coastal and marine management on four continents. She will also share early results of her latest ocean expedition.

10:35 AM – 11:05 AM

Panel Discussion and Audience Q&A

Cool Solutions to Decarbonize the Demand for AC
The need for electricity is surging globally and the growing need to cool homes and buildings is a major driver of new energy demand. As the world gets hotter, how can we keep people cool without driving emissions—and temperatures—even higher? Our panel of leaders from industry and research lay out a path to low-carbon cooling solutions by improving energy efficiency and getting clean tech to the places that need it.

Panelists:

Bishal Thapa, Chief Strategy & Impacts Officer, Clasp
Dave Calabrese, Executive Vice President, Daikin
Ashvin Dayal, Senior Vice President, Power, The Rockefeller Foundation

11:05 AM – 11:20 AM

Fireside Chat with Vanessa Kerry

Dr. Vanessa Kerry on Climate Change and Health
Dr. Vanessa Kerry joins Jeff for a discussion of the critical connections between climate change and global health. Dr. Kerry is the co-founder and CEO of Seed Global Health, a non-profit organization focused on strengthening health systems through long-term investments and training of the health workforce. In 2023, Dr. Kerry was appointed WHO Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health and has been a leading advocate on the need to integrate a health-centered response into climate action.

11:20 AM – 11:50 AM

Panel Discussion and Audience Q&A

Growing Solutions in Agriculture & Nature
COP30 could be a breakthrough moment linking the climate crisis with nature conservation, agriculture and food systems. Initiatives to reduce deforestation and to protect and restore coastal marine ecosystems also present nature-based solutions to the climate challenge. About a third of greenhouse gas emissions come from food systems and agriculture, but regenerative farming practices and new technology hold the promise to help make our food systems draw down carbon instead of releasing it. We’ll learn how nature and farms can be sources of climate solutions.

Panelists:

Matthias Berninger, EVP Public Affairs, Science, Sustainability & HSE, Bayer
Chris Adamo, VP Public Affairs, Danone
Juan Carlos Monterrey, Panama’s Special Representative for Climate Change and Vice President of COP30
Ethan Soloviev, Chief Innovation Officer, HowGood

11:50 AM – 12:00 PM

Closing Remarks and Takeaways

Jeff Young, ESG Editor, Newsweek

Newsweek at COP30

Solutions in Energy & Efficiency

Growing Solutions in Agriculture & Nature

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