News
Publish date: November 9, 2022
News
COP27 this November is about collaboration, accelerating and scaling up climate solutions that are critical to keep the 1.5-degree target alive. Many solutions are available but not yet moving
the needle. At our pavilion in Sharm El-Sheik, the emphasis is on accelerating development of climate solutions and scaling up rapidly.
Formal opening of the Pavilion, a collaboration between the Bellona Foundation, Sahara Forest Project Foundation, Aker Horizons, and the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Speakers:
Organised by NABA
Amid the global shift from fossil fuels towards sustainable and renewable energy, Africa faces the challenge of driving industrial development, while also decarbonising its economies. Many are calling for a “just transition” that will rely on more, and not less, production of fossil fuels to drive growth. Yet with vast renewable energy potential, and facing the most severe impact from climate change, can Africa leapfrog the need for fossil fuels entirely?
Speakers:
Organised by Aker Horizons
Revolutionizing the world’s energy system is the hardest challenge the world has ever faced. Progress on climate action and energy innovation in the last few years has been unprecedented — and yet, we need infinitely more. The war in Ukraine has further disrupted global supply chains, sending energy prices soaring and prompting governments to pursue an “all-of the-above” strategy to replace Russian oil and gas, in the words of UN Secretary-General António Guterres. For this reason, more efforts will be needed to decarbonize, while ensuring energy security and affordability. Leading regions and sectors will have to go much further and faster. In this panel, you will hear from public and private sector leaders on where the energy transition stands today, and the solutions needed to get the world back on a 1.5 degree path.
Speakers:
Organised by Sahara Forest Project and the Bellona Foundation
Cross-sectoral approaches are emerging on the ground. The integrated approach of the Sahara Forest Project in Jordan helps us to better understand the dynamic interrelationships between water, energy and food, so that we can use and manage our limited resources sustainably. It also encourages cross-sectoral collaboration to scale and accelerate action-oriented solutions that benefit the climate, social development, and business.
The event will address the potential of such integrated solutions, as well as questions regarding the financial needs necessary to bring them to scale.
The event will also see the launch of the “Green Desert Platform” – revealing new environmental recommendations for outdoor revegetation for a commercial Sahara Forest Project facility in southern Jordan.
Speakers:
Organised by The Norwegian Research Council
Healthy coastal and marine ecosystems have a vital role to play in climate mitigation and adaptation. This event will look at the critical challenges and opportunities that exist around these four pillars to allow ecosystems to fully play their role in climate adaptation and mitigation. The outcome of the event will be to develop a short statement of the key conditions of success for marine ecosystem-based resilience to support climate action.
Organised by SINTEF
The climate crisis represents a fundamental challenge. Cutting greenhouse gas emissions will not be sufficient to meet the 1. 5-degree target. SINTEF Global Climate Fund seeks to invest in research of carbon removal critical for our ability to preserve the environment, climate and all living species. In this event, we will bring together leading stakeholders to discuss the need for scaling up new technological solutions and the urgency to start investing in them.
Speakers:
Moderator: Paal Frisvold, Executive Officer, SINTEF
Organised by NABA
The prevailing narrative about Africa positions the continent as a victim of circumstance – facing the most severe impact from climate change, despite being the world’s lowest emitter. With limited financial resources, African economies are seen as being reliant on global support to tackle the climate action challenge.
A paradigm shift is needed that emphasises Africa’s agency in driving sustainability and establishes a path to industrial development built around climate action.
Speakers:
Organised by the Bellona Foundation
Financing the green transition is one of the greatest challenges faced by the global community. In addition to technology, knowledge and skill sharing across borders, it is crucial to ensure a flow of capital, in particular towards developing economies – disproportionately affected by the consequences of climate change.
Even if the pledge to provide $100bn in climate finance to developing economies annually is met, mobilising additional capital is crucial, and the participation of the private sector is key to ensuring a successful green transition. At this event, Bellona will convene experts to discuss how we can best mobilize finance to support the green transition.
Speakers:
Organised by Pathfinder and Sahara Forest Project
Climate Action 2.0 is action rather than words; solutions at a scale; and work that tackles inequity. Bellona and Pathfinder have partnered on Climate Action 2.0 to take work to scale. Climate Action 2.0 meets the realities of climate change – and tackles immediate challenges.
This discussion will feature:
Ongoing work in Egypt
Project in Jordan to scale to Africa
A Solutions Guide showcasing evidence from around the world
Targeted panelists:
Organised by Aker Horizons
Industrial sectors account for more than 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions, and the transformation of these sectors is pivotal to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. Abating emissions in sectors such as cement, iron and steel requires the deployment of solutions such as carbon capture and hydrogen. Despite a series of ongoing projects, the reality of net-zero for most hard-to-abate industries is lagging. This session looks at how the gap needs to close, and what can be done to accelerate developments.
Speakers:
Organised by the Bellona Foundation and Clean Air Task Force
In the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war, the German industrial sector is facing enormous challenges due to the energy crisis. At the same time, delivering a transition to a climate-neutral industry remains a key priority for Germany, which for generations has led the world in producing high-quality materials and providing vital areas of employment.
This event will share insights on new low-carbon technologies, the critical role they will play in delivering a climate-neutral industry in Germany and what actions are needed on a global level in order to accelerate their development.
Speakers:
Organised by Children’s Investment Found Foundation.
The ISSB is actively working to establish a digital-ready global baseline for sustainability-related financial disclosures. This baseline approach is welcomed by the G7, G20, IOSCO, the FSB, and by companies and investors. Upcoming, statutory disclosure obligations are creating seismic shifts in the way that this information is managed inside the enterprise, enhancing quality, reliability, and accountability. Key standards setters are working to ensure that information is digital from the outset! But what are the challenges that need to be addressed? What steps need to be taken to urgently ensure that digitised sustainability data is available when it is needed, and in a way that can be relied on? In other words, what is the path to global digital sustainability disclosures?
Speakers:
Organised by the Bellona Foundation
Carbon Dioxide Removal is essential to meet net-zero goals. Many projects to permanently remove CO2 from the atmosphere will have international supply chains and will involve transporting biomass, materials and CO2 across boundaries. This session will discuss the possible accounting issues which may arise from such international CDR projects. In the context of the NEGEM Horizon 2020, Bellona will present the draft findings of its analysis and will open the floor to an expert panel along with a lively Q&A with the audience.
Speakers:
Moderator:
Organised by Aker Carbon Capture and the Bellona Foundation
First Movers Coalition are launching cement as a new segment under the First Movers Coalition umbrella at COP27, driving the demand for low carbon cement towards 2030 and beyond. This event provides insights on how cement production can be decarbonised through carbon capture and storage – and how mature the solution is. As cement constitutes about 6-8% of the world’s total emissions, it is of utmost importance to realise decarbonisation quickly – what are the important global drivers throughout the value chain to make this happen? How will the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) drive climate solutions deployment together with demand for low carbon materials – do we have the ingredients required to decarbonise the hard-to-abate industries?
Speakers:
Organised by Norges instutisjon for menneskerettigheter
Join us for a stocktake on recent developments in the field of human rights and climate change. What has happened since COP26, what can we expect from COP27 and going forward?
You will hear from leading experts in human rights and environmental law, legal practitioners and campaigners with substantial experience from negotiations at COPs or from working on the ground with climate change and human rights. They will discuss issues like how human rights are integrated under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, recent developments in human rights and climate change law and litigation, and human rights approaches to mitigation and loss and damage. The event also provides you with an opportunity to hear from and ask questions to speakers from ClientEarth, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), the Co-Chair of the Paris Agreement’s Implementation and Compliance Committee and national human rights institutions (NHRIs) on these issues.
Speakers:
Moderated by Hannah Brænden, Advisor at Norwegian National Human Rights Institution
Organised by Aker Carbon Capture and SINTEF
Collaboration and innovative business models are key enablers to realise climate solutions. As we are scaling the deployment of CCS and increasingly enabling carbon removal for the world’s net zero target, we are dependent on a high level of insights and trust in the solutions. This can be supported by data through the value chain, ensuring transparency and traceability – fundamentals to obtain financing through the voluntary carbon market and to document the impact of the solutions.
Speakers:
Organised by the Bellona Foundation
On the path to net-zero by 2050, the decarbonisation of heavy industry must be addressed; not only to meet climate targets, but also to provide a just transition to a carbon neutral economy. How do we build regulatory frameworks that will enable technologies to contribute to industrial decarbonisation on a large scale? What have we learned from projects so far and how can that experience inform the design of industrial decarbonisation policies?
Opening remarks:
Speakers:
Moderator:
Organised by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute
Environmental degradation and climate change are increasing risks to peace and security, especially in fragile and conflict affected states. Drawing upon the findings of the recent Environment of Peace report, this session will explore what role civil society can play in enabling a green transition that is both just and peaceful. In conversation with members of the Environment of Peace youth panel, it will discuss how well-designed climate action can contribute to building peace and vice versa.
Speakers:
Organised by Global CCS Institute
With energy intensive industries pursuing ambitious climate targets, carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is expected to play a strong role along that journey. Industries, such as steel, shipping, and cement , have said CCS is a required technology in their net-zero transition. Join the Global CCS Institute at COP 27 as we speak to industry and policy experts on climate change mitigation and the value of CCS as it relates to industrial decarbonisation.
Speakers:
Organised by Global CCS Institute
With its strong durability, cement is one the most widely used material in the world. Although its reliability for building long-lasting and safe infrastructure is proven, cement production accounts for around 7% of global CO2 emissions and requires CO2 mitigation to ensure that climate targets are reached. Join the Global CCS Institute as we host discussions with experts in the cement and concrete industry, alongside policy experts, as they unpack the ambitious steps that are being taken to support a low-carbon transition, and the role carbon capture and storage will play in decarbonising cement production.
Implementation requiers more support from the public
A non-traditional way to create support for the green shift. We Play Green`s collaborative roadmap for mobilising the football family. Does fotball have a role to play in saving the planet? If so, how should it be played?
Morten Thorsby, founder of We Play Green and Norwegian national team and Union Berlin football player, and Mercelo Vieira, Ambassador of We Play Green and engaged Brazilian national team and Olymikos player. (Both on video)
Speakers:
Moderator:
Organised by Aker Horizons
With its ability to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors like chemicals and steelmaking industries, clean hydrogen is expected to be in high demand as countries are racing to achieve their net zero targets. However, the current clean hydrogen market is at an infant stage and more needs to be done, especially from the policy makers’ side, to maximize its impact in the decarbonising of the industrial sector and end-use sectors as a whole. What are the solutions and policy frameworks needed to scale up green hydrogen use in industry and establish a credible market?
Speakers:
Organised by the Bellona Foundation
Transport of carbon dioxide can be one of the greatest infrastructure projects of our time. The need for capture, transport and storage of CO2 to reach climate targets calls for a holistic approach by governments, but also a massive challenge for the transport sector. How can policy makers, ports, shipping companies and the petroleum sector enable large scale CO2 transport? In this discussion we will highlight the scale of the challenge, political and practical solutions for industrial decarbonisation by CCS.
Speakers:
Moderator:
Organised by Clean Air Task Force and the Bellona Foundation
The permanent storage of CO2 in geological sinks must make a major contribution to global efforts to limit global warming. This event will bring together policy makers and leading experts from industry and academia to explore how best to create and cultivate a global market for CO2 storage, and to what it extent it could help realise the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Opening remarks:
Speakers:
Closing Remarks:
Organised by Vow ASA
Recent advances in technology mean that climate friendly solutions are now available to replace fossil coal and natural gas. Join this session and find out how current pyrolysis solutions convert biogenic material and waste into advanced biocarbon and CO2 neutral pyrolysis gas, replacing fossil reduction agents and energy sources, decarbonising industries.
Speakers:
Organised by the Bellona Foundation
Will the pick-up of the hydrogen economy hinder the decarbonisation of the local economy in the producing countries?
Renewable hydrogen is considered a key energy carrier of the future; however, its production is highly resource intensive and risks displacing emissions to other sectors of the economy. Unless properly regulated, hydrogen risks turning from a green transition tool, to one that exacerbates climate change. How is hydrogen produced and transported? What are relevant alternatives to hydrogen? How is it linked to climate justice, availability of resources, certification, etc.?
Keynote speech:
Speakers:
Moderator:
Organised by SINTEF
We face an enormous challenge to transform the energy system to meet climate change targets. Globally, we must develop a secure energy supply which respects nature and at the same time ensure economic development – all this within the framework of very ambitious climate targets. For this, we need advanced models of energy systems and data sharing. This event will present result from the openEntrance project and discuss how science, industry, policy and the civil society can work together globally to trigger the potential in open data sources and models.
Speakers:
Moderator: Paal Frisvold, Executive Officer, SINTEF
Organised by the Bellona Foundation
This event will showcase opportunities for turning waste into valuable resources, fueling the new bioeconomy. Putting the spotlight on how outdated legislation today prevents circular production systems. Barriers for utilising sludge from Norwegian fish farming will be used as a concrete example of these issues.
Speakers:
Panel discussion:
Moderator: Mari Vold Bjordal, Bellona Foundation
Organised by Cambi
Responsible recycling of the energy and nutrients in wastewater solids is essential for the development of thriving sustainable cities. It is also easy to do, with affordable and readily available solutions at scale. One solution, associated with the lowest carbon emissions and lifecycle costs for water utilities is thermal hydrolysis from Cambi. It is already used in more than 70 cities and 25 countries on all continents, serving at least 110 million people. Billions more could follow.
Speakers:
Organised by the Bellona Foundation
The disruption of the carbon cycle is at the heart of the ongoing climate catastrophe. Carbon Dioxide Removal, alongside enormous emission cuts, will be vital to return to a healthy carbon cycle. This session will present the importance of keeping efforts to reduce emission reductions separate from carbon removal. At the same time, it will be important to manage the geological and biological carbon cycles separately to ensure a sustainable path to net-zero. Bellona will also present a legal proposal to implement this in German legislation, followed by a panel discussion.
Opening remarks:
Speakers:
Moderator:
Organised by Aker Horizons
Africa’s vast renewable energy sources holds great potential for producing high volumes of green hydrogen. What policies, capacity building, financing and certification needs are required to supercharge green hydrogen production for domestic use and export?
Speakers:
Organised by the Bellona Foundation
Seaweed farming has been picking up in the media lately as a positive future biomass source, but we also see a lot of claims where seaweed is promised to capture and store large amounts of carbon. Seaweed is efficient at capturing carbon, but whether this carbon is stored or not is dependent on the use of the biomass. During the event we will discuss and learn more about which climate effects seaweed cultivation can have depending on the use of the biomass and how we can develop a future seaweed industry that can contribute to net zero emissions.
Speakers:
Moderator:
10.00- 11.15: Spotting embodied carbon
Organised by the Bellona Foundation.
Opportunities, barriers and first movers for low-carbon products markets in the built environment.
The notion of ‘embodied carbon’, the appreciation of emissions that result during the manufacturing of a material in the final product, is an increasingly important dimension in the growing debate on reducing emissions in the built environment. Showcasing new possibilities and pulling low-carbon products into the market is of paramount importance for the transition to a net-zero economy.
This event’s aim is two-fold: to illustrate the concepts around embodied carbon, its framework and policy needs, and to showcase how lead markets and lighthouse projects can become a reality already today. We will bring together policy experts, city developers and industry that are at the forefront of green buildings and construction, and provide a platform for meaningful conversation at COP27.
Speakers:
An accident aboard numerous Volgoneft oil tankers in the Kerch in mid December clearly show what can happen to aged ships when they are operated in bad weather—and when economic and military objectives are prioritized over the lives of crews and environmental safety.
In this news digest, we monitor events that impact the environment in the Russian Arctic. Our focus lies in identifying the factors that contribute to pollution and climate change.
A survey of events in the field of nuclear and radiation safety relating to Russia and Ukraine.
A visit last week by Vladimir Putin and a Kremlin entourage to Astana, Kazakhstan sought in part to put Rosatom, Russia’s state nuclear corporation, on good footing with local officials.