On the Side

Each day, while negotiators deliberate and discuss in meetings, the COP offers side events on an array of topics related to climate change.  Some are officially hosted by the UNFCCC, but most are presentations and discussions with multiple panelists from observer organizations.  The panelists range from scientific researchers to NGO leaders to representatives of businesses and trade associations, each working to play their part in climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Side events are well attended by both observers and members of the country parties.  They act as the forum for presentations by the executive committees working on specific topic areas being negotiated (e.g. the Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board, the Technology Executive Committee), thus directly informing the negotiations.

We were lucky to get the opportunity to attend many of these events in addition to sitting in on negotiations.  To give an example, the following is the list of titles of those events I attended in just four days at the conference:

• Sustainable Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change 
• Host: Food and Agricultural Organization of the UN
• CCS Capacity Building and Global Status: Educational Opportunities and Lessons Learnt
• Hosts: University of Texas at Austin and Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA)
  
• China-Africa Partnership: Climate Change Mitigation and Adaption through Bamboo Development
• Hosts: International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) and China Green Carbon Foundation (CGCF)
  
• Climate Change and Education-Making the Future Work for You
• Host: United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
• Enabling Environments for Catalysing Private Sector Finance
• Host: United Nations Development Programme
• Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources and Climate Change Mitigation
• Host: WMO/UNEP Intergovernmental Panel on Climate CHange (IPCC)
• Technology Executive Committee: responding to developing countries’ needs for environmentally sound technologies
• Host: Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
  
• Green Innovation: Examining Experiences in Low Carbon Technology Transfer & Green Patenting
• Hosts: Georgetown University (presentation by our Professor, Joanna Lewis) and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD)

As one can see from the above list, it is very easy to learn a whole lot at the COP about ongoing efforts  to both further understand the implications and to take action on climate change.