The World Bank Group at COP28

Friday, December 1

From Analysis to Impact: Connecting Climate and Development in Over 40 Countries

Come find out about how the Bank’s flagship diagnostic – the Country Climate and Development Reports – are connecting climate and development priorities in over 40 countries. These reports also now cover countries representing over half of global tropical forests and the discussion will focus on insights from how forested lands can be a win for people and planet. WATCH

Fiscal Policies to Address Climate Change

Join us to learn about green fiscal instruments that can help governments strengthen climate resilience and incentivize transformation toward lower greenhouse-gas emissions. The session will draw on lessons from successful fiscal reforms supporting adaptation and mitigation and discuss the outlines of what future reforms could look like. WATCH

COP28: Fireside Chat with Ajay Banga and Kristalina Georgieva

Join us for a fireside chat with World Bank Group President Ajay Banga and International Monetary Fund Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva on their respective institutional goals going into COP28 in Dubai. WATCH

Saturday, December 2

Trustworthy and Transparent Voluntary Carbon Markets: A Game Changer for Developing Countries

Carbon markets could be a game changer, but they have to be trustworthy, transparent and benefit developing countries first. Getting them right is essential. Find out how the Bank has been supporting countries to generate high integrity carbon credits, and is helping bring these to markets, while ensuring that the benefits are shared with communities. WATCH

Is the Paris Agreement Working? An IMF Assessment

Mitigating climate change requires rapid cuts in global emissions in this decade. Despite some progress since 2015, there remain substantial gaps in ambition and implementation. Based on the latest stock taking report by IMF staff, a high-level panel will discuss the size of ambition and implementation gaps and how to close them equitably while scaling up global flows of finance and technology. WATCH

Mobilizing Adaptation Finance through Development Banks

National development banks have a unique role to play in mobilizing private investment for climate adaptation and resilience, given their long-standing relationship with and knowledge of local markets and institutions. The panel will discuss the challenges and necessary processes to scale up adaptation finance and build climate resilience.

Scaling Climate Finance Through Innovative Capital Markets Solutions

Sustainability-linked bonds, outcome bonds, catastrophe bonds, and MDB hybrid capital support the financing of climate, environmental and social outcomes. These innovative bonds can link private investor returns to specific project outcomes and transfer risks to capital markets, while MDB hybrid capital allows investors to support significantly increased MDB lending. WATCH

Back on Track: The Critical Path to 1.5ºC by Bending the Methane Curve

The only way to a livable planet is to cut methane emissions now. Reducing methane is one of the most cost-effective strategies for reducing dangerous temperature rise while supporting the livelihoods of billions. Find out how the Bank is stepping up efforts to reduce methane, supporting countries to access tailored solutions, affordable technologies, and much-needed finance. WATCH

Sunday, December 3

Green Innovation and Technology Diffusion for Net Zero

Reaching net-zero emissions will require more innovation and more rapid diffusion of existing technology. But green innovation has slowed since the mid-2010s and there is limited diffusion of new technologies from advanced to lower-income countries. In this event, high-level panelists will explore how to accelerate technological innovation and its diffusion across countries to help decarbonize the global economy.

Adapting to Climate Change in Fragile and Conflict Settings: Opportunities for Scaling Action

This session will raise awareness of the need to accelerate climate action and finance in contexts affected by fragility, conflict and violence (FCV), highlighting a diverse range of World Bank, government and humanitarian activities. The event will showcase experiences from activities in Chad, Mozambique and Yemen that can be replicated and scaled up to promote resilience to compounding shocks and stresses. It will also draw attention to the importance of addressing knowledge and capacity constraints for scaling climate action and financing in fragile- and conflict- affected environments. WATCH

Scaling Climate and Health Action: Learning from Country Experiences

The event will showcase country experiences in financing and scaling climate and health actions. The event will convene public and private sector leaders and partners and provide a platform to deliberate on challenges and opportunities to foster low carbon resilient health systems. WATCH

The Global Challenges Program: A One World Bank Approach to Accelerate Development Impact

Learn more about one of the new initiatives to emerge from the World Bank’s Evolution Roadmap reform efforts – the new Global Challenges Program which aims to deliver greater impact at the country and regional level on areas of global priorities – such as forestry, water, food, pandemics.  Hear from Bank Group experts on how the Bank aims to create these one World Bank programs, pairing public and private capital and solutions to deliver on ambitions of the new World Bank vision of ending poverty on a livable planet.

Protecting Biodiversity to Prevent the Spread of Infectious Disease

58% of infectious diseases encountered by humans can be aggravated by climate change. The long-term solutions to climate-related health issues are the same as the proposed responses to climate change itself: transformational actions that will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions but also help to prevent a catastrophic rise in global temperatures.

Locally Led Climate Action: Investing in Communities, Peace and Sustainability

People and communities are the forefront of climate impacts and efforts are needed to scale up financing for locally-led climate action. This session will highlight some key results of projects implementing locally led climate action, and will have a candid conversation about key institutional and structural challenges for scaling up this approach. WATCH

Scaling Global Clean Hydrogen Financing

Green hydrogen is being touted as a solution to help decarbonize industries and support countries as they become energy independent. But high production costs and limited infrastructure have been hampering the commercialization of green hydrogen at scale. What supportive policy frameworks and financial innovations are available to help deploy the technology more broadly?

Monday, December 4

Women as Catalysts for Climate Action for a Livable Planet

Climate change impacts are already underway, affecting economies and people in diverse ways. Sustainable solutions require inclusive approaches that draw on women’s capacities for climate leadership, expand their access to climate finance and climate planning processes, and support local innovations for resilient livelihoods and green pathways for development. WATCH

How do we Move from Finance Commitments to Delivery? Mechanisms to Get Climate Funding Delivered to Projects

How Global Financial Regulation Can Encourage More Climate Investment

Join us to learn how reforms to global finance regulations are affecting climate finance in emerging markets. An expert panel will explain how financial sector tools—such as credit ratings and indexes, risk-management and reporting requirements— can incentivize the transition to a low-carbon economy and build climate resilience for sovereigns, firms and households. WATCH

Sustainable Horizons in Latin America and the Caribbean: Unveiling Strategies for Climate-Resilient Development  

The event will present the findings from the newest round of Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDR) in the region, which highlights challenges and opportunities for funding priority transformations. WATCH

Climate Change and Trade Dynamics: Policy Priorities

This session will assess the trade- and climate-related risks that a more fragmented world poses for developing countries and provide recommendations that can be incorporated into WBG lending portfolio. WATCH

Unlocking Private Capital for Green and Climate-Resilient Transportation

Private and public stakeholders face challenges and opportunities as they work toward enabling transportation infrastructure that is green, resilient, and inclusive. Drawing on success stories from across regions, the event will discuss applying innovative de-risking instruments to unlock private capital to build transport systems.

RST and Climate Finance: Stocktaking and the Way Forward

Climate financing needs are large, especially in vulnerable emerging and developing economies. The IMF is innovating to help countries meet the challenge: through a recently created instrument, the Resilience and Sustainability Trust, it provides financing to countries facing long-term structural challenges, including climate change. In this session, panelists will discuss how the instrument can help countries advance their climate change objectives and catalyze additional climate financing.

Driving Change: Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay Pioneering Climate Finance for Global Transformation

The World Bank has pioneered groundbreaking financing mechanisms in Brazil, Chile and Uruguay which would be replicated globally, demonstrating the power of aligning finance with the unique profiles of development challenges. WATCH

Transforming Türkiye with Sun, Wind, and Smart Grids: New Targets to Net Zero

Türkiye’s goal of net zero by 2053 requires major changes to their energy system, while meeting growing demand and energy security. How will they do it? Keynote speaker Dr. Alparslan Bayraktar, Turkish Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, will announce ambitious targets to scale up renewable energy over the next two decades and to transform the electricity grid to meet the challenge. The World Bank, as a partner to Türkiye, will reveal major new financing proposals to help mobilize the billions of dollars needed. WATCH

Tuesday, December 5

Digital Transformation on a Livable Planet

Digital technologies are crucial for helping countries manage and adapt to climate change. Yet, nearly 3 billion people remain offline and cannot utilize these technologies, the vast majority concentrated in developing countries. This session will cover how to expand access to digital technologies while doing so sustainably. WATCH

Scaling up Distributed Renewable Energy Access: From Commitments to Action

One year ago, the World Bank Group (WBG) committed to double the pace of electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa with decentralized renewable energy. This event will showcase the concrete steps the WBG is taking to realize this ambitious goal, including +$6 billion of new WBG lending to regional and national energy access programs and a new productive use-centered approach to scaling distributed renewable energy solutions for enhanced food security and agricultural value chain resilience across Sub-Saharan Africa. WATCH

Carbon Action Forum: Leveraging Carbon Markets to Mobilize Capital

The event will launch the Carbon Action Forum, a group of potential buyers and sellers to identify transaction-level challenges related to participation in carbon markets and co-develop solutions that can help scale markets. The Forum will be a global initiative anchored with the World Bank serving as its virtual secretariat. WATCH

Climate Challenges and Opportunities for Change – The Case of Côte d’Ivoire and Kenya

The Country and Climate Development Reports (CCDRs) highlight the links between development and climate. The Kenya and Côte d’Ivoire CCDRs explore how countries can drive inclusive development with more resilience and contribute to the global decarbonization agenda, resulting in economic growth and better quality of life. WATCH

Private Sector Mobilization for Climate: Why a Pipeline of Bankable PPPs Matters

Investors and financial institutions have signaled that building a pipeline of viable and bankable projects is one of the largest hurdles to attracting the critical investment and finance in climate infrastructure. The discussion will focus on the solutions and tools available on the market.

(Re)Building Momentum for a Just Transition

This Just Transition event will bring together expert panelists to discuss candidly the progress and early lessons on supporting coal-dependent regions to plan and prepare to diversify economies. The session will explore the current needs – financing, capacity building, technical assistance – and take stock of current activities, opportunities and strategies that enhance momentum towards a just energy transition. WATCH

The Right Data to Navigate the Green Transition and Maintain Economic Growth

Credible and comparable data is critical to better understand the economic and financial implications of climate change and implement policies that can bring the world to net-zero. But climate change data is uneven across countries, so there is an urgent need to address these data gaps and integrate high-quality data into decision-making. In this joint session with the World Bank, panelists will assess the types of data that policymakers need to understand the economic and financial risks associated with climate change, develop sound policies, and finance the transition.

Delivering a Just Energy Transition: Improving Access, Creating Local Jobs and Delivering Clean Energy

The energy transition is a profound societal change, for it to be successful no one can be left behind. But what is clear is the pace of the energy transition needs to accelerate in order to stop far more global warming. Finding the right balance between pace and change is never easy. It is further complicated for the energy transition as the massive economic opportunities and community benefits can also bring high costs and exacerbate inequality for the world’s most vulnerable populations.

Wednesday, December 6

Cambodia Country Climate and Development Report

How can Cambodia achieve both its development goals and its climate action objectives? A discussion of the World Bank’s report will examine how “Three Rs” offer a roadmap: reducing exposure to climate change; realigning its emissions trajectory; and reorienting its economy to seize opportunities in the global green transition. WATCH

The Critical Role of Finance for an Equitable Zero-Carbon Built Environment Transition

The recent report, Building Green: Sustainable Construction in Emerging Markets, lays out the role of development banks in decarbonizing the built environment equitably. Building on the report, the session will dive into cases in which advisory and blended finance helped spur growth in a market through a commercial financial institution.

Boosting Climate Action Through State-Owned Enterprises

State-owned enterprises are becoming agents of change by helping promote the shift toward low-carbon and resilient economies. This event discusses the role of SOEs in climate action and how MIGA can mobilize financing at better terms and conditions and incentivize low-carbon and resilient pathways. 

Green Growth Opportunities in Romania: Discussing the World Bank's First CCDR in the EU

The Romania Country Climate and Development Report is the first to cover a European Union country and a high-income economy. This session will explore opportunities to accelerate poverty reduction in Romania while greening its economy, move up value-chains in low-carbon technologies, attract private financing, tackle water management, and prepare for green jobs. WATCH

Reducing the Emissions of Cities Through Better Building Management and Clean Transport

With cities being the largest emitters of GHG emissions globally, city leaders are now faced with the challenge of transforming how cities function. In order to decarbonise cities across the world, cars, public transportation and heating need to be electrified putting more pressure on electricity grids and supply.

Creating Climate Resilient Cities for the Poor and Vulnerable

Cities are key to unlocking the intertwined challenges of climate mitigation, adaptation and economic prosperity to achieve a world free of poverty on a livable planet. This session discusses the inequalities in flood risk, temperature and air pollution within cities and highlights targeted interventions supported by the World Bank that can be taken to scale. WATCH

Unlocking the Potential of Railways through Climate Finance

Railways help reduce GHG emissions from transport, while supporting economic development and increased mobility. To maximize the climate potential, the panel will discuss promising solutions that can bring more financing to railways, especially through mobilizing private capital and tapping climate-specific financing instruments like climate funds, carbon finance and green bonds. WATCH

Energy Security and Climate Mitigation: Global Challenges for a Fragmented World

Disruptions in global energy markets amid Russia’s war in Ukraine have exposed the vulnerabilities of fossil-fuel reliance and rekindled national energy security concerns. At the same time, rising geo-economic fragmentation could jeopardize the supply of minerals that are critical for the green transition. This event will explore how countries can strike a balance between promoting short-term energy security while remaining on track to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Friday, December 8

Open Table – Leveraging Youth & Private Sector Innovation to Scale Green Solutions

The session will spotlight the importance of bringing together youth innovation with private sector scale to develop transformative solutions to address the water crisis. We will also announce the launch of a new Youth Innovation Challenge jointly led by the Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE) and the Water GP along with 9 Water CEO partners to support a new generation of young aquapreneurs. WATCH

Addressing the Climate Finance Gap for Children

Join Save the Children and the World Bank for a dialogue between climate, finance and development experts about bridging the climate finance gap for children. Discover the importance of investing in children's climate resilience and their role as innovative contributors as we explore ways to increase the child-responsiveness of climate finance. WATCH

Addressing Air Quality and Climate: Lessons from Countries and Scaling Up

Join us for a critical discussion on the synergy between climate change and air quality management. Learn from successful country efforts, demonstrating transformative potential, scalability, and replicability. Spotlighting China, India, and Bangladesh, this event provides a roadmap for other countries to replicate and amplify these vital initiatives. WATCH

Translating Insights to Action: South Asia's Experience with CCDRs

The World Bank's CCDRs are new tools for countries to integrate climate challenges into development considerations and to prioritize the most impactful actions that can reduce GHG emissions and boost adaptation, while delivering on broader development goals. How have these reports translated into action? Featuring a panel of high-level leaders from Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka, the event will showcase how CCDRs are guiding green, resilient, and inclusive development in South Asia, and what to expect in the coming year. WATCH

Private Sector Mobilization for Climate: Why a Pipeline of Bankable PPPs Matters

Investors and financial institutions have signaled that building a pipeline of viable and bankable projects is one of the largest hurdles to attracting the critical investment and finance in climate infrastructure. The discussion will focus on the solutions and tools available on the market.

Addressing Governance and Corruption Challenges in the Response to Climate Change

Investing in climate change resilience requires large scale financing. The potential for corruption to exacerbate the challenge, undermine the effectiveness of the response and increase costs means that better governance must be at the heart of the climate response. Acting fast will mean leveraging the existing anticorruption architecture and catalyzing coalitions in a highly coordinated way. In this joint event with the World Bank, panelists will discuss corruption vulnerabilities that are specific to the green transition and how to address them. WATCH

Improving Water Systems to Improve the Livelihoods of Young People

Ensuring that children, family and communities are safe from the worst impacts of climate change is paramount. Climate resilient infrastructure to ensure that schools are not closed by floods or by a lack of supply is critical climate protection and success for the next generation. By delivering water-focused adaptation projects today, we can protect children from future climate disruption and boost the livelihoods of young people for the long term.

The Role of Banks in the Transition to Net-Zero 

Access to finance is essential to decarbonization, and banks are important players in providing financing solutions to enable the net-zero transition in the real economy. Panelists will discuss challenges faced by banks and clients when formulating and implementing net-zero commitments and metrics, as well as opportunities for decarbonization by banks.

Saturday, December 9

Defining Pathways for Nature Finance

Nature-based solutions are critical for addressing climate change, yet remain under-invested. Mobilizing finance for nature will require innovation and well-coordinated public-private partnership. This event will engage partners across public and private sectors to discuss innovative financing solutions, targeted policy interventions, and financial market reforms required for a more livable planet. WATCH

A Call For Action: Improved Land Use Required to Meet Paris Agreement Commitments

The session brings together a range of actors (World Bank, Tenure Facility, Norway's International Climate and Forest Initiative, and government representatives) to discuss ways to improve land use and set in motion a renewed agenda on the critical role that land tenure security and land access play in climate action. WATCH

Preparing for the Green Transition in Fossil Fuel Exporters

The global energy transition poses macroeconomic challenges for fossil fuel exporting countries, including more uncertain hydrocarbon revenues, exports and investment inflows. How will these countries be impacted in the next decade and what policies can they adopt to harness opportunities in the transition to a lower carbon economy and mitigate possible macroeconomic disruptions? Panelists will share views on the scale of the challenge, as well as fiscal policy and diversification priorities to respond in a timely and coordinated way.

Financing and Scaling Up Nature-based Solutions

Dwindling biodiversity is a marker of our failure to combat climate change, but too often it is overlooked as not only a mitigation solution but also an adaptation solution. Using nature based solutions such as preserving and restoring forests, peatlands and wetlands and other natural carbon stores can offset residual emissions from other sectors. But also planting mango farms in areas of high flood risk can reduce the occurrence of floods.

Sustaining the Future of our Blue Economy

The earth’s ‘blue resources’ support the livelihoods of over 3 billion people. The event will highlight the importance of the blue economy as part of the response to the climate crisis and the private sector’s role in preserving these critical carbon sinks while at the same time sustaining local economies and jobs.

Scaling Up Climate Investments in Fragile and Conflict-Affected Situations

Climate change is adding to existing difficulties faced by fragile and conflict-affected situations (FCS). This event will highlight key instruments, such as blended finance, capacity building, guarantees, policy and knowledge tools to mobilize private sector engagement on climate change in FCS.

Marine Spatial Planning: Unlocking Benefits Beyond Boundaries

A healthy ocean is critical to address the triple challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. This event will discuss marine and coastal spatial planning -- one tool that can help governments better manage these challenges in a collaborative way, and better attract private investment. WATCH

Sunday, December 10

Fast-Tracking Water Security for Climate Adaptation and Climate Mitigation

The session advocates for global collaboration and heightened financing to build water security, to mobilize private capital, innovation, and expertise. Key goals include achieving universal access to water supply and sanitation, enhancing irrigation service delivery and water productivity, and mitigating flood and drought risks through sustainable water management. The World Bank aims to catalyze additional investments for a green, resilient, and inclusive development agenda, addressing the water-climate-conflict nexus. WATCH

Driving Climate Resilience: Public-Private Insurance Partnerships for Development

Public-private partnerships play a vital role in providing solutions to combat climate change. This panel discussion will include leaders from industry and the public sector, with the aim to unpack the role of insurance and its broader risk management function.

Implementing Solutions to Water Scarcity in MENA

This event convenes high-level policymakers from MENA countries who will discuss lessons learned from the World Bank’s Country Climate and Development Reports (CCDRs). It will also showcase examples of policy reforms and investments and highlight how the CCDRs have helped to shape policy and investment priorities for climate action. WATCH

Recipe for a Livable Planet

Feeding the world’s growing population and addressing climate change require us to transform our agrifood system – the way we produce, distribute, and consume food. While being part of the climate change problem, the agrifood system is also integral to its solution, holding enough potential for cost-effective mitigation options across countries. WATCH

Max Thabiso Edkins Climate Ambassador Program: Unleashing the Power of Youth-Led Climate Action

Join us for a transformative session at the official Global Youth Climate Network’s (GYCN) and Connect4Climate’s (C4C) Max Thabiso Edkins Climate Ambassador Program (MTECAP) COP28 Side Event, where a group of climate ambassadors from Bangladesh, Sudan, Egypt, and Iran, will proudly present the culmination of six months of dedicated youth climate leadership. A partnership of the World Bank Group’s Youth-to-Youth Community and the World Bank’s Global Partnerships Program Connect4Climate, that resulted in the empowerment of a global cohort of passionate young ambassadors, who were equipped with the knowledge, skills, and determination to make a lasting impact on climate change. WATCH

Improving Water Management to Drive Business Success and Community Resilience

Access to water is critical to all areas of society: business productivity, community resilience and agriculture. Today, society is placing unprecedented pressure on water resources, and businesses have a crucial role in preserving this critical resource. But companies need to move beyond focusing on single climate change issue, and recognise the holistic relationship between nature, climate and water. As businesses rapidly approach the mid-point of 2030 net-zero commitments, it is critical that they consider the multiple wins that come from investing in water.

Monday, December 11

Leveraging Macroeconomic Models for Effective Climate Action

This event will showcase how macroeconomic models can be paired with more detailed sectoral and microeconomic models to guide policy decisions and drive climate action, using examples from the World Bank’s CCDRs. A panel discussion will focus on emerging challenges faced in specific regions or sectors. WATCH