From G20 to COP28: Energy, Climate and Growth

Nov

2023

Introduction

There is a broad consensus today that swift and ambitious action is needed to avert the most catastrophic consequences of climate change. Within this context, India’s G20 presidency and the UAE as the host of COP28 assume significant importance for representing and elevating the voices of the Global South within the global climate policy discourse. Both India and the UAE have emphasized advancing global climate action, all the while nurturing avenues for equitable green transitions, and sustainable and inclusive development.

The final stage of the Indian G20 Presidency will intersect with the COP28, and the overlap is fortuitous and presents a unique opportunity to align India’s G20 Presidency’s outcomes on climate action with the COP28 agenda.

This unique event will bring together policy experts from across the world to discuss and ideate solutions to issues which are expected to be at the forefront of deliberations at COP28. In particular, the sessions will be designed to link the outcomes and insights from the Indian G20 Presidency concerning climate action to the COP28 agenda. The overarching objective will be to identify synergies between these two forums, with the ultimate goal of formulating a more effective global response to the issues that impede the rapid and equitable progress of climate action.

Thematic Pillars:

Energy Prosperity for All

As global economies prime themselves to transition towards green and clean sources of energy, the principles of energy equity and justice must remain central to the energy transitions agenda. The Indian G20 Presidency underscored the importance of ensuring modern, sustainable energy access for all. There is now an urgent need to identify pathways to effectively resolve the trilemma of energy access, affordability, and sustainability.

Climate – Health – Gender Nexus

The intersection of climate, health, and gender is a crucial focus at COP28 and within the context of India’s G20 presidency as well. Recognizing that climate change affects vulnerable populations differently, particularly in terms of health outcomes and gender disparities, addressing these issues becomes paramount for achieving effective climate action that also ensures the achievement of sustainable development goals.

Climate and Technology

Technological innovation plays a crucial role in combating climate change and achieving SDGs. The G20 endorses and promotes international cooperation, investment, and policy frameworks to accelerate the adoption of climate-friendly technologies. However, challenges persist in scaling up and deploying these technologies, such as securing financing, ensuring accessibility, and facilitating technology transfer to developing countries. The role of COP negotiations is, therefore, vital in facilitating global technology transfer, protecting intellectual property rights, and building capacity in developing nations.

Climate Finance

The current scale of global climate finance falls significantly short of the investments required to support emerging and developing economies in pursuing net-zero trajectories. Moreover, the distribution of climate finance exhibits biases that put emerging and developing economies at a disadvantage. The majority of mobilized climate finance remains within the country of origin. Furthermore, a notable proportion of climate finance is directed towards mitigation efforts, while adaptation funding is disproportionately limited. Resolve these inequities will be an essential step to achieve feasible pathways for achieving the Paris Climate Targets.

Programme

Time	Session
08:15 to 09:10	Registration
09:15 to 09:40	Inaugural Session Welcome Address Samir Saran, Chair, T20 India Secretariat & Member, T20 India Core Group; President, Observer Research Foundation, India Ebtesam al-Ketbi, President and Founder, Emirates Policy Center, UAE Inaugural Address H.E. Sunjay Sudhir, Ambassador of India to UAE
09:40 to 10:30	Panel Discussion \|\| The Green Development Imperative: Balancing Energy Security, Affordability and Sustainability. The Indonesian and Indian G20 Presidencies have managed to build substantial consensus around the need for eliminating energy poverty as a key prerequisite for a successful energy transition. Building on this, there is now an expectation that deliberations at COP28 can carry forward these principles to a broader set of stakeholders and identify challenges and strategies for scaling up green energy while optimising demand for energy across the world. What are the main hurdles for developing economies in pursuing an energy transition that also lifts millions out of energy poverty? What kind of international support is needed to direct greater resources towards solutions which can bridge the gap between energy access and sustainability? What practical outcomes can we anticipate from COP28 in terms of fostering consensus on global energy transition pathways that accommodate the rising energy needs of developing countries? Speakers Sujan Chinoy, Chair, T20 India Core Group & Director General, Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analyses (MP-IDSA), India Teenah Jutton, Parliamentary Private Secretary, Member of the National Assembly of Mauritius Riatu Qibthiyyah, Former Director, Institute for Economic and Social Research, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Indonesia (LPEM FEB UI), Indonesia Renato Baumann, Senior Researcher, Institute for Applied Economic Research, Brazil Swarnim Wagle, Member, Federal Parliament, Nepal Moderator: Elizabeth Sidiropoulos, Chief Executive, South African Institute of International Affairs, South Africa
10:30 to 10:45	Keynote Address \|\| H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President-Designate, UAE Special Envoy for Climate Change, and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology, UAE Introduction : Navdeep Suri, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India
10:45 to 11:00	Break
11:00 to 11:10	Report Launch \|\| Converging Paths: Global Governance for Climate Justice and Health Equity Presenter: Vikrom Mathur, Senior Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India
11:10 to 12:00	Panel Discussion \|\| Charting an Inclusive and Sustainable Future: Bridging the Climate-Health-Gender Nexus In a world that still bears the scars of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact, the imperative for a unified global health agenda has never been more palpable, acknowledged by influential forums like the G20. Yet, as we grapple with the enduring consequences of this global crisis, another equally relentless force is at play – climate change. It is not merely altering landscapes; it is redrawing the boundaries of vulnerability and exacerbating health disparities on a global scale. Moreover, both climate change and health inequalities disproportionately affect women, necessitating a gender conscious approach to resolving these interlinked challenges. How does climate change impact developing economies already struggling with insufficient healthcare systems? Which communities are the most impacted? How can the climate and health challenge be tackled in a cohesive manner while also accounting for the specific impacts of this nexus on women? What can multilateral forums such as the G20 and COP28 play in identifying solutions for resolving the climate-health-gender nexus? Speakers Jacqueline Kitulu, Chairperson of the Board, Rocket Health, Kenya Sonam Yangchen, Chief Research Coordinator, Institute of Health Partners, Bhutan Victoria Panova, Vice Rector, HSE University; Russian W20 Sherpa Mahjabeen Khaled, Former Member of Parliament, Bangladesh Moderator: Sarah Mosoetsa, CEO, Human Sciences Research Council, South Africa
12:00 to 13:00	Lunch
13:00 to 13:50	Panel Discussion \|\| Empowering the Global South: Bridging the Climate Technology Divide The imperative for greater investment for the energy transition in emerging economies is two-pronged. Not only do emerging markets need more clean energy finance, but also access to clean energy technologies that provide the necessary scale to meet energy needs and decarbonise energy systems. Technological innovation plays a crucial role in combating climate change and achieving sustainable development goals for emerging economies. What is the role of multilateral forums like the G20 and COP in facilitating global technology and finance flows, protecting intellectual property rights, and building capacity in emerging markets? How can international and development finance institutions facilitate diffusion of new clean energy technology to emerging markets through their lending and knowledge brokerage? What role do green subsidies offered by national governments play in influencing clean energy technology and finance to emerging markets? Speakers Thomas Pogge, Leitner Professor of Philosophy and International Affairs, Yale University, USA Stefania Petruzzelli, Research and Content Specialist, Future Food Institute, Italy Ravindra Utgikar, Vice President, Corporate Strategy, PRAJ Industries, India Baratang Miya, Founder and CEO, Girlhype Women Who Code, South Africa Moderator: Priya Shah, General Partner, Theia Ventures, India
13:50 to 14:00	Special Address Kate Hampton, CEO, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation,
14:00 to 14:15	Break
14:15 to 14:30	Navigating Carbon Pricing: G20 Experiences and Global South Prospects Presenter: Pedro Barata, Associate Vice President, Carbon Markets and Private Sector Decarbonization, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), Portugal
14:30 to 15:20	Panel Discussion \|\| Revitalising Climate Finance: Towards Equity and Reform While both the G20 and COP have placed a high priority on reshaping global finance to lower capital costs and increase green funding for the Global South, progress in this regard has been disappointingly sluggish. The majority of climate finance continues to be concentrated in developed nations. It is imperative for countries and corporations to enhance their coordination, transitioning from discussions about reforms to the actual implementation of time-bound measures. How can the MDB reform agenda championed by the Indian G20 presidency be accelerated through the COP28 processes? What are the key hurdles which have prevented reforms to the international financial architecture to enable greater climate finance for the Global South? What are three key reforms that the UNFCCC process must prioritise as an immediate priority for restructuring climate finance? Speakers: Gwendoline Abunaw, Managing Director & Cluster Head, CEMAC, Ecobank Cameroon, Cameroon Mohammed Saffar, Clean Energy Finance and Investment Mobilisation Programme, Environment Directorate, OECD Renato Flores, Director, FGV International Intelligence Unit, Brazil Bambang Brodjonegoro, Professor, Faculty of Economics, University of Indonesia, Indonesia Moderator: Kira Vinke, Head of the Center for Climate and Foreign Policy, German Council on Foreign Relations, Germany
15:20 to 15:30	Closing Remarks Navdeep Suri, Distinguished Fellow, Observer Research Foundation, India Samir Saran, Chair, T20 India Secretariat & Member, T20 India Core Group; President, Observer Research Foundation, India
15:30 to 17:00	Break
17:00 to 18:30	Travel to Dubai
18:30 to 20:30	Dinner Reception in Dubai
20:30 to 22:00	Travel to Abu Dhabi