As part of the COP28 being hosted by the UAE, a Business and Philanthropy Climate Forum (BPCF) will form an important part and held concurrently with the world leaders-led World Climate Action Summit, on 1 and 2 December.
BPCF will be a CEO-level event and mobilise global business leaders and philanthropists to progress cross-sectoral action in line with the COP28 Presidential Action Agenda around net zero and nature-positive goals.
This first-of-a-kind multi-stakeholder engagement strategy for climate and nature is driven by the UAE’s ambition to host a truly inclusive climate conference that marshals full and broad support with engagement from all world regions.
Prominent leaders from business and philanthropy will gather at the forum, bringing their expertise and resources to deliver tangible climate and nature solutions globally. It will ensure co-creation, collaboration, and acceleration to unlock solutions and drive bolder results.
By hosting the forum in parallel with the Heads of State-level World Climate Action Summit, the COP28 Presidency is determined to close the gaps between policy and practice.
Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and COP28 President-Designate, said: “To disrupt the usual business practices and fix climate finance, we need action from everyone. We are committed to underpinning everything at COP28 with full inclusivity and we want to bring together key stakeholders to work on collective solutions.
“That is why I am hosting the Business & Philanthropy Climate Forum to deliver concrete outcomes from the private and philanthropic sectors that can be presented at the highest levels of COP28. Businesses and philanthropists must play leading roles in meeting net zero pathways and delivering sustainable development, and at COP28, they will have a platform to do so.”
COP28 forum to be held over two weeks
The forum is set to engage over 500 CEOs and philanthropists for a 90-minute flagship session – ‘Synergising Business and Philanthropy: A New Paradigm for Climate & Nature Action’ – on 1 December in the COP28 Blue Zone. It then moves to the Green Zone Conference Centre for afternoon sessions, held under the theme of ‘Business & Philanthropy as Game Changers: Setting the Stage for Action’.
The following day, on 2 December, participants will gather for full-day sessions at the Green Zone Conference Center on ‘Forging Pathways to Green Growth’.
The forum will be chaired by Badr Jafar, the COP28 Special Representative for Business & Philanthropy, a businessman and philanthropy advocate who also serves on the COP28 Advisory Committee.
Jafar, CEO of Crescent Enterprises, commented: “The private sector holds the greatest promise to accelerate the accomplishment of our climate and nature global goals, which is why COP28 will ensure business and philanthropy are embraced as critical partners.
“The Business & Philanthropy Climate Forum provides this enabling platform for action, breaking down silos between sectors and connecting stakeholders from all world regions around game-changing outcomes underpinned by the COP28 Action Agenda. This is what is needed to deliver scalable solutions that can positively transform the lives of billions of people.”
Aligned with the COP28 Action Agenda, forum attendees will look at targeted solutions for accelerating technology transfer, de-risking green investments, enabling effective investment for nature conservation, developing ‘greenshots’ for large-scale catalytic action, enabling climate SMEs and startups, and investing in resilience for the most vulnerable.
The two-week COP28 programme starts 30 November until 12 December.
Follow us on
