VIDEOS FROM ALL OF WATER DAY’S SESSIONS ARE AVAILABLE ON YOUTUBE HERE
For the first time since the UNFCCC started holding their annual Conference of the Parties (COP) in 1995, this year there will be no physical meeting due to the Covid-19 pandemic. COP26, hosted by the United Kingdom, has been postponed by a full year to November 2021. The need for immediate action on climate change is too urgent to be put on hold, however, and Parties to the Paris Agreement must still set their national priorities for 2020-2025 by the end of this year. In place of the annual meeting, the UNFCCC will hold two weeks of dialogues focused on what the world needs to do to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 — at the very latest.
These dialogues, held as part of the global Race to Zero Campaign, begin on Monday, 9 November and run through the 19th. Each of the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action (MPGCA) thematic groups, including water, will have a full day to highlight what their sector is doing to contribute to the goal of carbon neutrality. Water Day takes place on Thursday 12 November from 9:00-18:30 CET.
The Water Day series of events opens with inspiring words from Roman Catholic Cardinal Peter Turkson, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen, and Dr. Johan Rockström, among others, and features water changemakers from around the world who are working to protect, restore, and reuse water and water-dependent ecosystems, while addressing the food-energy-water nexus in transformative ways that will help us get to net zero emissions without further exacerbating water crises.
Water is an essential ingredient in building a low-carbon future; unfortunately, water needs are often not taken into account when planning for the transition from fossil fuels to renewables. Assuming water will be available when and where we need it in order to meet our climate commitments is a big risk — one that is made even riskier by uncertainty about future water availability in a warming world. Thus we need to make sure water is accounted for in all of our climate plans, not just within our water sector plans.
While there is great risk in forgetting water — there is even greater reward in getting water right for climate change. Climate-resilient water management fuels resilient societies, helps reduce disaster risk, supports biodiversity, and contributes to nearly all of our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). There is so much water has to offer the climate community and we can't wait to share some of these solutions with you!
We know that the timing of the Water Day Dialogue is not ideal for our members in Asia-Pacific or parts of the Americas. Video recordings of the events will be available after Water Day in case you are not able to join us live. The dialogue is only the start of the race — we have many miles to go to meet our goals and we hope that you will join us in running for a climate and water-resilient future. For more information or to get involved with this campaign, please reach out to Ingrid Timboe, AGWA's Policy Director.
Events will take place virtually on Zoom (register here), and all events will be livestreamed over YouTube using this link.
Condensed Agenda (full program here)
09.00 – 09.45 CET | Welcoming Session
09:45 – 10:00 CET | Presentation: Racing to Zero along the Climate Action Pathway for Water
10:00 – 11:30 CET | Protecting People and Restoring Water Resources and Ecosystems
11:30 – 12:00 CET | Spotlight session: Non-party stakeholders’ Commitments to the Water Action Pathway
12:00 – 13:30 CET | Producing food, energy, and infrastructure
*AGWA-led breakout session “Unleashing Climate Finance for Critical Water Infrastructure: Green Bonds and Beyond”
13:30 – 14:00 CET | Spotlight session: Non-party stakeholders’ Commitments to the Water Action Pathway
14:00 – 15:30 CET | Water Reuse Renaissance
16.00 – 17.30 CET | Building Business Water Resilience
18:00 – 18:30 CET | Closing session: Synthesis of ideas and recommendations for the Road to COP26