COP29 | Water resilience for equitable and effective mitigation
WINZ along with AGWA and SIWI, organized an official side-event at COP29 to bring together governments, finance institutions, energy experts, and the private sector to discuss how water can support the achievement of the Paris Agreement net-zero target while ensuring that water security for both people and nature is not further compromised.
Event Background
At 2023’s COP28, Parties delivered the UAE Consensus which commits them to collectively tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030, substantially reducing non-carbon dioxide emissions, including in particular methane emissions, while accelerating efforts globally towards net zero emission energy systems. Water’s critical role in enabling this transition - whether in the production of renewable energy or ensuring the stability of important carbon sinks such as wetlands and peatlands - is widely acknowledged but has not been adequately considered in national climate plans. This omission potentially compromises the 1.5 degree temperature goal and ambition to reach net zero by 2050, should water not be available when, where, and at the right time and quantity it is needed.
The COP28 Presidency began a dialogue on water in the clean energy transition which we seek to continue in Baku. As Parties formulate ambitious new climate plans in line with the UAE Consensus, this side event at COP29 will bring together governments, finance institutions, energy experts, and the private sector to discuss how water can support the achievement of the Paris Agreement net-zero target while ensuring that water security for both people and nature is not further compromised.
Speakers
Welcoming Remarks
Rachel Kyte, UK Special Representative on Climate Change
Scene Setting Keynote
John H. Matthews, Executive Director, AGWA
Roundtable Discussion
Tony Agotha, EU Special Envoy for Climate and Environment
Iara Giacomini, Water Advisor, Ministry of Environment and Climate Change, Brazil
Sekela Twisa, Senior Environmental Officer, Ministry of Water, United Republic of Tanzania
Michael Rinker, Senior Technical Advisor, Office of the Under Secretary for Science and Innovation, U.S. Department of Energy
Christopher Chilcott, Science Director, National Science Agency of Australia
Jerker Tamelander, Director of Science and Policy, Ramsar Convention
Virginia Newton-Lewis, Director of Water Sustainability, Grundfos
Tomás de Oliveira Bredariol, Energy Policy Analyst, IEA
Ana Díaz Vázquez, Global Energy Transition Lead, Climate Bonds Initiative
Closing Remarks
Elizabeth Wathuti, Founder, Green Generation Initiative and member of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water
