Welcome to the Walker Update, bringing you up to speed with our latest news.
Events
It is that time of year again! As the world is gearing up for this year’s COP, we at the Walker Institute have been preparing as well.
The University of Reading is an official Observer of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP) process, a status obtained and maintained by the Walker Institute.
With COP29 starting soon, we are welcoming PhD students to our COP Climate Action Studio (COPCAS). Here, students will be able to attend COP29 remotely from our Reading studio. Students will also be able to link with their COPCAS counterparts attending COP in person in Baku Azerbaijan. Keep an eye out for daily updates available at Walker Institute
As part of the need to implement the COP28 Declaration on Relief, Recovery and Peace, we have 2 paired COP29 events with the UNEP and regional partners focusing on ‘Transboundary Climate Risks via Shared Adaptation Actions’ and spanning the Middle East, South Asia, the Mediterranean and Caucasus.
The first of these events will be on 14 November at 18:30-20:00 (GMT+4) and hosted in the Side Event Room 1, COP29 Blue Zone. The event “Shared Risks, Shared Solutions: Addressing Transboundary Climate Risks via Shared Adaptation Actions”, is hosted in collaboration with the Integrated Research and Action for Development (IRADe). This event will bring together leaders, scientists, civil society, and non-state actors to reflect on transboundary climate risks in South Asia and the Middle East regions. More Information
For the second event The Walker Institute is partnering up with the Royal Scientific Society of Jordan (RSS) supporting the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). This event will focus on transboundary adaptation in the Middle East region. The side event will be hosted in the UN Pavilion, COP29 Blue Zone, on 16 November, 13:00-15:00 (GMT+4). Visit our COP29 webpage for more information.
Following the COP28 Declaration on Climate, Relief, Recovery and Peace, the Walker Institute and our partners at the Royal Scientific Society of Jordan and the UN Environment Programme will be convening important bilateral and multilateral meetings to support regional cooperation across the Middle East on adaptation.
These meetings will explore ways of taking action on issues raised at the Blue Zone side events on 14th and 16th Nov . We will be liaising with country representatives on ways we can support them to champion evidence-informed policy and dialogue, to translate science-based interventions into viable adaptation options relevant across boundaries and in fragile and conflict affected settings
Finally, we will be wrapping up our COPCAS with our live event at green festival 2024! Here, students and academics will share their thoughts and experiences around this year’s COP! Please join us for this session: 21 November 2024, 13:00-14:00 GMT in the Chancellors building!
More Information
Keep an eye on our Linked-in for daily updates on all things COPCAS!
What happened across the world this week?
Prof Virginia Murray and her team at Public Health England have produced the weekly Global Hazards Weekly Bulletin, archived by Prof Richard Allan.
All the best!
The Walker Institute Team