An archive of events relating to climate resilience in the lead up to COP26 in November is available below.
See UK Climate Resilience Programme at COP26 for our news story about climate resilience events connected to the UK Climate Resilience Programme taking place at the UN climate change conference COP26 in Glasgow 31 October-12 November 2021.
Past Events
27 October 2021 (19.00-20.30): Couch to net zero: what do geology and climate change mean for you?
As we count down to COP26, join British Geological Survey scientists for a special lecture as we explore the role of geology in our everyday lives and how it is helping to meet our needs in a changing climate.
We hear a lot about the effects of climate change in the media, such as changing weather patterns, flooding and droughts, as well as the need to adopt sustainable technologies. But what does that look like in our own homes and just how important is geology in achieving net zero and adapting to climate change?
- What critical raw materials do we need to meet the demand for electric vehicles?
- Can renewable energy from under the ground heat our homes?
- How can groundwater safeguard food supplies?
- How will geoscience influence the homes of the future?
20 October 2021 (10.00): International climate risks and adaptation at COP26 and beyond
Join the Committee on Climate Change for an online session to discuss the exposure of the UK to international climate risks as well as the opportunity at COP26 to better integrate adaptation in global efforts to tackle climate change.
6 September 2021 – 14 October 2021:Regional dialogue series: scaling up locally-led adaptation (IIED)
In partnership with the UN COP26 Presidency, Race to Resilience and the Adaptation Action Coalition, eight partners are collaborating to build on this momentum to support the scale-up in locally-led adaptation globally. Six peer-to-peer regional dialogues will be held across Asia-Pacific, Africa, and the Caribbean and Latin America. The dialogues will offer a chance for countries and non-state actors to learn from each other and showcase the real potential for locally-led adaptation via direct and enhanced direct access models.
13 October 2021 (10.00-11.00): Engaging supply chain stakeholders to support climate resilience
UN Global Compact Network UK are hosting a webinar series, Building Business Climate Resilience. The series focuses on driving UK business ambition and action on the themes of the UNFCCC ‘Race to Resilience’ ahead of COP26. The management of global supply chain risks is difficult due to uncertainties around climate impacts and their increasing complexity. For companies to take transformative action to address climate change and a wide range of sustainability challenges, as well as build the resiliency of their business, they must understand and work with stakeholders across their supply chain.
This event will convene business and NGO representatives to provide practical steps for how companies can begin to engage stakeholders within their supply chain to enhance climate resilience and work together to address climate change and other sustainability issues.
12 October 2021 (14.00): Climate change UK: geoscientific perspectives on mitigation & adaptation
As we count down to COP26, join leading British Geological Survey geoscientists for a special lecture where we will discuss key findings from our modelling projections and showcase our latest research aimed at adaptation and mitigation measures in the UK:
- anticipated impacts of climate change in the UK to the year 2100
- regional controls on historical and future groundwater drought severity
- mitigating the increasing threat posed by shallow geohazards, such as landslides and clay shrink–swell
- adaption through the sustainable use of urban subsurface spaces
12 October 2021 (all day): Adaptation Day at Manchester Festival of Climate Action
Join the discussions to tackle the biggest climate questions. Over four days speakers will consider the challenges at the forefront of the climate crisis, providing a forum to share innovative solutions to drive urgent change.
Free, online and open to all, the festival will unite policymakers, industry, academics, students, practitioners and members of the public to consider, debate and address the issues facing us on a local, national and global scale.
With each day dedicated to one of the four COP26 goals – mitigation, adaptation, finance and collaboration – we’ll share our insight and identify ways to accelerate progress together.
Register for the Adaptation Day and other events.
5 October 2021 (14.00): Chasing carbon: an onshore and offshore challenge
As we count down to COP26, join British Geological Survey scientists and learn how our research is providing geoscientific solutions in the transition to net zero.
Securing global net zero by mid-century is the primary goal of COP26. Through its presidency of the conference in November, the UK is urging countries and companies around the world to share its aim of delivering sustainable growth and a net zero carbon emission economy by 2050. At the heart of the technical challenge, set out in the UK Government’s Energy White Paper, is how to decarbonise power, industry, transport, and the heating and cooling of buildings.
At BGS, we believe the subsurface has a vital role to play in meeting this challenge.
- Why are heat networks crucial in the adoption of geothermal energy?
- How can underground observatories support cost reduction and de-risking?
- What role can hydrogen play in the energy transition?
- Why is understanding our glacial past so important for wind energy in the future?
29 September – 1 October 2021: Climate Risk Summit
Following the success from the Climate Exp0 virtual conference held in May last year, the COP26 Universities Network will be hosting the Climate Risk Summit, which will be taking place virtually, on 29 September – 1 October. The Climate Risk Summit will provide a forum for discussion of climate risk topics and aims to bring key climate risk information to the attention of a wider audience in advance of COP26. Online, free, and open to all, it’s an opportunity to connect policy, academic and student audiences both nationally and internationally. In addition, the summit will build capacity in the community of climate change academic experts in communicating risk effectively to different audiences.
The conference will take place over 3 days, complete with panel sessions and workshops to tackle the following:
- 29 September Day One: ‘Characterising Climate Risks’. Three 90 minute sessions between 11.15AM and 4.15PM
- 30 September Day Two: ‘Building Resilience to Climate Hazards’. Three 90 minute sessions between 11.15AM and 4.15PM
- 1 October Day Three: ‘Communicating Climate Risk – an Interactive Workshop’: A series of sessions led by experts from the UCL Climate Action Unit and the Analysis Under Uncertainty for Decision-Makers Network.
22 September 2021 (10.00-11.00): Nature-based solutions for enhanced climate resilience
UN Global Compact Network UK are hosting a webinar series, Building Business Climate Resilience. The series focuses on driving UK business ambition and action on the themes of the UNFCCC ‘Race to Resilience’ ahead of COP26. This event will showcase two best practice case studies highlighting companies that are effectively implementing nature-based solutions (supporting a wide range of ecosystems) at scale to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, support climate resilience, and contribute to broader sustainable development goals. Guest speakers will share their experiences of using nature-based solutions, the benefits of doing so, and how they have overcome challenges.
21 April 2021 (12.00-13.00): COP26 – Implications for enhancing resilience
A UK Climate Resilience Programme webinar with speakers Youssef Nassef (UNFCCC Secretariat), Dr Louise Ellis (University of Leeds) and Liam Upson (COP26 Unit, UK Cabinet Office), chaired by Prof Jason Lowe (Met Office). The webinar will explore the aims and likely debate at COP26, focusing on resilience from three perspectives: (1) an overview of the UN process and potential focus of the negotiations on resilience; (2) the UK’s aims for COP26, including for adaptation and resilience, and (3) a more local perspective, focusing on the response of the University of Leeds to climate change during this year.
The event is part of Connecting Voices for Climate Action, a week of events convened by the University of Leeds to build local to global ambition for COP26 and beyond.
11-12 May 2021: Met Office Climate Science Conference: Science for a resilient future
This Met Office Hadley Centre conference on the theme of net zero and climate resilience brings together leading scientists and policy makers, young people, community representatives and science communicators from around the world. Its aim is to set out a vision for how climate science and services can be harnessed in support of the ambitions of diverse societies worldwide to build a more sustainable, more resilient low carbon future. The legacy will be to lay out a scientific agenda to inform climate policy post COP26.
Conference themes are:
- Current and future risks from weather and climate
- High impact, low likelihood outcomes of climate change (including tipping points)
- Future carbon and mitigation strategies to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change.
- Climate resilient development: minimising impacts and trade-offs, and maximising the co-benefits of mitigation and adaptation
- Pan-Africa perspectives within the context of the four main conference themes, looking at the past, the present and the future over the next decade or so. Three sessions: Science perspectives, Technological Entrepreneurship Youth and Policy
Register for the conference and view the draft agenda. Follow the conversation on Twitter #ClimateScienceConference
17-21 May 2021: Climate Exp0
Climate Exp0 is a fusion of science and policy that will showcase the latest thinking and most relevant international research in the run-up to COP26 around five key themes:
- Green Recovery (17 May);
- Nature-Based Solutions (18 May);
- Mitigation Solutions (19 May);
- Adaptation and Resilience (20 May),
- Finance (21 May).
Online, free, and open to all, Climate Exp0 is an opportunity to connect policymakers, academics and students across the world, and harness the power of virtual collaboration to help deliver a zero-carbon, resilient world.
Subscribe for Climate Exp0 updates.
15 September 2021 (10.00-11.15): Climate resilience via a people and nature centred approach
UN Global Compact Network UK are hosting a webinar series, Building Business Climate Resilience. The series focuses on driving UK business ambition and action on the themes of the UNFCCC ‘Race to Resilience’ ahead of COP26.This event will convene business and civil society leaders for a discussion on strategies for building resilience on the journey to net zero with people and nature at their core; the importance of including women, youth, and indigenous people in resilience building; and introduce participants to initiatives they can join to support the most vulnerable communities.
The speakers are Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, President of the Association for Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT) and Neha Rai, Climate Change and Private Sector Specialist, Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
15 September 2021 9(11.00-16.00): The 6th Major IPCC Science Report and its Implications (RMetS)
This event, held by the Royal Meteorological Society will review the recent IPCC report’s main findings, consider what it means for the ongoing development of our response to climate change and what message it sends to governments before they meet in Glasgow at COP26. The meeting will hear from leading scientists involved in the report as well as those who are actively involved with making decisions on climate change actions.