Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion at COP28
The Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion
The Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion served as the global stage for the city climate agenda during COP28. The Pavilion brought into focus not only the challenges and needs, but also the accomplishments and commitments of local and subnational actors on climate action.
Our inclusive platform brought together cities, towns, regions, and representatives from the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA) Constituency organizations, as well as individuals and groups dedicated to supporting local and subnational actors in playing more substantial roles in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.
Partners
The Pavilion is co-convened by UN-Habitat and ICLEI in its role as the focal point of the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA Constituency). The Pavilion is co-hosted by the Scottish Government and Bloomberg Philanthropies, in partnership with the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) and C40 Cities. A diversity of partners have also supported the Pavilion, including:
Overview
COP28 is the moment when the world convenes in one location to discuss climate action. This year, more than 70,000 participants, including heads of state, government officials of every level, international industry leaders, private sector representatives, academics, experts, youth, and non-state actors were expected to travel to Dubai or attend virtually.
The decisions from these two weeks will impact our lives and our future. With 70% of cities already facing climate impacts, this is a critical moment when the voice of cities must be heard: Cities are key to delivering climate solutions. Around 65% of the 169 targets of the 17 SDGs cannot be achieved without the engagement of local and regional governments. Cities, towns, regions and other subnationals converged on COP28 to demonstrate how this can be done.
Format and Structure
In-person event spaces
The Pavilion offered a global stage for the city climate agenda, facilitating high level panels and announcements; a networking area, for fostering dialogue and exchange; and a workshop space for smaller, more hands-on presentations and meetings.
Hybrid events
Many of the events taking place on the global stage of the Multilevel Climate Action & Urbanization Pavilion at UNFCCC COP28 were organized as hybrid events, allowing all events to have both speakers as well as attendees join either in-person at the Pavilion, or virtually. Live-streamed events were recorded and are accessible on YouTube.
Two weeks of high-level success
The high-level champions announced daily multilevel themes for COP26. For each day of the main proceedings, the Pavilion connected the overarching themes for debate and knowledge exchange with success stories of subnational climate action and collaboration. Here, the national discussions and decisions were made locally relevant.
The Agendas at a glance
An overview of the official events at COP28.
The Global Stage for Cities and Regions at COP28
Our primary objective was to create a space where a range of diverse stakeholders can convene to discuss collectively tackling the climate crisis at the local and subnational level. To achieve this, we are designed a space that helps every visitor to the Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion to leave feeling informed about how cities, towns, regions and other subnationals can work together with a variety of partners to contribute to global climate solutions.
Through two weeks of programming, in over seventy individual events, we, with our partners, shared valuable insights and knowledge, and attendees were encouraged to contribute their perspectives to enhance collective learning, and identify opportunities for collaboration. In addition to a dedicated networking zone, Pavilion visitors found opportunities to connect between sessions.
Our Pavilion design encouraged diverse discussions, especially between local, subnational, and national governments, and stakeholders. In addition to the event space, the Pavilion hosted a dedicated networking space for informal discussions, supporting stakeholders to connect the dots. Through thoughtfully designed spaces and engaging events, we aimed to host events of various perspectives to give opportunities for a well-rounded agenda of discussions, engaging a broader audience.
