Dubai

The session wli delve into the profound challenges and transformative strategies that Saudi Arabia must adopt in the face of a 3°C warmer world by the century's end.

As global temperatures ascend, the session wil explore the findings of a critical report, examining the intensified climate-related risks that loom over the nation's diverse ecosystems, water resources, agriculture, industry, economy, and the health and well-being of its people.

The discussion wil explore how the anticipated amplification of climate response in Saudi Arabia, due to its unique geography, could overshadow global trends. We will also address Mitigation and adaptation plans from some of th leading institutions and giga- projects, stressing the urgency of sustainable development, ecosystem preservation, and aggressive decarbonization.

Mashael AlShalan 

Mohamad Hejazi

Matthew F. McCabe

Yoshihide Wada

Noura Bint Turki Al Saud

Sumayah Al-Solaiman

Raed Albasseet

George Tanasijevic

Riyadh Sprout Program

Climate Futures: A Resilient Path in a 3°C Warmer Saudi Arabia

The session aims to unite the worlds of professional sports and environmental stewardship, fostering a dialogue on how the competitive spirit can drive climate action and solutions to address biodiversity loss.

The Discussion will feature voices from various sports sectors to tackle the challenges and opportunities of integrating sustainability into the fabric of sports and explore themes such as responsible sponsorship, the environmental impact of sporting events, and engaging fans in the green movement.

The session will conclude with a clear set of actionable commitments, encouraging all participants to integrate sustainability into their personal and professional spheres.

Carlos M. Duarte

Johan Rockström

Maryam Ficocello

Rodi Basso

Rick Fox

Julie Duffus

Playing for the Planet: Climate Change, Biodiversity, and Peace

In an era marked by the urgency of climate change, the question of fossil fuels looms large. The event, delves into this intricate puzzle, probing the relationship between energy needs, environmental imperatives, and the modern civilization.

The phase-down or phase-out of unabated fossil fuels is not merely a technical issue; it's a profound societal challenge that echoes across international agreements and local contexts. What does "abatement" mean in this landscape, and how can it be translated into actionable paths?

The science tells us that we need a robust definition of abatement, including credible accounting, the valuation of permanence and geological balancing of fossil fuels emissions.

Fossil Fuel In A Net Zero World

The event aims to clarify the unique set of opportunities and challenges facing NOCs and IOCs in the energy transition, as well as the shared responsibilities of industry and demand markets to accelerate decarbonization and implement/support policies that better fit that reality.

What is the role of oil and gas producers in the energy transition? What does accountability look like for the sector? How must we retool climate action to better support and drive the transition of not oil majors not only in the west, but also of national oil companies and producers in the Global South, where energy demand is set to dramatically increase.

Panelists will seek to clarify what oil and gas producer responsibility looks like within a shifting global energy landscape and explore how responsibility for oil and gas decarbonization can and should be shared between producers and consumers.

Kurt Waltze

Olivia Azadegan

Oliver Le Peuch

Mark Brownstein

Myles Allen

Martina Otto

Vicky Hollub

Decarbonization In The Oil And Gas Market: The Road To Net Zero The Roles Of National Oil Companies and International Oil Companies

Aeon Collective and the Jameel Arts & Health Lab are proud to present this high-level panel on arts, health, and climate at COP28 as part of the WHO’s 75th Anniversary Program.

In a world increasingly aware of climate change’s impact on health yet struggling to integrate this awareness into mainstream behavior, the role of artists becomes ever more crucial. They hold the key to unlocking the other side of our brains, where imagination and creativity reside as essential tools for understanding and actively responding to the climate crisis.

The panel represents the culmination of a series of pre-COP28 ‘listening sessions’ on the role of arts at the intersection of human and planetary health. These included a roundtable at New York’s Lincoln Center during UNGA, participation in MENA Climate Week, and a panel within AEON Collective’s Tree Library as part of Healing Arts Arabia Week in Riyadh.

The panel will feature esteemed experts with unique perspectives on the symbiotic relationship between the arts, health, and climate action. Discussions will focus on artists’ insightful and imaginative responses to the climate crisis within a health crisis frame; as well as the role of the arts in transforming complex scientific data into compelling narratives that reshape our values and behaviors, while supporting needed systemic change.

Christopher Bailey

Robb Butler

Manal Ataya

Arts, Climate & Health: Choreographing A Climate of Well-Being

Join us for an engaging event that delves deep into the intersections of biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation, and the One Health concept.

Our panel of distinguished experts will take you on a journey, starting with the significance of biodiversity and its pivotal role in ecosystem services.

Explore the widespread impact of climate change on biodiversity through real-world examples and compelling case studies that underscore the urgent need for action.

Learn how the One Health approach reveals the profound connections between human, animal, and environmental health, shaping our approach to global challenges




Prince Sultan bin Fahad bin Salman Al Saud

Hala bint Khaled bin Sultan Al Saud

Raquel Peixoto

Richard Bush 

Catherine Cone

Safeguarding Our Planet: Biodiversity, Climate, And One Health

KAUST

Net zero is the baseline we must achieve. In many cases, aggressive regeneration is required to achieve this global balance. What works? What lessons can be learned and implemented globally? This session will showcase innovative and progressive solutions working towards a net zero world. Showcasing partnerships and case examples, we will hear from entrepreneurs, policymakers, institution leaders and NGOs advocating for cleaner energy and sustainable industry. 

Ahlam Ennouhi

Aurélien Prévost

Hamid Al-Harthi

How industry must respond to the challenge of net zero

Virtual

The Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) has gained traction as a pathway to deliver resource efficiency and relieve pressure on natural resources to achieve global climate goals. 
The CCE framework is particularly relevant in hard-to-abate sectors where decarbonization is difficult, including energy-intensive industries such as **cement, steel, and chemical production**. These heavy industry sectors are integral components of the global economy and development aspirations of the Arab region and are also growing emitters of carbon, jointly representing around 20 per cent of energy and process-related emissions globally. 
This makes decarbonization of energy-intensive industrial sectors most critical in addressing climate change and ensuring a just, inclusive transition. 
The session will stimulate discussion on how to successfully apply CCE principles in energy-intensive industries through industrial design, technology transfer, and innovative financing while promoting human wellbeing, preserving nature, cutting pollution, making economies more competitive, and creating green and decent jobs. The session will also deliver recommendations on key action areas by public and private actors to drive deployment of CCE technologies and stimulate innovation in the energy intensive industries in the Arab region. 


Fadhl Zayed Fadhl Ahmed

Faisal Al Qurooni

Iva Brkic

Mohamed Salaheldin Ahmed

Nael Alhosami

Radia Sedaoui

Rana Ghoniem

Enabling the Circular Carbon Economy

The session will present progress on SDG 7 in the Arab region and innovative policy solutions for accelerating the achievement of affordable and clean energy for all. Panelists will offer insights into the challenges and opportunities facing the energy sector in the Arab region, policy solutions to facilitate just and inclusive energy transitions, and achieving SDG 7 amidst crisis.


Bana Kaloti

Jamal Saghir 

Mustafa Suliman Abdulhadi

Ramzi Abou Said 

Just and Inclusive Energy Transitions  (SDG 7)

Sharm El Sheikh

More than any other age group, it’s the younger generation who are worried about the state of the planet. In the U.S., a Pew Research poll found that the environment was a higher concern for Gen Z than any other demographic.
- What green energy jobs exist and are growing?
- How does someone enter the industry? What training do you need? What is the best way to make a career transition into the green sector?
- What opportunities exist for green careers in the Middle East?



Sultan Alshareef

Tony F. Chan 

Sara Alghamdi

Sarah Dutton

Soufiane Hsina

How To Pave A Career Path In Protecting The Planet

Arvea Marieni 

Chiara Patitucci

Roberta Boscolo

Regenerative Society Foundation: a virtuous alliance between business and science

At COP26 many countries, and in particular all G20 countries, adopted ambitious climate goals Implementation is now what matters, and several countries look at carbon pricing as part of their climate policy mix. The EU established since 2005 the EU ETS through which significant emissions reductions have been realised. Today the EU carbon price is significant and hovers between €65 and €90 per ton CO2. Countries such as China, California, Canada, Korea, New Zealand, and others developed similar regulated markets. 
_However, an additional and most significant development to date is the emergence of the voluntary carbon market, following the multitude of net-zero commitments by companies and local authorities. America, Asia, and Africa - not least in the Middle east - show a keen interest in these voluntary carbon markets. A debate is raging about how to improve the environmental credibility and general trust of these multitude of diverging initiatives. _
_Voluntary carbon markets should facilitate credible investments in carbon removals and emissions reductions in the power and manufacturing sectors. Voluntary carbon markets can also facilitate the transfer of clean technologies across the globe such as renewables, energy storage and infrastructure, and green hydrogen. A major question for the debate is whether this will lead to a significant increase in market volume over the coming years. Another question is whether voluntary and regulated carbon markets will converge over time. Is there hope for a global carbon price… one day in the future?_


David Radermacher 

Richard Newell

Jan Cornillie

Jos Delbeke

A new future for voluntary carbon markets through improved integrity and transparency?

The sustainability of humanity and societies is very much underpinned by the sustainability of our planet. A system’s approach towards planetary repair that focuses on protecting the biodiversity of the planet is a fundamental component for emissions management, adaptation and resiliency.

_Nature, and the protection of biodiversity through conservation, restoration and regeneration must be at the forefront of climate action. It widens the space for opportunities creating interlinkages that have added tangible and intangible benefits on livability as well as economic and social development._

_This session will bring together a group of experts to discuss the role of nature based solutions in addressing climate change and the wider benefits it has on economic and social development. The session with discuss global examples, opportunities and bottle necks and discuss the role of Private actors in driving action, what they look to in Governments and how roles converge._


Gary Tabor 

Julio Friedmann

Omar AlAttas

Nature, Climate and Societies: the Case for Planetary Repair

Youth is on the forefront of pushing corporations to act responsibly.
- What environmental issues does the next generation care the most about? What are the issues keeping them up at night?
- What products does the new generation want to see more of? Which ones should be taken off the shelf?
- How can corporations shift their practices to better reflect those new demands from upcoming consumers?


Tarek A Temraz

Balqees AlShareef

Rishi Kapoor

Sarah Al Harthey

My Future, Our Responsibility: What Youth Wants From Companies

This event aims to open a dialogue about nature-based solutions and coral reefs to help bring them to the agenda for COP 28. Coral reefs play an increasingly important role in supporting livelihoods and the economy in the Arabian region. Yet, the window to save the corals is closing and we must act now. What will it take to secure a future for corals in the Arabian Seas?


Ayman Tharwat

Khaled Abdulkader

Nathalie Hilmi

Peter Thomson

The future of corals in the warm Arabian Seas

The Circular Carbon Economy (CCE) has gained traction as a pathway to
deliver resource efficiency and relieve pressure on natural resources.
CEE scale-up requires policy integration, technology transfer, and public-
private partnerships.


Andrea Abrahams

Enabling the Circular Carbon Economy: Upscaling Regional Cooperation for Sustainable Development

Fireside Chat with Their Highnesses Princess Noura Turki Al Saud and Princess Mashael AlShalan


Sustainability and Development, a Holistic Approach:  The Importance of Finance and Insurance 

There is an urgency to tackle climate change, biodiversity loss and
pollution. This high-level side event will discuss strategies to accelerate
the global shift towards a circular economy in the context of mounting
debt levels and a food and energy breakdown that threatens to derail
progress towards sustainable development, particularly for developing
countries who may be left behind.


Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya 

Medrilzam

Robert Marinkovic

Xuan Zihan 

Accelerating the transition to a circular economy as a holistic response to the triple planetary crisis

New York City

The state of Climate and Health Research in the GCC Report provides a snapshot of the most current research on the state of climate and health in the GCC, giving equal value to what we do know, as well as what is still unknown. This report also highlights the need for further research, additional data and access to existing data that would bring to light new science backed evidence and knowledge for sound policy and decision making.

In this moderated discussion, selected authors will present key finding and highlight some of the key themes covered In the report.


Joana Ferreira

Maimoonah Al Khalil

Natalia Odnoletkova

Kenneth Strzepek

The State of Climate And Health Research in the GCC 

With a renewed drive towards scalable solutions and consistent policies to propel climate action, the role of high quality, measurable and verifitable data has never been more vital.
In this session, we explore the role that data plays in delivering a more secure space for operation.


Andrew Whitworth

Gabriele Rossi

Antoine Halff

Andrea Galli

Leveraging Data for Climate Action 

The tree library is an Aeon collective initiative that aims to harmonize and catalyze culturally nuanced action for planetary repair, accomplished through co-delivering with communities urban landscapes that leverage dialogue, catalogues ecosystems, and serve as a space for human centric intervention and experimentation.


Tree Library Initiative Launching event

Riyadh

In just few decades, Earth has become sheathed in an extraordinary digital information and communication web allowing real-time global monitoring of deforestation and coral reef health, helping young researchers, through the Twitter hashtag #skypeascientist, share insights with students in any connected classroom, letting innovative farmers in rural India, through simple videos, share tips on resilient agriculture with farming families hundreds of miles away. But of course this system is also clogged with noise, rife with confusion and polarization, and designed as much to distract and addict as educate and inspire


Andrew Revkin 

Effective Communication Pathways on Sustainability

Developing countries are experiencing rapid growth in urbanization. As a result, cities are faced with concerns of high population density, inadequate infrastructure, lack of affordable housing and poverty issues, just to name a few. On January 22nd 2020, Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, issued a global call of action to insure delivery of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030; stressing on “Local Action” and a need to step up domestic response. With over half of the world population living in urban areas today a heavy undertaking falls onto cities and how they develop, ensuring that all goals are being addressed to help create positive impact on the overall quality of life.
In an effort to rank amongst the best urban environments in the world, Saudi Arabia has committed substantial resources into the development of cities across the Kingdom through Vision 2030. Using impactful capital, cultural and innovative actions, cities across the nation intend to make urban living synonymous with sustainability, challenging rapid urbanization concerns.
As the decade turns, global challenges become more clear. Development efforts must differ from previous endeavors, while still being aligned with all SDGs in order to produce the ideal urban environment. Our topic sets to explore these challenges and the innovative methods cities intend to apply, looking at it from a global lens and juxtaposing with national and local efforts throughout the Kingdom.


Josef Konvitz

Karim Elgendy 

Dhay AlDhawyan 

Cities of Action: Challenging conventional methods of rapid urbanization during the next decade

Dr. John D. Spengler and Dr. Wendy M. Purcell will share their argument on the business opportunity that the Sustainable Development Goals present and introduce  Harvard’s Culture of Health framework. Together they set an agenda for corporations, positioning sustainability as a business leadership imperative.
Sustainability is “…development that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”
Sustainable development deals with environmental issues as well as economic, social and cultural matters. Given the increased demands being placed on societies and our planet, from increased urbanization, migration and industrialization alongside the depletion of non-renewable resources, concerted and global actions are required to create a more sustainable future.


John D. Spengler 

Abdulrahman AlSum 

Wendy M. Purcell 

Sustainability & Human Wellbeing: How businesses can advance a culture of health

Addressing global welfare challenges is a huge undertaking that requires governments, business, NGOs to play a role in the sustainability of the ecosystems surrounding us. In 2015, The United Nations replaced its millennium development goals with a more universal and comprehensive plan. As part of the 2030 sustainable development agenda, 17 SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT goals were introduced to pave the way for a better and more sustainable future for all, addressing the root causes of much of the challenges societies face today and covering the three main dimensions of development: economic, social and environmental. In 2018, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia presented a comprehensive review the status of the SDGs and its alignment with Vision 2030. This voluntary national review also highlighted actions taken by national entities to fulfill the 2030 SDG Agenda. This month’s sustainability talk will explore the topic from a local lens, and will discuss reporting, monitoring and evaluation processes, how the SDGs are adapted to align with local circumstances and Saudi Vision 2030 and discuss the role and activities of Policy, Business and Civil Society in contributing to the kingdom’s efforts in achieving its targets.


Mohammed Alakil 

Reem Mansour Al Saud 

UN Sustainable Development Goals

NEOM

Port Sudan

Riyadh Tree Library

Where Communities, Nature, Innovation & Culture converge to repair the planet. 

Uniting Individuals and Institutions for a Greener Future, our vibrant global community is committed to sustainability. Share your insights and be part of a collective effort to create a greener future.

The community

The Tree Library global network connects digitally and physically through the Sprout Program at the urban level. This program aims to add an urban perspective to a human-centered approach and connect individuals and organizations in urban areas to help achieve Planetary Repair.

Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. The name Riyadh is derived from the plural of the Arabic word rawdha, which means "garden".

Repairing the Planet One Mission at a Time 

TreeLibrary

Riyadh, the plural for Al-Rawdah, meaning "the green land," is the capital and largest city in the heart of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is situated at the center of the land in the an-Nafud deserts, east of the Najd plateau. The city is located 600 meters above sea level in climate zone 1. Once a green land, the area now mirrors a historical oasis that has stamped parts of the landscape. The city's urban, social, and cultural aspects are deeply rooted in Islamic design details, with elements created to fit into the overall context of the city.

The urban fabric of Riyadh is growing to become vibrant, functional, and integrated, establishing urban life for healthy communities with a long-lasting heritage that dynamically responds to the physical, socio-cultural, and environmental context. This creates a sense of continuity that is stretching toward an adaptive interpretation. The quality of the environment around us is frequently a reflection of the quality of life individuals encounter, as a biological analogy for evolving and developing in all aspects of life.

The Riyadh Tree Library is a place-making project that aims to foster social harmony and interactions that respond to local, communal, cultural, context-sensitive, environmental, and climatic surroundings. The library has been designed with sensitivity to the city's civic character.


The community

Riyadh

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