• Energy and Climate
  • COP28

Africa-Europe Foundation at COP28

  • The Africa-Europe Foundation

The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, more commonly referred to as COP28, will be held from 30 November to 12 December at Expo City, Dubai, UAE. This represents a key opportunity for the Africa-Europe Foundation to contribute to wider development conversations on the climate-health nexus, carbon markets, ocean governance and blue economy, while touching upon the role of commitment monitoring to further implementation and finance. These focus areas stem from the outcomes of our strategic dialogues with Africa-Europe stakeholders over the course of the 2023 multilateral agenda: from the Ibrahim Governance Weekend to the Paris Summit on a New Global Financing Pact and the most recent Africa Climate Summit and UNGA78.


AEF Program at a Glance

The Africa-Europe Foundation’s proposed program focuses on both public and closed-door strategic dialogues dedicated to areas of cooperation that hold promise for enhanced cross-continental cooperation.


COP28 Health Day

3 December 2023, all day.

The first ever Health Day at COP28 will be a strategic opportunity to advance key recommendations on the climate-health nexus and the importance of a resilient healthcare system and workforce. AEF will continue its call to action to empower local communities in their adaptation efforts and engage with partners to reinforce the climate-health narrative.


Boosting carbon market opportunities to meet African climate finance needs

4 December 2023, 13:00-14:00 GST, Africa Pavilion, Blue Zone, Expo City Dubai

Held in partnership with AUDA-NEPAD, the session will focus on strengthening cooperation on carbon markets and pricing between Africa and Europe, presenting key observations from respective reports on the subject, including the latest AEF - CAP-A position paper on Carbon Markets to be published on Finance Day.

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Electrifying Cooking: A just journey towards net-zero

5 December 2023, 11:30-12:30 GST, Al Waha Plenary Room, Blue Zone, Expo City Dubai

AEF has supported the development of this COP28 Plenary event, leveraging the issue and importance of clean cooking to achieve SDG7, and paving the way towards the 2024 IEA ‘International Summit on Clean Cooking for Africa’.


Africa Investment Earthshot Leaders’ Summit

5 December 2023, 14:00-17:00 GST, Presidency Space, Connect Multipurpose Room, Green Zone

This high-level plenary meeting will call for climate investment statesmanship and greater resource mobilisation, with interventions from Mo Ibrahim, co-founder of the AEF. This initiative was born from the Africa-Europe Earthshot, initiated by the AEF with a series of leading partners, including the Africa Investor Group, WRI, CAP-A, B-Team and MIF.


Recalibrating climate partnerships: A focus on Africa and Europe

7 December 2023, 13:45-15:15 GST, Sofitel Dubai Downtown

Co-hosted with the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) as part of the Development and Climate Days, the session will delve into questions related to structural imbalances and access to and quality of climate finance, as well as the future of climate finance. Register here.


Africa-Europe Strategy Group meeting on Ocean Governance and Blue economy

8 December 2023, 11:00-12:30 GST, Portuguese Pavilion, Blue Zone, Expo City Dubai (invite-only)

In partnership with the Government of Portugal, AEF will convene the Africa-Europe Strategy Group on Ocean Governance to exchange on progress to date and continue to advance the creation of a cross-continental action plan on Ocean Governance and Blue Economy.


Supporting Africa’s Leadership on Ocean Governance, Blue Economy and Nature-based Solutions

9 December 2023, 9:00-10:30 GST, Africa Pavilion, Blue Zone, Expo City Dubai

Held in partnership with UNECA on Ocean Day, this side-event will advance a mutually beneficial vision and set of shared priorities for Africa and Europe on ocean policy and action. The meeting will pave the way for greater collaborative efforts towards 2024, a pivotal year for International Treaties and preparation of the 3rd UN Ocean Conference in 2025.

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Africa-Europe high-level policymaker meeting on carbon markets

9 December 2023, 10:30-12:00 GST, EU Pavilion, , Blue Zone, Expo City Dubai (invite-only)

Together with the European Commission, AEF will co-host a first ‘Africa-Europe high-level policymaker meeting on Carbon Markets’. The meeting will seek to deepen mutual understanding, expectations, and ways forward for greater cooperation between the two continents.