At COP29, UNEP FI will mobilize its extensive network of over 500 banks, insurers, and investors to emphasize the essential role of finance in climate action. A comprehensive programme of discussions and events, including key sessions on climate finance, will showcase major initiatives and commitments from financial institutions. Our focus will be on accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement, aligning financial portfolios with net-zero targets, and promoting innovative financial instruments for climate resilience. By facilitating high-level participation and collaborative efforts, UNEP FI aims to enhance the finance sector’s contribution to global climate goals, supporting the transition to a sustainable, resilient, and inclusive economy.

COP29 will focus on shaping the future of climate finance. Key discussions will include innovative public finance mechanisms, advancing global carbon markets, and reviewing the Loss and Damage fund. Keep checking in here for updates and we encourage our members to keep us informed of your attendance plans here.

Key Events at COP29

12 November | Leveraging Blended Finance: Catalysing Sustainable Investments for Global Impact
Time: 18:30-20:00 AZT (GMT +4)
Location: COP29, Side-Event Room 8
Accreditation: Blue Zone accreditation required. UNEP FI cannot provide accreditation.

In alignment with the objectives of the New Collective Quantitative Goal (NCQG) on climate finance, this session will explore how innovative blended finance mechanisms can help scale investments to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. The NCQG, aimed at mobilizing resources beyond the $100 billion annual goal, places increasing importance on leveraging both public and private investments to close the climate finance gap—an issue central to our discussion.

By integrating the principles of blended finance, we can unlock capital flows and channel funding towards high-impact, scalable solutions, particularly in emerging markets. The session will focus on innovative models, case studies, and strategic frameworks that are crucial to achieving the NCQG and supporting climate-resilient development.

 

13 November | PRI and UNEP FI networking event
Time: 8:00 -10:00 AZT (GMT+4)
Location: KPMG, 12th floor, Port Baku, 153 Neftchilar Ave, Baku, Azerbaijan
Accreditation: Blue or Green Zone accreditation not required. 

Join PRI and UNEP FI at a networking event at COP29. Hosted in collaboration with KPMG, PRI and UNEPFI will convene their members and other stakeholders for an engaging discussion on key COP29 themes. Topics will include investable Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), how private sector finance can be accelerated through the NCQG, and other enabling policies. The event will also highlight examples of finance sector leadership and the latest developments from key initiatives such as the Net Zero Policy Taskforce.
Find out more and register here.

 

13 November | The role of the insurance sector in climate transition: From Baku to Belém
Time: 11:00 -12:15 AZT (GMT+4)
Location: Brazilian Industry Coalition Pavilion
Accreditation: Green Zone accreditation required. UNEP FI cannot provide accreditation.

Looking ahead to COP30 in Belém, Brazil, Butch Bacani, UNEP Head of Insurance will join a multi-stakeholder panel exploring the fundamental role the insurance sector plays in the prevention and reduction of the effects of climate change, contributing concretely to minimising the economic and social impacts caused by natural disasters.

 

13 November | Net-Zero Export Credit Agencies Alliance: from commitment to action
Time: 13:00-13:45 AZT (GMT +4)
Location: Denmark pavilion, Blue Zone
Accreditation: Blue Zone accreditation required. UNEP FI cannot provide accreditation.

In support of the goals of the Paris Agreement, Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) and Export Import (ExIm) banks are setting net zero targets and transitioning their portfolios to net zero by 2050 or earlier. In support of these ambitions, ECAs and ExIm banks have established the Net Zero Export Credit Agencies Alliance (NZECA). This event focuses on the progress the Alliance and its members have made since its launch at COP28 in Dubai, as well as outlining future steps towards aligning member portfolios with science-based pathways towards a net-zero economy. One of the main outcomes of the first year of NZECA work is development of the Target-Setting Protocol, a document setting out a common framework for ECAs and ExIm banks pursuing the pathway to net-zero. This document will be launched at the event and will serve as a guideline for members and as a good practice benchmark for the broader export credit community. The session will further contribute to building the climate-finance-trade nexus that is one of the COP29 Presidency priorities.

 

13 – 14 November | Sustainable Innovation Forum 2024
Time: 09:00 – 18:00 (GMT+4)
Location: Baku Marriott Hotel Boulevard, Azerbaijan
Accreditation: Blue or Green Zone accreditation not required. 

The Sustainable Innovation Forum 2024, hosted by Climate Action, will bring together leaders from across government, science, business, finance and civil society to address the greatest collective challenges to achieving global sustainability goals. Join UNEP FI and PRI for sessions focused on addressing critical sustainability issues including international financial framework reform, innovative finance mechanisms, transition planning, clean energy and more.

Find out more and register here.

 

14 November | Launch of the first global guide on transition plans for insurers by the UN Forum for Insurance Transition to Net Zero (FIT) and presentation of Fidelidade Impact Center for Climate Change
Time: 10:00 -10:45 AZT (GMT+4)
Location: Pavilion of Portugal
Accreditation: Blue Zone accreditation required. UNEP FI cannot provide accreditation.

This event will explore climate action as a cornerstone for the future of the insurance industry. During the session, Butch Bacani, UNEP Head of Insurance and Chair of the UN Forum for Insurance Transition to Net Zero (FIT) will launch the FIT’s inaugural report—the first global guide on transition plans for insurers. The event will also present the aims of the Fidelidade Impact Center for Climate Change, an innovation hub for climate solutions in the insurance sector, as well as an interactive panel discussion on climate adaptation and mitigation strategies, scenarios and solutions and the role of the insurance industry and key stakeholders.
Livestreaming is available here through the YouTube channel of Portugal’s General Secretariat for the Environment.

 

14 November | Mobilizing financial sector support for a Just Transition
Time: 10:00 -11:00 AZT (GMT+4)
Location: Just Transition Pavilion in the Blue Zone
Accreditation: Blue Zone accreditation required. UNEP FI cannot provide accreditation.

The finance sector plays a critical role in mobilizing the financial resources required for a just transition that social and economic benefits of climate action while minimizing and carefully managing any challenges. Achieving this requires collaboration, financial mechanisms to leverage synergies, and effective regulatory frameworks that align financial flows with just transition objectives. Panelists will share firsthand experience on attracting and directing capital to just transition priorities and explore strategies within the finance sector, offering actionable insights for other actors and stakeholders, including opportunities for alignment with national, sectoral, and international transition plans.

 

14 November | Financing the Transition of the Real Estate Sector towards Net-Zero
Time: 12:30 -14:00 AZT (GMT+4)
Location: Blue Zone, Area E, Buildings and Cooling Pavilion, International Code Council, Number G10
Accreditation: Blue Zone accreditation required. UNEP FI cannot provide accreditation.

This event will explore essential strategies for financing the real estate sector’s transition to net zero. It will address key barriers to financing the transition to net-zero emission buildings, both old and new, and offer recommendations for overcoming these obstacles from speakers and panellists representing leading financial and other institutions including: UNEP, BBVA, Deutsche Bank, EIB, First Abu Dhabi Bank, the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, and 2150. The event will be livestreamed here.

 

14 November | Financing the Low-Carbon Energy Transition in Asia and the Pacific
Time: 15:00 -16:30 AZT (GMT+4)
Location: COP29 Baku, Azerbaijan

This event will examine financing solutions for the low-carbon energy transition in Asia and the Pacific, with a focus on supporting middle-income countries (MICs) as they move away from fossil fuels. Through a Davos-style townhall, experts from UN ESCAP, UNEP FI, IRENA, and key financial institutions will discuss innovative approaches such as blended finance, risk-sharing strategies, and supportive policy frameworks to accelerate sustainable energy investments. Join to learn how tailored financing strategies can drive Asia’s clean energy transformation.

 

14 November | Navigating the path to net-zero for the export credit industry
Time: 15:45 – 16:00 AZT (GMT+4)
Location: The Nordic Pavilion at COP29
Accreditation: Blue Zone accreditation required. UNEP FI cannot provide accreditation.

The event will discuss the role of export credit agencies (ECAs) and export-import (ExIm) banks in advancing the sector towards meeting the Paris Agreement objectives and supporting the real economy transformation towards net-zero. Members of the Net-Zero Export Credit Agencies Alliance (NZECA) will share their experience developing the Target-Setting Protocol, a science-based framework for ECAs and ExIm banks pursuing the path to net-zero. The Protocol, which launched on November 13 at COP29, is the first practical guidance for ECAs and ExIm banks on aligning their portfolios with the path to net-zero taking into consideration the global diversity of the export credit sector.

 

14 November | Regional Pathways: Financing the Global Energy Transition
Time: 18:00 – 19:00 AZT (GMT+4)
Location: Energy Conference Room, Green Zone, Baku Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan
Accreditation: Green Zone accreditation required. UNEP FI cannot provide accreditation.

Representatives of Net-Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA) member banks come together for a panel discussion on the enduring challenges and growing opportunities of financing the global energy transition. They will share their insights on key regions and markets, and reveal how government, business, and finance can work together to accelerate progress. Speakers will include NZBA member banks from Africa and Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, and North America, including from BBVA, First Abu Dhabi Bank and MUFG.

 

15 November | Accelerating Global Investor Climate Action to Achieve the Paris Agreement’s Goals
18:30 – 20:00 AZT (GMT+4)
Location: COP29 Blue Zone, Room: Side Event 8
Accreditation: Blue Zone accreditation required. UNEP FI cannot provide accreditation.

To facilitate a just global transition to net zero, investors are setting net zero targets, laying out climate action plans (ICAPs), and engaging with companies and governments. This event will feature discussions from investors, government representatives and founding partners of the Investor Agenda on the policies needed to scale up the finance needed to deliver ambitious nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and implement the Global Stocktake (GST) outcomes.
For further information, please contact info@theinvestoragenda.com

 

16 November | Launch of new research on climate risk insurance in Kenya, Malawi and South Africa
Time: 11:15 – 12:45 AZT (GMT+4)
Location: South Africa Pavilion
Accreditation: Blue Zone accreditation required. UNEP FI cannot provide accreditation.

Butch Bacani, UNEP Head of Insurance, will provide opening remarks at the launch of new research from African Climate Foundation and Krutham on climate risk insurance in Kenya, Malawi and South Africa, examining how insurance mechanisms can strengthen climate resilience in these countries. The session will also include a panel discussion on key findings from the research.

 

18 November | Climate Adaptation Innovation & Learning (CAIL) public invitational event
Time: 13:15 – 14:45 AZT (GMT+4)
Location: GEF Pavilion
Accreditation: Blue Zone accreditation required. UNEP FI cannot provide accreditation.

More details to follow

 

About COP29

The Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is the primary governing body responsible for advancing global climate action through strategic decisions at its periodic meetings. COP29 will be held from November 11 to November 22, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. This conference will focus on accelerating the implementation of the Paris Agreement, enhancing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and mobilizing finance for climate mitigation and adaptation. Participants will include government representatives, policymakers, and stakeholders who will discuss measures to mitigate climate change, mobilize financial resources, enhance capacity-building, and ensure the sustainable use of resources. Key themes will include decarbonization, climate adaptation, and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits from climate action.