- The COP28 Presidency has curated a series of ‘after-hours’ networking events – COP Connect – throughout the conference, bringing together climate-tech start-ups, innovators, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, accelerators, NGOs, government officials, academics and corporate leaders, to connect and collaborate.
- Five partner-hosted COP Connect events were held in the Green Zone, bringing together a total of 600 participants.
- The events were aligned with thematic days and featured influential thought leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs within the relevant space, promoting a collective call to action by facilitating collaborations and partnerships.
- The COP Connect series is part of COP28’s Tech & Entrepreneurship strategic program, which has delivered a range of new initiatives, including the Innovate for Climate Tech Coalition, more than 60 hours of technology-related sessions in the Technology and Innovation Hub, the Climate Innovation Forum, and the NEX COP28 Climate Tech Startup Accelerator.
Dubai, 14 December 2023:
The COP28 Presidency has curated a series of ‘after-hours’ networking events throughout the conference to drive climate-tech innovation and bring together ecosystem players to form meaningful partnerships and inspire positive climate action.
The COP Connect series took place in the Green Zone throughout COP28, with each of the five partner-hosted events being aligned with thematic days featuring influential thought leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs within the relevant space, promoting a collective call to action by facilitating collaborations and partnerships.
In total, 600 people have attended the COP Connect events, with attendees including climate- tech start-ups, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, accelerators, NGOs, government officials, academics and corporate leaders. The cross-disciplinary nature of the events has enabled stakeholders from across the ecosystem to explore potential investment opportunities, share research-based learnings, and discuss policy design and implementation.
“Inclusion underpins the COP28 Presidency agenda. The COP Connect platform has facilitated dialogue between emerging climate start-ups who have the solutions to tackle climate issues, and the investment community that can take those solutions to the scale required.” said Adnan Amin, Chief Executive Officer of COP28. “We look forward to seeing this inclusive approach being taken forward at future COPs to continue driving innovation and building the climate-tech ecosystem.”
The first COP Connect was held on 2 December, under the theme of ‘Connect to Scale Climate Solutions’ and hosted by Princeville Capital.
“Princeville Capital and its Climate Technology Fund team were pleased to host the COP- Connect event on scaling climate solutions,” said Emmanuel DeSousa, Co-founder & Managing Partner, Princeville Capital. “This event was a great opportunity to stimulate investment and strengthen communications, especially supporting the growth of climate technology innovations in the Global South. Leveraging its capital, knowledge and network, Princeville Capital invests in positive climate companies around the world.”
On 3 December, the second COP Connect event, “Connecting Changemakers – Building the World of Tomorrow,” was hosted by C3 – Companies Creating Change.
“The C3 x COP Connect Mixer was a dynamic gathering that brought together founders, investors, experts, and corporates from our diverse ecosystem,” said Medea Nocentini, Founder of C3. “The event was an excellent platform for meaningful discussions and collaboration, fostering positive change through the lens of impact entrepreneurship. Together, and through the COP28 platform, we aim to continue contributing significantly to the journey towards a more socially and environmentally sustainable world, cultivating a better future for our planet.”
The third event was held on 5 December, with the theme of ‘Celebrating the Climate Heroes We Need’ and hosted by New Energy Nexus and the Innovate for Climate Tech coalition members, in the presence of Adnan Amin, Chief Executive Officer of COP28.
“Climate entrepreneurs both big and small, from the South and North, are going to be critical to solving some of the biggest challenges in the global clean energy transition,” said Danny Kennedy, CEO at New Energy Nexus. “That’s why we need everyone from philanthropy through to the private sector to join us to deploy and scale climate tech solutions.”
On 6 December, global leading data and artificial intelligence consulting company Artefact hosted the fourth event, under the theme of ‘AI for Sustainability and Climate.’
“Artefact as a global leading AI consulting company is proud to enlighten the role of artificial intelligence in bringing solutions for climate during COP28,” said Vincent Luciani, Global CEO & Cofounder of Artefact. “Connecting startups, corporates, NGOs and governments to create collaboration is key to promoting AI as a catalyst for sustainability across the Global North and South.”
The final COP Connect event was held on 9 December, under the theme of ‘Unlocking Investments for Youth-Driven Innovation Towards Climate-Smart Sustainable Food Systems’ and hosted by AGRA in collaboration with the World Farmer’s Organization.
“AGRA and the World Farmers Organisation were delighted to co-convene the COP Connect event on Unlocking Investments for Youth-Driven Innovation Towards Climate-Smart Sustainable Food Systems,” said Agnes Kalibata President of AGRA. “This networking event brought together young agripreneurs, investors, and policymakers dedicated to shaping an inclusive climate-smart future of agriculture. The event offered an arena where bright young minds in agriculture can converge to unlock new financing streams, which is crucial for seeding the early stages of regenerative and sustainable ventures.”
The COP Connect series is part of COP28’s Tech & Entrepreneurship strategic program, which has delivered a number of key initiatives, including the Innovate for Climate Tech Coalition, a climate coalition to drive global climate technology ecosystems, more than 60 hours of technology-related sessions in the Technology and Innovation Hub, the Climate Innovation Forum, and the NEX COP28 Climate Tech Startup Accelerator.
