Are you ready for COP28?

The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, more commonly referred to as COP28, will be held from 30 November until 12 December 2023, at the Expo City , Dubai . The conference has been held annually since the first UN climate agreement in 1992 . The COP conferences are intended for governments to agree on policies to limit global temperature rises and adapt to impacts associated with climate change .

Since #COP28 will be starting this Thursday, we thought we could ask some of our speakers from #KeyNoteWomenSpeakers what they thought of this conference and the issues relevant to climate change.

Monica Hornung Cattan is the Global Director of Strategic Partnerships and Engagement?at QS?Quacquarelli?Symonds. Her international career has focused on public-private partnerships and?convening?multiple stakeholders to tackle urgent societal issues. Her?expertise?and interests lie in regional policy ecosystems and partnership strategies in Asia and Europe.?

Today Monica shares her thoughts - "COP-28 embodies the most important elements of the sustainability agenda that we should strive for. Its goal, to limit global warming, and its ambitions for women empowerment, an area dear to me, are virtually important, but its commitment to collaboration between all stakeholders, from countries, governments, youth, marginalised groups and leaders in community and business, and is ability to bring those together is inspiring to all of us."

She believes?women empowerment?is not an equity need, but a crucial economic imperative for climate action and sustainability.?To learn more about Monica, check out her profile at www.keynotewomen.com

Elke Duwenig is an inspiring Senior Expert skilled in biotechnology & innovation, on agricultural & life science challenges. With passion for sustainable solutions she has opened markets for innovative solutions like products of precision fermentation. Dr. Elke pushes for the green transformation (including changing old mindsets), both in industry & policy and she manages inclusive stakeholder networks and trade associations. She is a sought-after Advocate and Speaker because of her knowledge & experience with the EU and international regulatory & legislative processes for approval of life science products.

Elke shares the important of acquiring new innovations to see a more sustainable earth - "Growing more with less - less land, less input, less water, less energy - is possible thanks to technology and innovation. Plant and microbial biotechnology including new genetic techniques are offering sustainable solutions to increase crop productivity and soil health in the face of climate change." To find out more on Dr. Elke, please visit out website.

Christine Amour-Levar is the Founder & CEO of HER Planet Earth as well as the Co-Founder of Investors for Climate. She is also a Philanthropist, Human Rights & Sustainability Advisor, TEDx Speaker and Best-Selling Author.

We're excited to announce that Christine has been invited by Women & Climate as well as the Singaporean Government to COP-28 UAE - Gender and Climate-Smart Investing: The key to accelerating climate action.

Today she shares her thoughts on this significant topic - "When fighting climate change, we need to be courageous enough to acknowledge that we have to address the root causes of the problem. Just 90 companies headquartered in 43 countries are responsible for two-thirds of all the bad greenhouse gases that we’ve emitted since industrialisation began. All these companies are oil, gas, coal or cement firms. We need systemic change such as taxing carbon, decommissioning fossil fuel infrastructure, and banning new oil and gas exploration. We also need governments and regulators to place a price on pollution, so that everyone pays for their greenhouse gas emissions. We need to place a price on environmental destruction."

Christine is very passionate when it comes to our planet and that is why she is a record-breaking adventurer. To know more about Christine, please contact us to see her profile.

Erika Balzarelli is the Founder and Executive Director The Sustainable Smallholder Consulting. With over 20 years’ experience in agriculture, she has worked in corporates, NGOs, governments, consultancy, and start-ups across Europe, Africa and APAC developing and implementing impactful projects in climate-smart agriculture.

As someone who is passionate about Smallholder farmers she shares her views on how we can see our planet having a better future - “Any change we want to make at smallholder level, needs to make financial sense for the farmer and for the business – the solution needs to be commercially attractive for both ends. This is where profit needs to meet purpose - and it is this sweet-spot that organizations need to find to successfully enable the transition to sustainable agriculture: profitable for the farmer and the value chain, environmentally sustainable and economically viable for the organization.”

Erika has also been invited to speak at the Presidential Event at COP-28 in Dubai in person. Congratulations to another one of our speakers invited to this World Government Summit. To book Erika for your next event, please contact us for more details.

Santa Meyer-Nandi is an award-winning advocate on how to create environmental and societal change and what kind of mind- and skill-set Change Agents need to drive forward change and navigate uncertainty, crisis, and resistance in our environment. Trained as an Environmental laywer she is the Co-Founder FindingSustainia as well being elected?Best Sustainability Blogger?in Germany for her blog FindingSustainia as well #FutureWoman and Germany's Top 100 sustainability influencer #Nachhaltige100.

To conclude our Sustainable speakers sharing their views, Santa gives what she is aspiring for all of us to do - "As we approach COP-28, I extend an invitation to embrace hope, while recognizing the frustrating mixed messages within the COP-system. Hope is not a passive wait for rescue by a Prince or Princess Charming, but a dynamic force that empowers us to be proactive 'Change Gestalters'. It involves confronting eco-anxiety, fear, and uncertainty head-on, while mindfully working to improve our odds and acknowledging that unwelcome events may unfold. Nurturing our values and holding kindness and gratitude as guiding principles not only provide us with anchors, but also, I hope, enhance the essence of humanity."

As we lead up to the Climate Change Conference, this is a pivotal opportunity to correct course and accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis. What can you personally do to reduce emissions and protect lives and livelihoods? Maybe you can embrace a plant-based lifestyle, practice zero waste, support local producers or live off a limited budget for organic ingredients. Making changes are not always easy but being fueled by a strong "Why" can make all the difference.