Navigating the Green Financing Pathway: SIDS and the Road to the Paris Agreement
9:50AM-10:45 AM GST
Island of Hope's Island Stage, Fort Island, Madinat Jumeirah Conference Center, Al Sufouh Road, Dubai | Hybrid (In-Person and Online)
Moderator
James Ellsmoor, CEO, Island Innovation
Speakers
Pepukaye Bardouille, Director, Bridgetown Initiative & Special Advisor on Climate Resilience, Prime Minister’s Office, Government of Barbados; Emma Latham-Jones, Senior Manager - Biodiversity, ShareAction; Cheryl Senhouse, Finance Innovation Director, Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator; Yuri Soares, Chief Impact Officer, Innovation Lab, Inter-American Development Lab; Tom Bishop, Senior Climate Finance Advisor, RTI; Ahmed Waheed, Director, Department: Climate Change Department, Ministry of Environment and Energy, Government of the Republic of Maldives; Taiji Watanabe, Technical Adviser, Global Environment Department, Environmental Management and Climate Change Group, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Abstract
Small island states and vulnerable coastal regions are grappling with unprecedented challenges stemming from climate change and rising sea levels. To effectively address these challenges and to implement effective solutions for climate adaptation, mitigation and ecosystem restoration, it is crucial to accelerate cross sector and cross border collaboration. Only by pooling our resources and expertise can we drive change at scale and pace.
The Island Stage will host an extensive daily conference dedicated to bringing together key global actors from small island states and climate-vulnerable regions with donors, investors and solution providers to accelerate climate adaption, resilience and ecosystem restoration.
Unlocking Finance to Scale Climate Solutions
11:00AM-12:00PM GST
Pathways to 1.5 Pavilion (Blue Zone, B7, Building 88) | Hybrid (In-Person and Online)
Introduction
Tatyana Marshall, Vice President, Energy, RTI International
Speakers
President Vjosa Osmani, President of the Republic of Kosovo; Alice Albright, CEO, Millennium Challenge Corporation; Adam Wang-Levine, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Climate, Environment, and Infrastructure, Department of Treasury; Jonathan Richart, Deputy Vice President, Infrastructure, Environment and Private Sector, The Millennium Challenge Corporation; Jacqueline Musitwa, Senior Climate Advisor, USAID; Tariye Gbadegesin, CEO of ARM Harith Infrastructure Fund Managers & Co-Chair of the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative
Abstract
The Global Stock-take makes clear that mobilization of climate finance needs to be significantly scaled up to meet urgent needs and strategically deployed to support pathways for low carbon and climate resilient development. The United States recognizes that efforts must be pursued on all fronts towards meeting investment needs, and the important role of public finance to incentivize high-impact investments and to crowd-in private sector finance.
This event will showcase how the United States government is working to close the financing gap and catalyze additional investment. The challenges and opportunities associated with climate finance will be explored through the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC’s) major investments in Kosovo and Mozambique, which span both low carbon development and historically under-represented adaptation. This event will also showcase progress made from MCC and USAID’s Climate Finance + initiative launched at COP27 to introduce and scale up green finance products in the low to lower middle-income countries that need it most.