- More than 1,100 attendees at the events organized in the Pavilion and nearly 22,000 streaming views demonstrate the great interest in the topics covered this year.
- 270 entities representing the governmental, private and academic sectors participated in the 51 events held during the Dubai Climate Summit.
- More than 300 speakers and moderators have visited the Spanish Pavilion, where 52% of the participants were women.
The Spanish Pavilion at COP28 concludes its activity in Dubai with very relevant data that demonstrate the great interest generated this year by the 51 events organized by the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) and the quality of the speakers and moderators who have participated.
During the 10 days of activity, 1,177 attendees, 314 speakers and moderators and 270 entities from various sectors have passed through the pavilion. Thus, 40% of the participating entities came from the government, 34% from the private sector, 14% from civil society, 6% from academia and research and another 6% were young people. In addition, another of the pavilion’s objectives was to promote gender equity among the participants, something that has been achieved thanks to the 165 women participants, 52% of the total.
This year 100% of the events have been broadcast by streaming through the social media channels of the Fundación Biodiversidad del MITECO, achieving a following of more than 22,000 people, with an average of more than 400
views per event. In total, during the more than 51 hours of live coverage, nearly 12,000 people connected to follow the pavilion’s activity via X (formerly Twitter). Another 6,900 have followed the events through the Linkedin profile and more than 2,000 have done so on Youtube.
These data reinforce the objectives that were intended to be achieved this year with the Spain Pavilion, designed to provide answers and show solutions and commitments. In Dubai, Spain has opted for an impact pavilion, which has become a key meeting point for actors and institutions of great national and international relevance in the field of climate change.
INTERNATIONAL VISION AND SUCCESS STORIES
Governments, companies, young people and international organizations have had their space to have a complete vision of the solutions we need to face the challenges generated by the climate crisis. This year, the vision has had a strong international character, achieving the participation of many countries and sectors to share the cross-cutting and shared challenges of the climate agenda.
The discussion generated in the pavilion focused on the importance of international commitment and collaboration to establish a clear, effective and science-based framework to guide nations, companies and civil society. Thus, we have reflected on the type of leadership needed and how to ensure greater transparency and credibility. Raised as an issue of intergenerational justice, young people have advocated for increased participation in decision making. Women, for their part, have requested more effective policies to ensure that the gender perspective is taken into account in areas such as education, professional training, access to employment or financing in the energy sector.
International cooperation between countries also featured in the debate, emphasizing the need to join efforts to address global climate challenges, strengthen the participation and contribution of Indigenous Peoples, and work to make information more accessible by expanding language options to encourage participation by all.
The pavilion also witnessed the solutions and innovations developed by the business sector to enable the deployment of clean and renewable energy sources globally. Successful governmental energy transition strategies and some challenges, such as the social acceptance of the implementation of renewable energies, have also been shared.
Successful experiences in specific areas and sectors have also been shared. In relation to urban environments, aspects such as the integration of renewable energies, green infrastructure and sustainable mobility have been explored in depth, promoting the reduction of the carbon footprint in cities while improving the quality of life of their inhabitants. In the area of the bioeconomy, in activities such as regenerative agriculture or sustainable forestry, questions have been raised about how to improve regulation, train the labor market and channel the necessary financing.
Multilateral agencies, asset managers, investment funds, commercial banks and other key players in the different capital markets have analyzed how to mobilize both public and private financing to promote the ecological transition at the necessary speed and in a fair manner.
Natural capital and ecosystem services have been shown to be particularly relevant, highlighting the crucial role of nature, including the ocean as a solution for climate change mitigation and adaptation. Also the importance of effective water management and its role in climate resilience, as well as the integration of natural capital into national and corporate balance sheets. Instruments to combat climate change have also been identified, such as the promotion of deforestation-free supply chains through regulation and voluntary commitments.
PRESENCE OF RELEVANT ENTITIES AND PERSONALITIES
The Spanish Pavilion has been visited by distinguished personalities representing governments and entities of great international relevance. The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, and the Third Vice-President of the Government and Minister for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, Teresa Ribera, visited the pavilion during its first day of activity on December 1.
Also participating in some of the events organized were Rodrigo Buenaventura, president of the Spanish Securities and Exchange Commission, Virginijus Sinkevicius, European Commissioner for the Environment, Christophe Béchu, French Minister for Ecological Transition, Ambroise Fayolle, vice president of the European Investment Bank, Helena Viñes, president of the European Sustainable Finance Platform, and Verena Ross, president of the European Security and Markets Authority.
Also noteworthy are representatives of multilateral organizations such as María Neira, director of the Public Health and Environment Department of the World Health Organization (WHO), Álvaro Lario, president of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Mikko Ollikainen, president of the Adaptation Fund, Valerie Hickey, global director of Environment, Natural Resources and Blue Economy at the World Bank, and Julia Wolf, head of Natural Resources at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
