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The COVID-19 pandemic has brought resilience to the fore. It has laid bare the vulnerability of our societies and economies and exposed the lack of risk planning in countries. During this event, speakers will focus on the need to carry out ambitious actions on building resilience and identify what can be done to set up a decade of action.

This high level event will bring together the outcomes of the Regional Resilience Dialogues and Race to Zero resilience-focused dialogues and highlight how to advance the action of non-state actors and initiatives to deliver outcomes at COP26 and beyond. The High Level Champions, Gonzalo Muñoz and Nigel Topping, will also use this event to share their developing plans for a Race for Resilience campaign as a sister to the Race to Zero campaign to deliver a decade of action.

This dialogue will build upon previous Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action roundtables held at COP23, COP24 and COP25 events, the Global Commission on Adaptation, and from the UN Climate Action Summit and the Call to Action on Adaptation and Resilience.

Objectives of the discussion

1.) To bring together the outcomes of the Regional Resilience Dialogues and Race to Zero resilience focussed dialogues on the challenges and opportunities of advancing action.

2.) To highlight how to advance action of non-state actors and initiatives through campaigns on resilience to deliver ambitious outcomes at COP26 and beyond.

3.) To share ideas and build support for resilience campaign to be led by the Champions.

Join the Adrienne Arsht – Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center, the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) and the Global Center on Adaptation together with the members of the Marrakech Partnership (MPGCA) Climate Resilience Network, for a discussion from 1:00 – 2:30 pm EST on delivering action to build a climate resilient and just future for all. 

Opening remarks and setting out vision on advancing climate action and race for resilience

Nigel Topping
High Level Climate Action Champion, UK
COP26

Gonzalo Muñoz
High Level Climate Action Champion, Chile
COP26

Panel discussions

Panel 1
The challenge: Why action on resilience is a must?

Johan Rockstrom
Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Professor in Earth System Science, University of Potsdam
Chair of the Global Resilience Partnership Advisory Council

Saleemul Huq
Director, International Centre for Climate Change & Development (ICCCAD)
Chair of Resilience track for UN Food Systems Summit 2021

Emma Howard Boyd
UK Commissioner
Global Commission on Adaptation and Chair of the Environment Agency

Moderated by

Wanjira Mathai
Vice President and Regional Director for Africa
World Resources Institute

Panel 2
Opportunities for ambitious action

Kathy Baughman McLeod
Senior Vice President and Director, Adrienne Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center
Atlantic Council, representing the Extreme Heat Resilience Alliance (EHRA)

Zakia Naznin
Programme Manager
Concern Worldwide, representing the Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance

Karen Sack
CEO
Ocean Unite, representing Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance

Moderated by

Wanjira Mathai
Vice President and Regional Director for Africa
World Resources Institute

Panel 3
Delivering ambition and a decade of action

Julio Cordano
Head, Department of Climate Change
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chile and COP 25 Chilean Presidency Representative

Patrick Verkooijen
Chief Executive Officer
Global Center on Adaptation

Anne-Marie Trevelyan
UK International Champion on Adaptation and Resilience
COP26

Moderated by

Wanjira Mathai
Vice President and Regional Director for Africa
World Resources Institute

Closing remarks

Nigel Topping
High Level Climate Action Champion, UK
COP26

Gonzalo Muñoz
High Level Climate Action Champion, Chile
COP26

Additional speakers to be announced soon.

Please email us at resilience@atlanticcouncil.org if you do not receive the Zoom webinar details after registration.