Climate Outreach at COP27: calling for stronger public engagement
Egypt hosted this year’s UN climate conference (COP27) in Sharm El-Sheikh from 6 November to 18 November. Like many organisations, we worked hard to make it as impactful as possible. This page highlights our COP27 activities over the course of the conference.
At COP27 we called on governments to strengthen their commitment to public engagement. Our work at the conference focused on Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE), loss and damage, and climate justice. ACE refers to Article 12 of the Paris Agreement, which covers six priority areas: education, training, public awareness, public participation, access to information and international cooperation on climate change.
Several of our team attended the conference to host and participate in a number of high profile events including the ones below – links to live streams and recordings are included where available. Beyond our own events at COP27, we helped amplify all events focused on public engagement happening in and around the conference, in particular events by our partners Greenish, an Egyptian civil society organisation.
Events co-hosted by Climate Outreach
Communicating climate justice with young adults in Europe
8 November, 14:00-15:30 GMT, online
The launch webinar for our new report – ‘Communicating climate justice with young adults in Europe’ took place 8 November.
The concept of climate justice brings a lens of social equity and historical responsibility to climate change, and during COP27 an increasingly powerful movement is calling for reparations for loss and damages resulting from climate change.
In this session, Robin Webster and Dr Amiera Sawas explores how young people across Europe understand and respond to climate justice messaging, alongside key insights and recommendations for how advocates can more effectively and powerfully communicate climate justice.
Unlocking the potential of ACE through civil society engagement in climate adaptation
15 November, 14:00-15:30 GMT / 16:00-17:30 EET – Meeting room 1, Blue Zone
We were delighted to co-host the COP27 Presidency event for ACE & Civil Society Day. There was a fantastic line-up of speakers from a variety of backgrounds, with powerful insights to share. We assembled two panels to get as much representation as possible, which is critical for effective and meaningful climate conversations.
Lead Partners: UNFCCC ACE Secretariat; COP27 Presidency Team; Climate Outreach; Greenish
Exploring the legal obligations to implement Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE)
16 November, 15:00-16:00 GMT / 17:00-18:00 Egypt time, South Africa Pavilion – Blue Zone
Climate Outreach presented our new report on governments’ legal obligations – not just under the Paris Agreement but international, regional and national laws – to implement the six areas of ACE. The report was written in collaboration with global law firm DLA Piper.
Lead Partners: Climate Outreach; DLA Piper
Speakers:
- Pemy Gasela (Chair)
- Deepayan Basu Ray, Climate Outreach
- Shirley Magniez-Pouget, DLA Piper
- Francesca Mingrone, CIEL
Press & media
Press conferences
- Friday, 18 November, 16:00 EET (14:00 GMT), Press Conference Room Luxor (Area B). Watch recording.
- Saturday, 12 November, 16:30 Egypt time, Press Conference Room Luxor (Area B): Are countries legally obliged to deliver public engagement on climate change? Climate Outreach presented its report on the legal obligations of states to implement ACE, including analysis from global law firm DLA Piper.
Need a spokesperson?
Climate Outreach experts will be available to comment on negotiations:
- Noora Firaq Interim Executive Director (at COP27 9-18 Nov) | Expert on oceans, small island developing states and ACE.
- Dr Amiera Sawas Programmes and Research Director (at COP27 10-18 Nov) | Expert on gender, ACE, loss and damage. Watch Amiera’s interview on Sky News.
- Deepayan Basu Ray Head of Engagement (at COP27 6-20 Nov) | Expert on COP27 negotiations, public participation and awareness. Watch Deep’s interview on BBC World News.
- Nameerah Hameed Engagement Advisor (at COP27 6-20 Nov) | Expert on energy, gender and ACE. Watch Nameerah’s interview on TRT World.
Go to our media centre for more details on how to contact us and our COP27 spokespeople. See our Climate Ambassadors page for diverse, UK-based climate and environment experts trained in effective public engagement.
Free photos for the media, non-profits and educators
Register at Climate Visuals to browse our library and download impactful photographs from around the world that showcase climate solutions alongside the global impact of climate change. Many of the images are freely available for the media to download and publish, including our new Ocean Visuals collection.
Events with Climate Outreach participation
Communicating ocean science for climate action
9 November, 13:45-14:45 GMT / 15:45-16:45 Egypt time, UNESCO Pavilion, Green Zone
This event explored effective communication of the critical – but often poorly understood – connections between the ocean and climate change. The aim was to draw out best practice, thinking and tools to be used when engaging audiences with the ocean-climate nexus and climate action. Noora Firaq, our Interim Executive Director, joined the discussion, sharing insights on how our new Ocean Visuals collection can contribute to more diverse and impactful communications.
Lead Partners: IOC UNESCO; Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation; Comms Inc.
We will add the recording here soon.
Communicating science for policy: the challenge and opportunity
11 November, 9:15-9:30 GMT / 11.15-11.30 Egypt time, Nature Positive News Room, Blue Zone
This short in-person and live broadcast panel on the Nature Positive News Hour was hosted by We Don’t Have Time. Our Interim Executive Director, Noora Firaq was on the panel, talking about how good science communication isn’t just about sharing facts – you need to engage people through what they care about.
Lead Partners: We Don’t Have Time; Nature Positive
Strengthening narratives to promote climate actions and accelerate the energy transition
14 November, 13:15-15:00 GMT / 15:15-17:00 Egypt time, Albatros Laguna Vista Sharm El-Sheikh hotel, Hosted by Energy Foundation China
Our director of Programmes and Research, Dr Amiera Sawas, joined this panel discussion about effective narrative use to support climate action around the energy transition.
The event was summarised in this piece by China News.
The role of civil society and public engagement in the international and national climate dialogue
15 November, 7:45-8:30 GMT / 9:45-10:30 Egypt time, Civil Society Pavilion in the Blue Zone
The focus of this event was on the role civil society can and should play in advancing the ACE agenda. Our Engagement Advisor, Nameerah Hameed, joined the panel to share her work and perspectives.
Capacity building for climate change solutions and civil society empowerment
17 November, 9:15-10:15 GMT / 11:15-12:15 Egypt time, Egyptian Civil Society Pavilion
Our Head of Engagement Deepayan Basu Ray was delighted to join this event hosted by Greenish, an Egyptian civil society organisation we have partnered with for several years.
Energy Transition: what do vulnerable Europeans have to say?
17 November, 13:30-14:00 GMT / 15:30-16:00 Egypt time, Just Transition Pavilion
This event presented the Fair Energy Transition for All (FETA) project, which has led to concrete recommendations at EU and national levels for policies that can secure support across society and avoid placing a burden on the most vulnerable. Pascale Taminiaux of the King Baudouin Foundation shared key findings from two years of listening deeply to the concerns and hopes of Europe’s most vulnerable citizens on the transition to green energy. The project was set up by a consortium of European foundations, and Climate Outreach contributed to the research.
Türkiye’s Long Term Climate Change Strategy and Action Plan Component
17 November, 15:00-16:00 GMT / 17:00-18:00 Egypt time, Pavilion of Türkiye / Online
The session highlighted Türkiye’s efforts on communicating Climate Change, Net Zero 2053 emission target and the Long Term Climate Change Strategy 2050 (LTS) process as a model country, presenting the Communication Strategy preparation process under Türkiye’s LTS.
Our Interim Executive Director, Noora Firaq, joined the panel to share a global perspective on climate communications, drawing on our work with a number of partners including More in Common, Klimafakten and the European Climate Foundation.
The role of youth in advancing the climate agenda - including evidence from the latest Climate Outreach youth report
17 November, 16:00-18:00 GMT / 18:00-20:00 Egypt time, Italy Pavilion
How can young people be included in decision-making processes? The event hosted a number of speakers who presented local and national initiatives involving young people to ensure that the principle of intergenerational equity has an impact on the climate agenda.
Our Engagement Advisor, Nameerah Hameed, joined the panel of speakers, bringing in the context of our new report exploring communicating climate justice with young adults in Europe.
Lead partners: Italian Climate Network
Ocean Visuals at COP27
The Ocean Visuals collection, as part of the Climate Visuals project, is a new evidence-based collection of impactful and truly diverse ocean and coastal climate imagery – all freely accessible to the media, non-profit sector and education sector.
These images are urgently needed to help tell more diverse and compelling visual stories around the critical – but often poorly understood – connections between the ocean and climate change.
The collection aimed to increase the breadth and impact of media and campaign coverage at COP27 – particularly given the predicted focus on oceans, finance, and loss and damage – while also ensuring that all communicators can access quality, verified imagery equitably.
Noora Firaq, Interim Executive Director & Operations Director of Climate Outreach, was at the Nature Zone Pavilion on Friday 11 November to talk about Ocean Visuals.
The eight principles of effective ocean-climate photography are:
- Show people in ocean and coastal regions with authenticity
- Visualise the diversity of people-and-ocean connections
- Tell new stories
- Find ocean and climate causes, impacts and solutions at scale
- Pair emotionally powerful impacts with positive actions
- Develop ideas to invite curiosity and foster engagement
- Prioritise ethics, safety, wellbeing and prevention of harm
- Be aware of problem narratives
Watch the video below to see a selection of the Ocean Visuals image collection.
The Ocean Visuals collection was featured in the digital exhibition programmes of the Nature Pavilion, in the Blue Zone – have a look at some snapshots of the exhibition below.
Greenish events supported by Climate Outreach
Greenish is an Egyptian organisation that works with civil society to raise awareness about and develop solutions to environmental issues. They will be hosting a number of events during the conference. We have worked with Greenish for several years and are delighted to be partnering with them again in the context of COP27.
A selection of Greenish’s events at COP27 are below:
Science based methods to enhancing climate action and public participation
10 Nov, 16:45-17:00 Egypt time, Blue zone, Civil Society Pavilion
How much education is needed to decarbonize our societies and future?
11 Nov, 13:00-13:45 Egypt time, Blue zone, Civil Society Pavilion
The Egyptian civil society experience working on women empowerment and the importance in the climate context
14 Nov, 09:45-10:30 Egypt time, Blue zone
Capacity building for climate change solutions and civil society empowerment
17 Nov, 11:15-12:15 Egypt time, Blue zone, Egyptian Civil Society Pavilion
The importance of decentralized energy solutions and the role of international cooperation efforts
17 Nov, 16:45-17:30 Egypt time, Blue zone, Civil Society Pavilion
Many thanks to the generous support of the IKEA Foundation and Climate Emergency Collaboration Group (CECG) for supporting our activities at COP27.
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