Interviews

COP28 | MASSIMO TAVONI. “Science points to a loss and damage fund of several hundred billion USD”

The loss and damage fund has been established, and initial pledges have been made, but how much money should be directed into it and how should it be organized? Massimo Tavoni, director of the CMCC-RFF European Institute on Economics and the Environment, explains how climate-economic science and modeling can support the loss and damage debate. The latest evidence indicates that an adequate fund should be in the order of [140-822] USD billion and that it should differ from existing funding arrangements used for mitigation and adaptation.

COP28 | ALFREDO REDER: Climate models are magnifying glasses to understand the Climate-Health Nexus

Cities emerge as crucial topics in climate discussions, with artificial surfaces amplifying environmental challenges and increasing health risks. From COP28, CMCC scientist Alfredo Reder emphasizes the need for city-focused high-resolution datasets and the lack of complete climate information in many developing countries, urging investments in models and datasets. As health and climate take center stage, advanced techniques, such as artificial intelligence, aid in navigating uncertainties for informed decision-making, and in tackling the lack of information to address the global information gap.

COP28 | LARA ALELUIA REIS. Global Stocktake, guidance for closing the mitigation gaps

“I’m anxious to see what emerges from the Global Stocktake. Although the report on our progress has already been published, we really need to build on this and raise ambition”. CMCC scientist Lara Aleluia Reis focuses on things such as credibility, accountability and transparency as key issues that will determine the success of COP28 in delivering a more ambitious pathway that brings us closer to the well below 2°C target. How? It all starts with the Global Stocktake.

COP28 | ELISA CALLIARI: The vulnerability issue at the heart of the loss and damage fund

With the agreement reached on the first day of the COP28 UN Summit on the loss and damage fund, decisions were adopted about the beneficiaries, the donors, and how the fund will be structured and governed. The CMCC and IIASA researcher Elisa Calliari, member of the Italian Delegation to the UNFCCC, sheds light on one of the hot topics of COP28 and points out the issues that still have to be defined in the negotiations around ‘loss and damage’.

COP28 | MARTA ELLENA: “Three intertwined pillars to solve the climate crisis”

Positioned as a pivotal theme at COP28, adaptation efforts should aim for a shared and common framework to fortify resilience and reduce vulnerabilities at different scales. Adaptation is crucial in the context of the Global Stocktake, intended to inform Parties to the Paris Agreement on their progress against its goals, including limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C. National Adaptation Plans also take center stage in current climate discussions, marking the launchpad for states to decipher local and national vulnerabilities and risks, plan effective adaptation actions, and secure funding. CMCC scientist Marta Ellena shares insights illuminating COP28’s ambition for a sustainable and resilient future.

COP28 | SHOURO DASGUPTA. Health Day to prioritise the climate impacts on billions of the most vulnerable worldwide

Health impacts are among the most tangible effects of climate change: they affect billions worldwide, and they are more acutely felt by the most vulnerable parts of the population. Environmental economist at CMCC and member of the Burkina Faso delegation at COP28, Shouro Dasgupta underscores the imperative of integrating health concerns into climate policies to reduce both health impacts – especially on the most vulnerable populations – and unintended consequences of climate action.

COP28 | ELENA VERDOLINI: “All that is discussed in the negotiations is about Just Transition”

Designing a just transition requires global efforts on multiple levels. It requires sitting scientists, policymakers, and the private sector at the same table. It needs to give each of society’s sectors a voice. It involves harnessing the potential of digital technologies in the context of decarbonisation to promote democracy, equity and planetary stability. CMCC scientist Elena Verdolini highlights the need to focus on the regulation of the processes, on the framing, on channeling joint forces across countries and sectors to drive the climate transition justly and in the right direction.

COP28 | ANNA PIRANI: “The most comprehensive and robust science for climate negotiations”

Science plays a central role in COP28 climate negotiations. As part of the Italian delegation that is led by the Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security, CMCC scientist Anna Pirani anticipates crucial discussions on funding for vulnerable nations, renewable energy and energy efficiency pledges, and the inaugural global stocktake phase. CMCC’s active participation in the 2023 Conference of the Parties reflects a commitment to integrating science seamlessly into climate policy decisions.

COP28 | CARLO CARRARO. The road ahead for climate finance

On the opening day of COP28 in Dubai, Carlo Carraro highlights three fundamental dimensions to understanding the landscape of funding for climate change mitigation and adaptation in the context of international negotiations: the magnitude of funding, its allocation, and the critical role of finance in supporting global climate goals.

AI food system

Can AI help nourish a sustainable food system?

The democratization of technology and the ability of AI driven models to better process both quantitative and qualitative data is opening new opportunities for the food system to become both more productive and sustainable.

Climate-related disclosure: Bridging the data gap

High quality data is essential if we are to achieve our global climate related goals. Sue Armstrong-Brown, Global Director of Environmental Standards and Thought Leadership at CDP, explains how data obtained through disclosure informed the Global Stocktake to be agreed at COP28 and how the world is taking action to fill the shortage of climate-related information.

Towards a nature-positive economy

“We need now to integrate private sector actors, take advantage of innovative technologies and AI, and train future generations.” Healthy and well-managed ecosystems provide a range of services that support climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. The achievements and upcoming priorities when it comes to nature-based solutions in the words of Nathalie Doswald.