2 September 2016: The Climate Change Journey, a series of more than 100 sessions, workshops and side events to take place during the 2016 International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) World Conservation Congress (WCC), was kicked-off with a high-level panel on nature-based solutions on climate change.

Panel speakers included UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa, France’s Ambassador for the Environment Xavier Sticker, Tuvalu’s Prime Minister Enele Sopoaga, Ramsar Convention Secretary General Martha Rojas-Urrego, Tom Butler, International Council on Mining and Metals, and Peter Seligmann, Conservation International. Among other issues, panelists discussed: economic and security risks posed by climate change; the valuable role of ecosystems and biodiversity to combat climate change; and other co-benefits of protecting nature and empowering women.

The session also served to introduce the WCC Climate Change Journey, which brings together sessions, workshops and side-events focusing on: assessing and addressing impacts of climate change on species and ecosystems that are integral to life on Earth; nature-based solutions to climate change, including ecosystem-based mitigation, adaptation and disaster risk reduction (DRR); and inclusive climate action. The Climate Change Journey aims to showcase the different dimensions of IUCN’s climate work, engage participants and share experiences and build an enlarged community of practice on climate change. [IUCN-WCC Climate Change Journey Programme][Ramsar Convention Press Release] [IUCN Webcast Session “A Changing Climate: Championing Nature-Based Solutions”][IISD RS Coverage of WCC, 2 September 2016]