October 2011: The World Bank Institute has concluded its five-part “Global Dialogue Series on Climate Change: The Road to Durban,” which focused on climate change and cities, food security, and education and technology.

The dialogues were organized over the course of 2011 in preparation for the 17th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 17) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), scheduled to take place in Durban, South Africa, at the end of 2011.

They were facilitated by Crispian Olver through videoconferences and aimed to assist participants in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the topics that will be addressed at COP 17. The first topic in the dialogue series, Climate Resilient Cities, focused on the most effective measures for cities to remedy climate change impacts. The second topic of Adaptation, Food Security and Rural Development, explored how climate change has affected food security in Africa, and proposed climate-resilient agricultural systems as a solution. The third event, on Climate Finance, discussed financial barriers to attaining a climate resilient low carbon economy, as well as how to find additional financial resources. The fourth event, on Scaling up Mitigation in Cities, looked at obstacles and possible solutions to mitigate climate change problems at a city level, specifically in terms of energy efficiency, public transport, and urban densification. Finally, the fifth topic of Education and Technology focused on the transition to a green economy through the lens of educational opportunities and new technological means to do so. [World Bank Institute Website] [IISD RS Climate Change Policy and Practice Story on the Fourth Event] [Facilitator’s Summary of the Global Dialogue Series]