People, Nature, and Climate in Latin America and the Caribbean

Tuesday, August 27, 2024
Ágora Bogotá Convention Center, Colombia

This convening emphasized the critical need to foster economies centered on nature- and climate-positive solutions, empowering communities to responsibly manage natural resources. Home to 669 million people across 33 diverse countries, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) possesses 50% of the world’s biodiversity and key transition minerals like lithium, copper, and cobalt, positioning it to play a crucial role in the global green transition. Furthermore, in the next two years, a strategic political opportunity arises with several significant global climate events scheduled in the region: the G20 summit (November 18-19, 2024, Brazil), UN Biodiversity COP16 (October/November 2024, Colombia), and UNFCCC COP30 (November 2025, Brazil).

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Agenda

(Local Time)

9:30 - 10:00 AM

Welcome Address

Dr. Raj Shah
President of The Rockefeller Foundation

President Juan Manuel Santos
Founder of Compaz Foundation and Trustee of The Rockefeller Foundation and the Wildlife Conservation Society

Sandra Valenzuela
CEO WWF Colombia

10:00 - 11:00 AM

"Making Peace with Nature" – Experiences from the Territories

This panel explores the concept of “peace with nature” and its critical role in Colombia’s future. It will discuss how Indigenous, Peasant, and Afro-Descendant communities are essential to achieving environmental harmony while balancing societal well-being and protecting vulnerable rural populations.

Panelists:
Sineida Viveros
Inga woman, Coordinator of the Indigenous Guard of the Condagua Reservation

Elizabeth Moreno
Human rights defender, Coordinator of the Chocó Solidarity Inter-ethnic Forum (FISCH in Spanish)

Yanire Arizmendi
Director of the Association of Owners of Natural Reserves of the Orinoco Civil Society, Aso-Orinoquia

Moderator:
Sandra Valenzuela
CEO WWF Colombia

11:00 - 11:30 AM

Networking Break

11:30 - 12:15 PM

Transforming Food Systems for Sustainable Development

This panel will explore the innovative role of Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) in developing bioeconomy and nature-based solutions for food systems transformation.

Panelists:
Claudia Martínez
Director of the Food and Land Use Coalition Colombia (FOLU)

Joao Campari
Global Leader for Food & Agriculture at WWF International

Dr. Bita Correa
Director of the Foundation for the Application and Teaching of Science (FUNDAEC in Spanish)

Moderator:
Juan Lucas Restrepo
Director General of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT

12:15 - 1:00 PM

Climate Change, Biodiversity Loss, and Human Health

This panel will explore the critical nexus between climate change, biodiversity loss, and human health, with a particular focus on Latin America and the Caribbean.

Panelists:
Carolina Gil
Regional Director at Amazon Conservation Team

Agnes Soares da Silva
Director of the Environmental Health and Occupational Health Surveillance Department at Brazil’s Ministry of Health

Patricia Granja
Senior Health Expert for the Roadmap for Amazonian Indigenous Health and Climate Change at Hivos

Moderator:
Catalina Gutiérrez
Director of Wildlife Conservation Society Colombia

1:00 - 2:30 PM

Networking Lunch and Breakout Sessions

2:30 - 3:45 PM

Sustainable Cities in Action: Environmental Strategies to Address the Triple Planetary Crisis

In this panel, experts will discuss how cities, as hubs of innovation and economic activity, can implement targeted policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect local and regional biodiversity, and mitigate the impacts of climate change and pollution.

Panelists:
Carlos Fernando Galán
Mayor of Bogotá, Colombia

Alejandro Éder
Mayor of Cali, Colombia

Patricia Zurita
Chief Strategy Officer at Conservation International

Ilan Cuperstein
C40 Cities Regional Director for Latin America

Moderator:
Adriana Soto
Secretary of Environment of the city of Bogotá

3:45 - 4:45 PM

Investing in Nature: Towards a New Financial System for Biodiversity Protection and Climate Action

This panel will focus on the critical need to explore innovative financial instruments for ecosystem conservation or restoration, such as debt-for-nature swaps, green bonds, insurance against invasive species or environmental asset markets.

Panelists:
Sergio Diaz-Granados
Executive President of CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean

Mariana Sarmiento
CEO of Terrasos

Valmir Ortega
CEO of Belterra Agroflorestas

Moderator:
Paula Caballero
Regional Managing Director for Latin America at The Nature Conservancy

4:45 - 5:15 PM

Empowering the Next Generation of Climate and Nature Advocates

This panel will spotlight the pivotal role of young advocates in driving change across the LAC region, with a focus on climate justice, intersectionality, and environmental protection.

Panelists:
Ashley Lashley
Executive Director of The Ashley Lashley Foundation

Daniela Orofino
Director of Amazonia de Pé

Emiliana Rickenmann
Co-founder of Latinas for Climate

Moderator:
Elizabeth Yee
Executive Vice President of Programs at The Rockefeller Foundation

5:15 - 6:15 PM

Linking People, Nature, and Climate

This panel aims to explore the synergies between these elements, particularly in the context of COP16 in Colombia and COP30 in Brazil.

Panelists:
Christiana Figueres
Founder of Global Optimism and Former UNFCCC Executive Secretary

Susana Muhamad
Minister of Environment of Colombia

Moderator:
Juan Manuel Santos
Former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Founder of Compaz Foundation, and Member of the Board of Trustees of The Rockefeller Foundation and the Wildlife Conservation Society