Date: 21 June 2025
Location: Marriott Hotel, Platz der Vereinten Nationen 4, 53113 Bonn (next to World Conference Center – location of Bonn Climate Change Conference)
Modality: Hybrid
Duration: Full day (09:30 – 19:00 hrs., CET)
Background:
Protecting and restoring nature has been broadly acknowledged as a transversal way to address the impacts of climate change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation, that contribute to human well-being and development. Nature as an enabler of integrated action to achieve the implementation of the three Rio Conventions (UNFCCC, CBD, and UNCCD) is highlighted in multiple decisions as well as joint statements, such as the one made under the Rio Conventions Pavilion Initiative and its Restoring Balance with Nature campaign.
Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) is a nature-based approach that harnesses biodiversity and ecosystem services to reduce vulnerability and build resilience of human communities to climate change. EbA is defined as the use of biodiversity and ecosystem services as part of an overall adaptation strategy to help people adapt to the adverse effects of climate change (CBD, 2009 & 2010). EbA encompasses a broad set of approaches, including the management of ecosystems and their services, that help to address climate change impacts, biodiversity loss, and land degradation in a coherent, synergetic, and holistic manner.
The 11th EbA Knowledge Day aims to generate actionable insights and foster collaboration to accelerate EbA implementation in the lead-up to UNFCCC COP30. It will specifically address the challenges related to political will, funding uncertainties, and the critical responses needed over the unstoppable climate change impacts, contributing to informed discussions and potential breakthroughs at UNFCCC COP30 regarding enhanced support for EbA. The event will highlight successful strategies, innovative financing mechanisms, and robust monitoring frameworks demonstrating the effectiveness of EbA, ultimately influencing policy and investment decisions. Crucially, the event will convene representatives from across the Conventions, policymakers, and practitioners to foster and spur collective discourse, which in turn, supports the development of further work on this topic.
Objectives:
- To catalyse action on Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) responding to the critical challenges of financial and political uncertainties and the accelerating pace of climate change impacts, particularly in the lead-up to UNFCCC COP30. This involves exploring innovative financing mechanisms, strengthening the evidence base for EbA’s effectiveness, and developing strategies for influencing policy and investment decisions. This objective emphasizes the practical application of knowledge and the drive towards tangible outcomes.
- To foster collaboration and knowledge exchange among diverse stakeholders involved in EbA, including policymakers, practitioners, researchers, funders, and community representatives. This includes sharing best practices, lessons learned, and innovative approaches to EbA implementation, with a focus on scaling up successful interventions and empowering local communities. This objective highlights the importance of partnership and shared learning in accelerating EbA progress.
The 11th EbA Knowledge Day 2025 outcomes will be utilized to develop discussion briefs and other advocacy pieces that can be used by the EbA community to inform and contribute to ongoing and future work under FEBA, Global EbA Fund, ENACT, and other related initiatives on adaptation and resilience.
The deadline for registering to participate in-person or online is 2 June.
Agenda:
| Time (local) | Event Segment | Speakers |
| 09:30 – 10:00 | Welcome coffee and registration | |
| 10:00 – 10:20 | Welcome and opening | Moderator: Ali Raza Rizvi, Global Climate Change and Energy Transition Team Director, IUCN. Keynotes: Boris Erg, Director, Regional European Office, IUCN; Dr. Ulf Jaeckel, Head of Division, BMUV; Mirey Atallah, Head of the Adaptation and Resilience Branch, Climate Change Division, UNEP. |
| 10:20 – 10:25 | Session transition | |
| 10:25 – 11:30 | Opening Panel: “EbA in a Shifting Landscape: Securing Political Will and Funding in Uncertain Times” Description: This panel will address the political and financial barriers hindering wider EbA implementation. It will explore strategies for influencing policy, mobilizing resources, and building stronger cases for EbA investments. | Moderator: Ali Raza Rizvi, Global Climate Change and Energy Transition Team Director, IUCN. Panelists: Gary Belkin, Director, Billion Minds Institute; Rojina Manandhar, Team Lead, Nairobi Work Programme, UNFCCC Secretariat; Adriana Bonilla, Director of the Climate Change Division, Ministry of Environment, Costa Rica; Edith Ofwona Adera, Lead Coordinator Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program and Regional Principal Officer, African Development Bank. |
| 11:30 – 11:35 | Session transition | |
| 11:35 – 12:35 | Technical Panel: “Evidence-based EbA: Demonstrating Impact and Scaling Solutions” Description: This panel will showcase the latest scientific research, best practices, and successful case studies of EbA implementation. It will highlight the evidence base for EbA’s effectiveness and explore practical approaches for scaling up successful interventions. | Moderator: Marcia Toledo Sotillo, Director, Adaptation & Resilience, High-Level Climate Champions. Panelists: Dr. Animesh Kumar, Head of Office, UNDRR; Frédérique Thomas, Country Director, SOCODEVI; Ulrike Krauss, Program Manager, Climate Change Program/EbA Facility, Caribbean Biodiversity Fund; Mathias Bertram, Project Manager, BMUKN Support project for implementation instruments of the Global Biodiversity Framework and Paris Agreement, GIZ. |
| 12:35 – 12:50 | FEBA in Focus: Lightening presentations by Working Groups connected to the previous segment as examples of deep dives into EbA’s current challenges | |
| 12:50 – 13:50 | Lunch | |
| 14:00 – 15:50 | Breakout Session: “Accelerating EbA Implementation: Practical Strategies and Collaborative Solutions” Structure: Introduction & Group assembly (20 mins) Breakout Group discussion (1.5 hrs) Description: These interactive breakout sessions invite participants to make tangible progress in implementing EbA. Each session addresses a specific challenge or opportunity related to scaling up EbA, offering practical tools, best practices, and a platform for collaborative problem-solving. Participants will engage with leading experts and peers to develop actionable recommendations for overcoming these challenges. By the end of each session, participants will have created concrete recommendations to enhance EbA implementation. These recommendations will be shared and discussed in the plenary session, contributing to the future direction of EbA efforts. During the session introduction, attendees may choose which breakout group to join. | Moderator: Wendy Atieno, Senior Programme Officer, IUCN. Sessions: “Implementing inclusive EbA targets that work for biodiversity and climate goals”; “Unlocking Private Sector Investment in EbA: Opportunities and Challenges”; “Bridging the Gap: From Policy to Practice in EbA”; “Monitoring and Evaluating EbA: Measuring Impact and Demonstrating Value”. |
| 15:50 – 16:15 | Coffee break | |
| 16:15 – 16:45 | Closing Plenary: “Towards COP30: Charting a Course for Enhanced EbA Action” Description: Session leads of breakout groups present their actions to the plenary. Consolidated list of all recommendations will be presented at the end. Focus: Synthesizing key takeaways from the panels and breakout sessions, identifying concrete actions for advancing EbA, and formulating recommendations for COP30. | Moderator: Ali Raza Rizvi, Global Climate Change and Energy Transition Team Director, IUCN. |
| 16:45 – 17:00 | Closing Remarks | Speaker: Ali Raza Rizvi, Global Climate Change and Energy Transition Team Director, IUCN. |
| 17:00 – 19:00 | EbA Marketplace & Networking Reception Description: The Marketplace will allow members of the EbA community to showcase their work and network with other participants. A cocktail reception will follow the Marketplace. | |
