EDF at COP31: Featured events

Climate change will shape the long-term future of the Amazon and its Indigenous territories. Access to relevant, high-quality scientific information, combined with Indigenous knowledge, is essential to understanding and preparing for these changes. In this session, Woodwell Climate Research Center will present climate scenario maps for the Amazon, followed by reflections from Indigenous leaders of the Amazon Basin who will share their first-hand experiences of climate change in their territories and discuss how science and Indigenous knowledge can inform decisions about the future.

This event will be held in English, Spanish and Portuguese, with translation provided to the three languages.

• Angela Churie Kallhauge, Executive Vice President, Impact, Environmental Defense Fund
• Wayne Walker, Chief Scientific Officer, Woodwell Climate Research Center
• Fany Kuiru Castro, General Coordinator, Coordinating Body of the Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin
• Inara Waty Sateré-Mawé, Vice Coordinator, Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon

The Maritime Electrification Breakthrough Goal aims to increase electricity’s share of shipping’s final energy demand to at least 20% by 2035, building on the Turkey COP31 Presidency’s call to raise electrification to 35% of final energy demand by 2035. This goal includes commitments from the maritime sector to share knowledge and lessons learned, participate in public/private platforms and projects, ensure a just transition, engage finance institutions and review progress. The session will present a new breakthrough goal for electrifying the maritime sector, through shore power and electric vessels, followed by a moderated discussion on the leadership needed to deliver it.

• Angie Farrag-Thibault, Vice President, Clean Transport, Environmental Defense Fund
• Rafaela Gomes, Director of Sustainability, Ministry of Ports and Airports of Brazil
• Ipek Gurun, Director of Corporate Strategies, Sanmar Shipyards
• Nicholas Mazzei, Vice President, Sustainability, DP World
• Pablo Muñoz, Senior Associate, RMI

Net zero pledges are easy to announce and hard to verify. This interactive session hosted by Climate Action brings together organizations that shape how climate commitments are set and measured. Panelists will discuss how targets are validated against climate science, and what separates a credible commitment from a headline pledge. They will explore how emissions accounting standards turn company data into consistent, comparable numbers that investors and regulators can rely on. The session will also examine how leaders report real progress, including where they have fallen short, and what credible disclosure looks like to guard against greenwashing and bluewashing.

• Elizabeth Sturcken, Vice President, Net Zero Ambition and Action, Environmental Defense Fund (moderator)
• David Kennedy, Chief Executive Officer, Science Based Targets initiative
• Tim Mohin, Chief Executive Officer, Greenhouse Gas Protocol
• Veronika Pountcheva, Member, International Sustainability Standards Board

This spotlight event hosted by the Clean Energy Ministerial, Brazil, marks the one-year anniversary of the Belém 4x Pledge on Sustainable Fuels, launched by the COP30 Presidency as an international ambition to quadruple the use and production of sustainable fuels globally by 2035. As of October 2026, the pledge has been endorsed by 32 countries, developed and developing, from all regions of the world. The session will bring together international leaders from the energy, transport, industry and agricultural sectors to provide a high-level spotlight on progress made and what further action is needed.

• Morgan Rote, Associate Vice President, U.S. Fuels and Transportation, Environmental Defense Fund
• Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, COP31 President, Türkiye
• Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, COP31 President of Negotiations, Australia
• Ambassador André Corrêa do Lago, COP30 President, Brazil
• Neeraj Mittal, Secretary for Petroleum and Natural Gas, India, and Director-General of the Global Biofuels Alliance
• Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, Minister of the Environment and Energy Security, Italy
• Ryosei Akazawa, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Japan
• Michel Heijdra, Vice Minister for Climate and Energy, Netherlands
• Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency
• Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General, International Maritime Organization
• Gerd Muller, Director-General, United Nations Industrial Development Organization
• Glaucia Souza, International Energy Agency Bioenergy Task 39 Leader
• Ivana Jemelkova, CEO, Hydrogen Council
• Jon Creyts, CEO, RMI
• Josu Jon Imaz, CEO, Repsol
• Jean François Gagné, Head, Clean Energy Ministerial Secretariat

This discussion hosted by the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission focuses on how to turn climate commitments into investment-ready opportunities for upstream decarbonization in Nigeria. This panel will bring together policymakers, development finance institutions, industry leaders, civil society organizations and technical experts to explore practical pathways for scaling methane abatement, digital emissions monitoring and monitoring, reporting and verification systems, gas flare commercialization, and carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS). The session will focus on unlocking climate finance, technology partnerships and implementation strategies that can accelerate emissions reductions and sustainable development in Nigeria’s upstream energy sector.

• Mark Brownstein, Senior Vice President, Energy Transition, Environmental Defense Fund
• Additional speakers to be announced

This panel, part of the Global Climate Action Agenda’s flagship showcase on finance, technology and capacity-building, will show how climate innovation is moving from pilots to impact. The session is hosted by the Climate High-Level Champions. Panelists will discuss how digital tools and robust climate data can strengthen market confidence, and how strong market frameworks and innovative business models are helping climate technologies scale. Angela Churie Kallhauge of Environmental Defense Fund will speak on progress and opportunities in methane reduction and climate technology deployment, highlighting what is already working and how to replicate it.

• Angela Churie Kallhauge, Executive Vice President, Impact, Environmental Defense Fund

Wildfires pose a growing threat to ecosystems, biodiversity and the territories of Indigenous peoples and local communities. In response, Indigenous peoples and local communities bring generations of knowledge, practices and approaches to fire management, rooted in their relationship with the land and essential to wildfire prevention and response. This press conference presents the Global Indigenous Declaration on Fire.

• Santiago García Lloré, Director, Forests Partnerships, Environmental Defense Fund (moderator)
• Mark Moroge, Vice President, Forests, Environmental Defense Fund

At a time of volatile fuel prices and energy insecurity, the oil and gas industry wastes around 200 billion cubic meters of natural gas each year — roughly what Japan, South Korea and Australia use combined. How can better data, smart policy and investment turn this lost energy into faster methane action? Hosted by TED Countdown and Environmental Defense Fund, this dinner brings together leaders from government, industry, finance and philanthropy for a live think tank on methane. Together, we will explore how methane action can support energy security, affordability and economic development at scale.

• Mark Brownstein, Senior Vice President, Energy Transition, Environmental Defense Fund
• Fred Krupp, President, Environmental Defense Fund
• Lindsay Levin, Cofounder and Head, TED Countdown
• Akshat Rathi, Senior Reporter, Bloomberg News
• Ruth Zugman do Cotto, Deputy Director, Climate Change, United Nations Environment Programme
• Yevgeniy Zhukov, Director General, Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Asian Development Bank

Not all climate actions deliver benefits at the same speed. This moderated conversation, hosted by Nature4Climate and Beyond Alliance, explores two of the fastest ways to reduce climate risk this decade: cutting super pollutants such as methane and ending deforestation. Speakers will explain why these “emergency brakes” matter now, how forest loss and methane affect supply chains, food, water, insurance and investment, and which policy, finance and market signals would speed up action. Each panelist will close by naming one step business leaders can take before COP32. The session includes audience Q&A.

• Elizabeth Sturcken, Vice President, Net Zero Ambition and Action, Environmental Defense Fund (moderator)
• Ryna Yiyun Cui, Associate Research Professor, University of Maryland School of Public Policy
• Marcelo Mena-Carrasco, Chief Executive Officer, Global Methane Hub
• Gina McCarthy, Managing Co-Chair, America Is All In
• Joseph Yaw Appiah-Gyapong, Director, Climate Change Unit, Forestry Commission of Ghana

Hosted by the African Energy Commission (AFREC), this event is an opportunity to exchange experiences and lessons learnt, identify implementation challenges, and explore technical and financial partnerships to accelerate methane mitigation across African Union member states.

• Angela Churie Kallhauge, Executive Vice President, Impact, Environmental Defense Fund
• Rashid Ali Abdallah, Executive Director, AFREC
• Felix Bob Ocitti, Program Lead, Oil and Gas, AFREC
• Ruth Zugman Do Coutto, Deputy Director, Climate Change Division, U.N. Environment Programme
• Mohamed Sultan, Director, Global Engagement, Global Methane Hub
• Jonathan Banks, Chief, Programs and Advocacy, Clean Air Task Force
• Masoumeh Moradzadeh, Energy and Environment Policy Analyst, Gas Exporting Countries Forum
• Ibrahim Muhammad Illo, Senior Manager, Sustainability, Health Safety and Environment, Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission

Meeting global shipping decarbonization goals will require a major shift in how new vessels are financed. Yet, despite growing regulatory pressure and progress toward zero- and near-zero-emission (ZNZ) technologies, more than 90% of newbuild orders remain capable of running only on fossil fuels, potentially locking in emissions for decades. High upfront costs, technology and fuel availability risks, and uncertainty around future returns continue to hinder investment in ZNZ vessels. Bringing together financial institutions, export credit agencies and industry stakeholders, this session will explore practical ways to overcome barriers, share risk and mobilize capital for the next generation of ships.

• Pete Harrison, Executive Director, Environmental Defense Fund International
• Hyogyeong Joo, Solutions for Our Climate
• Additional speakers to be confirmed

Wildfires pose a growing threat to ecosystems, biodiversity and the territories of Indigenous peoples and local communities. In response, Indigenous peoples and local communities bring generations of knowledge, practices and approaches to fire management, rooted in their relationship with the land and essential to wildfire prevention and response. This event will bring together experiences from Guatemala, Peru, Argentina and Kenya — and bring together Indigenous peoples, local communities, governments and the private sector — to explore how traditional knowledge, community-based monitoring and emerging technologies can complement one another, strengthen coordination and turn fire detection into effective integrated fire management actions.

• Santiago García Lloré, Director, Forest Partnerships, Environmental Defense Fund (moderator)

Carbon pricing in South and Southeast Asia is shifting from policy design to implementation, with new systems emerging in India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. Effective carbon pricing depends not just on legislation but on strong foundations, including reliable data, robust registries, capable regulators and credible long-term policy commitments. This session explores interoperable infrastructure, examining how carbon markets can use common standards, data and methodologies to support future cooperation without necessarily linking markets today. Bringing together practitioners building these systems, the discussion focuses on challenges, trade-offs, lessons learned and what is required to make carbon markets function effectively.

• Angela Churie Kalluage, Executive Vice President, Impact, Environmental Defense Fund (opening remarks)
• Shuchi Malhotra, Director, Carbon Pricing India, Environmental Defense Fund
• Anshari Rahman, Director, Policy and Analytics, GenZero (moderator)
• Michael Mehling, Deputy Director, Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Lowering livestock methane can support both corporate climate action and farmer economic viability and resilience. This session hosted by Danone will build on practical experience from the dairy sector, utilizing on-the-ground solutions to inform setting methane priorities, including what can be scaled, how to support farmers in adopting solutions and where financing and policies can move the needle.

• Britt Groosman, Senior Vice President, Agriculture, Water and Food, Environmental Defense Fund
• Delphine Eyraud, Special Adviser on Methane, French G7 Presidency
• Christopher Adamo, Vice President, Sustainability, Engagement and Impact, Danone
• Marcelo Mena, CEO, Global Methane Hub
• Jonathan Banks, Chief of Programs and Advocacy at Clean Air Taskforce