Foster + Partners will be at COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai from 30 November until 12 December 2023. Delegates from the practice are taking part in a number of talks and events, in Dubai and on the London campus, highlighting innovative sustainable designs, processes and thought leadership.
UN Climate Change conferences (or COPs) take place every year and are the world’s only multilateral decision-making forum on climate change, with almost complete membership of every country in the world.
More than 70,000 delegates are expected to attend COP28, including the member states (or Parties) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Business leaders, young people, climate scientists, Indigenous Peoples, journalists, and various other experts and stakeholders are also among the participants.
Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman, Foster + Partners, will be speaking on Saturday 2 December as part of the World Leaders Programme in the Blue Zone.
Dubai event schedule:
Saturday 2 December
World Leaders Programme: Norman Foster, Founder and Executive Chairman
Interview with Francine Lacqua from Bloomberg.
Lloyds Banking Group Breakfast Panel: Chris Trott, Head of Sustainability
Roundtable on the existing building stock in the UK. Lloyds Banking Group are looking at a ‘stocktake’ of the UK’s housing stock, assessing progress on retrofitting homes, seeing what we can learn from other countries’ progress, and what lessons can be shared from the UK’s experience.
Business & Philanthropy Climate Forum: Irene Gallou, Senior Partner
‘Scaling up Innovation in the Built Environment: A Blueprint for Net Zero’ - Country leaders, industry leaders, investors and innovators meet at a roundtable event, to discuss how to scale up emerging green technologies in buildings and building construction.
Monday 4 December
Manipal Student Lecture: Arpan Bakshi, Associate Partner, Farah Caswell, Partner, and Ill Sam Park, Partner
Foster + Partners will present ‘Sustainable Architecture in a Global Context’ to architecture and sustainable design students from Manipal Academy of Higher Education, followed by a crit of their work.
Tuesday 5 December
ICD Brookfield’s ‘Changemakers Hub’: Chris Trott, Head of Sustainability
‘Navigating the path to net zero carbon buildings’ – Understanding the built environment’s role in accelerating decarbonisation and turning sustainability ambitions into actionable strategies.
Wednesday 6 December
Cambridge Zero: Chris Trott, Head of Sustainability
Exploring the role of the built environment in our journey towards net zero and beyond. The panel will review opportunities and challenges associated with development of technologies and scale-up for new designs and materials.
Thursday 7 December
UAE / UK Business Council: Will Plowman, Partner
Panel discussion and presentation on retrofitting the built environment, including the role of regulation on the retrofitting market and its importance to ensure the UAE 2050 vision.