Step into the forefront of the global environmental and climate action movement with the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Climate Challenge. The Climate Challenge is a core part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration Action Plan and open for new members! With the resounding call for collective action, we invite individuals and organizations dedicated to revitalizing our planet's ecosystems to join us.

The side event will be an open discussion session (1 hour) during lunch on Wednesday, 27 September 2023. This session will give a background into the goals and action plan of the Climate Challenge as well as kick-off the first in-person, global discussion on how to nurture and expand our collective action.

The first 20-min will be a verbal presentation that gives a big-picture of the many globally recognized restoration goals and explains how the Climate Challenge will contribute to these goals and the action plan. The next 40-min will be focused on fostering an open discussion between those interested in the Climate Challenge to:

Network and Connect: Engage with like-minded changemakers, fostering collaborations that combine collective actions towards the same goal. Build a community: Nurture the growth of a united front as we discuss how individual efforts can contribute to a larger, transformational movement.

Who should attend? Conference participants interested in natural regeneration-based restoration approaches, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration partners and advisory committee, decision makers and representatives of government, companies and non-government organizations that are interested in promoting implementation and documenting cost-effective benefits of ANR.
The event is open to all delegates at the conference.

Co-host organizations: Conservation International, 20x20, AFR100, AFoCO, FAO, Global Rewilding Alliance, UNEP

Join the Royal Commission for AlUla for an evening highlighting the Commissions ambitious plans for nature conservation in AlUla, Saudi Arabia. The Royal Commission for AlUla was established to protect and safeguard AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and cultural significance with stunning landscapes and wildlife.
The evening’s talks and film will cover aspects such as the Commission’s large-scale ecosystem restoration goals and methods, species reintroductions such as the Arabian Leopard and, the Commission’s aspirations regarding eco-tourism and sustainable development.
The evening will consist of talks, a short film and Q+A with drinks and canapés to be served. 27th September 2023, 7-9pm. Room 8 Lobby Lounge.

CI was officially confirmed as the Lead Agency for the Ecosystem Restoration Integrated Programme (IP) under the Global Environment Facility’s GEF8 Programming Directions in December 2022. With 20 countries across the globe in the Programme, each implementing their own innovative restoration projects, through the Global Coordination Project (GCP) CI will serve as the aggregating force to oversee, coordinate, and harmonize those 20 Country Projects (Angola, Brazil, Cambodia, Chad, Congo DR, Cote d'Ivoire, Haiti, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritania, Mexico, Mozambique, Nepal, Peru, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Uzbekistan, Vietnam).

The side event will be an open discussion session (1 hour, 12:45 to 1:45 pm) during lunch on Thursday, 28 September 2023. The session will provide key information on and insight into the GEF8 Ecosystem Restoration Integrated Programme as well as create a space to kick-off interesting conversations about scaling, amplifying, and supporting the diverse impacts of the GEF8 ERIP.

The first 30-min will be a presentation from the Conservation International Global Coordination Unit (GCU), which will include (1) an overview of key background information on the ERIP, including the countries in the Programme, (2) an update on our current progress, (3) a short presentation of our Results Framework (which lays out the outputs, outcome, and activities through which we hope to implement the GCP), (4) areas of collaboration with other restoration actors.

The second half of the session will consist of Q&A and discussion focusing on potential contributions and innovations from the programme to the broader global restoration community.

Who should attend? The global restoration community and practitioners, SER2023 participants interested in learning about our restoration portfolio, ministers/government representatives, private sector, international organizations (environmental, women, indigenous, youth, etc.).

The event is open to all delegates at the conference.

Co-host organizations: Conservation International

The Assisted Natural Regeneration (ANR) Alliance was created in 2022 to stimulate wide adoption and provide technical and policy guidance for ANR as a large-scale, low-cost and effective restoration practice in rural communities across the world, with regional nodes in in Asia-Pacific, Africa, and Latin America-Caribbean. The ANR Alliance goal is to build an international and multisectoral coalition to promote the exchange of knowledge and experiences between countries, regions and stakeholders (at subnational, national and international scales) to support the technical and political adoption of ANR.

The side event will be an open discussion session (1 hour, 12:45 to 1:45 pm) during lunch on Friday, 29 September. This session will provide information regarding the mission of the Assisted Natural Regeneration Alliance and will be an opportunity to answer questions and informally discuss the ANR Alliance Draft Strategy and Action Plan. Ideally, the session will follow the ANR Alliance Symposium entitled Assisted Natural Regeneration Alliance: Promoting opportunities and benefits of natural regeneration of forests and savannas at local, regional and global scales.

The first 30 minutes of the session will involve three 10-minute presentations to provide information regarding
(1) How ANR practices are linked to ecosystem restoration,
(2) scope and mission of the ANR Alliance (including the provisional organizational structure),
(3) the Strategy and Draft Action Plan to be submitted to a peer review and consultation process.

The rest of the session will be Q&A (15 minutes) and break-out groups (15 minutes). We will arrange four different breakout groups, focused on

1) implementation,
2) enabling policies,
3) capacity development and information sharing, and
4) economic costs and benefits.
Participants will be invited to sign up to receive further information regarding membership and partnership with the ANR Alliance.

Who should attend? Conference participants interested in natural regeneration-based restoration approaches, UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration partners and advisory committee, decision makers and representatives of government, companies and non-government organizations that are interested in promoting implementation and documenting cost-effective benefits of ANR.

Co-host organizations: Conservation International, World Resources Institute, Assisted Natural Regeneration Alliance