The Regions4 annual General Assembly will take place from 4-5 March in Bilbao, back to back with the International Conference on Climate Change (“Change the Change”) from 6-8 March in Donostia/San Sebastian. Both events are being organised under the auspices of the Government of the Basque Country, Regions4 Vice-President for Europe.

The “Change the Change” Conference, coming under the UN Momentum for Change movement and aligned with the commitments of the Paris Agreement, will focus on eight major topics, considered key to winning the fight against climate change:

• Planet Health: Science for Action: This panel seeks to pinpoint challenges resulting from climate change and how to address them from a scientific point of view, using knowledge as a driving force to respond to our time’s greatest challenge that affects every living thing on Earth.
• Regional and Urban Development: This panel will showcase the experiences of regions committed to fighting climate change, and how they are addressing these challenges in their territories. This panel will count on the participation Mr. Raffaele Cattaneo, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change of Lombardy.
• Cities: This panel will focus on climate actions already being undertaken at the local level.
• Sustainability: Focused on international progress in sustainability policies, the advancement of the 2030 Agenda, their involvement in climate change and the future challenges ahead of us. This panel will count on the participation of Regions4 Secretary General, Ms. Natalia Vera.
• Energy Transition: This panel will consider all the different aspects involved in achieving a fair energy transition.
• Economy: This panel will focus on the impacts of climate change on the economic system and new economic models, such as the circular economy, common goods, collaborative economy, etc.
• Education, Culture and Society: Social transformations that have to occur as a result of climate change and how to address them, are the focal point of this panel.
• Impulse for the Leadership of Women: This panel will focus on a vision called on to transform society and to ensure that the role of women is considered to be essential in any climate change mitigation and adaptation action. Ms. Isabel Elizalde, Minister for Land Development, Environment and Local Administration of Navarra, and Ms. Elena Moreno, Deputy Minister for the Environment of the Basque Country will take part as speakers.

Regions4 will host a parallel workshop on 7 March from 15:30-17:00h, focused on climate actions already being implemented on the ground. With two keynote speeches about the RegionsAdapt initiative and the Under2 Coalition (former Under2 MoU), the workshop will be followed by a debate on how regional governments are facing the impacts of climate change using concrete actions.

If you wish to participate in this workshop, please send an email to skpuka@nrg4sd.org and nrg4sd@nrg4sd.org. A concept note and further information will be provided promptly. The deadline for applications is 15 February.

For further information on the “Change the Change” Program, please visit: https://www.changethechange.eus/en/programme/