Events are subject to change. Check back frequently for the most up-to-date information regarding event times and locations. All times are local.
December 5
Nature Positive Pavilion, 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Co-hosted by the Smithsonian, WHOI, Ocean Nexus Center, Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, WEF, WorldFish, and Global Island Partnership
This event will bring together a diverse group of experts, practitioners, policymakers, and community representatives from the global tropics to develop actionable strategies to center equity in ocean governance, reconnect people and the ocean, redefine ocean literacy, and decolonize ocean research. The event will illuminate the pivotal importance of community leadership, interdisciplinary collaborations and a comprehensive, all-of-society approach to tackling the urgent global climate crisis.
Keynote and moderator: Dr. Ana Spalding, Director of Adrienne Arsht Community-Based Resilience Solutions Initiative, Smithsonian
Panelists include:
December 6
Panama Pavilion, 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Featuring Dr. Ana Spalding, Director of Adrienne Arsht Community-Based Resilience Solutions Initiative, Smithsonian
Organized by Panama’s Ministry of Environment
December 8
Nature Positive Pavilion, 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Featuring Dr. Stuart Davies, Director, ForestGEO, Smithsonian; Dr. Cristián Samper, Managing Director and Leader of Nature Solutions, Bezos Earth Fund; Ani Dasgupta, President and CEO, World Resources Institute; and Frank Martin Seifert, European Space Agency.
Moderated by Dr. Ellen Stofan, Under Secretary for Science and Research, Smithsonian, or Dr. Josh Tewksbury, Ira Rubinoff Director, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Co-hosted by Smithsonian, Bezos Earth Fund, World Resources Institute, European Space Agency
GEO-TREES | Global Forest Biomass Reference System: The Bezos Earth Fund recently awarded USD$12M to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) to support the launch of the GEO-TREES consortium—the world’s first ground-based, equitably developed forest biomass reference system, designed to make global satellite-based forest carbon assessments actionable. This unprecedented multi-network collaboration will use innovative technology, partnerships and training, broad sampling and long-term commitment, and open-access data to provide the groundwork for devising strategies to mitigate climate change.
December 8
U.S. Center, 10:15 – 11:15 a.m.
Featuring Dr. Ellen Stofan, Undersecretary for Science and Research, Smithsonian
Co-hosted by the Smithsonian and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), Department of Interior, and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
December 8
Storytelling for Action Pavilion, Blue Zone, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Featuring Dr. Carol O’Donnell, Director, Smithsonian Science Education Center
Co-hosted by the Smithsonian and Ernst & Young, Diplomatic Courier
How can industry partner with educational organizations to help educate the next generation on the SDGs and pave the way for a more sustainable future? In this high-level, intimate, and interactive forum, we will examine results from two major global surveys measuring perspectives from both educators and students on Sustainable Development and Climate Education. Together, the panel and delegates will delve into the underlying data behind teacher and student responses, recognizing challenges and identifying solutions while exploring opportunities for industry impact.
December 8
Monash University Pavilion within the Blue Zone, 1:45 – 2:45 p.m. (TBC)
Featuring Dr. Carol O’Donnell, Director, Smithsonian Science Education Center
Co-hosted by Monash University, Youth Environmental Alliance for Higher Education (YEAH)
December 9
Green Zone, 12:00 –1:30 p.m. Linked here.
Featuring Dr. Ellen Stofan, Undersecretary for Science and Research, Smithsonian
December 10
SE Room 2 (175 pax), Blue Zone, 2:45 – 3:15 p.m.
Led by the Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education (YEAH)
Co-hosted by the Smithsonian, Moravian University, Colorado College, Michigan Tech, University of Connecticut, and others
December 10
Lab 1, Al-Shaheen Global Climate Action Hub, Blue Zone, 4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Featuring Dr. Carol O’Donnell, Smithsonian Science Education Center
Co-hosted by NASA and Google