Itaipu Binacional will present its best practices in water management, production of clean and renewable energy, protection of biodiversity, and other related topics at the World Climate Coference (COP 27). The event will be held in Sharm El-Sheik (Egypt) from 6 to 18 November.
The conference
The Climate Conference is one of the most important international forums, where governments discuss actions to stop global warming and limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as established by the Paris Agreement.
Climate scientists worldwide no longer doubt that human activity is impacting the climate on a planetary scale. The degree of scientific certainty about the impact of greenhouse gases is now similar to the level of agreement on evolution and plate tectonics, says a study published at COP 26.
Scientists also agree that the warming of the atmosphere will generate more extreme events and cause negative impacts on:
- Cities: area loss in coastal regions, for example;
- Food production: droughts, hunger, and malnutrition;
- Health: expansion of diseases such as malaria and dengue;
- Oceans: acidification and loss of marine life; and
- Terrestrial ecosystems: deforestation and species extinction.
To avoid such or reduce such impacts, the main strategies are clean energy generation (burning of fossil fuels is among the main causes of greenhouse gas emissions) and sustainable land use (the loss of forests and biodiversity is also among the most impactful causes).
Therefore, the international commitment to achieve Net Zero (neutrality in carbon emissions by 2050, replacing fossil fuels with renewable sources) and biodiversity conservation are key in climate action. At COP 26, for example, 140 countries committed to reversing the trend of forest loss on a global scale by 2030, but recent reports indicate that this trajectory has not yet begun to be reversed.
At Sharm El-Sheik, countries are expected to report progress on key commitments made in Glasgow last year, in addition to increasing and facilitating funding for climate action, especially in developing countries, and unlocking the carbon market.
Why Itaipu participates
Over the last few years, Itaipu has participated in several debates during the conferences held in Bonn (COP 23), Katowice (COP 24), Madrid (COP 25), and Glasgow (COP 26). The company shared side events and bilateral meetings with world players in this topic, such as the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), the UN Climate Change (UNFCCC), the International Hydroelectric Association (IHA), the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), among others.
With its participation, Itaipu demonstrates how hydroelectricity has an important role to play in energy transition (which cannot be promoted only with intermittent sources of energy such as solar and wind). The company also represents a successful project between two countries, which came together to generate economic, social, and environmental benefits from a common natural resource: the water from the Paraná River.
Another crucial point is that biodiversity is one of the key elements in fighting climate change. Forests are the largest carbon sinks on land, absorbing much of the CO2 emitted by human activities.
In addition, they help to cool the planet, they contribute to water and food security, protect people from natural disasters, ensure biodiversity and provide livelihoods for countless communities around the globe.
And Itaipu demonstrates how the maintenance of more than 100 thousand hectares of Atlantic Forest, recognized as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, is essential for the lifespam of the reservoir, positively impacting its multiple uses: energy generation, supply, fishing, tourism, agriculture, and wildlife maintenance.
To present the company’s success stories in these areas at COP 27, Itaipu will be have representatives from Brasil and Paraguay: Mr. Ariel Scheffer da Silva, Head of Environmental Managementand; Mrs. Lígia Leite Soares, Assistant to the Coordination Board; Mrs. María Antonia Gwynn, Counselor from the Advisory Board; Mrs. Larissa Maria Felip Spalding, from the Department of Environmental Protection; and Sergio Daniel Mendez Gaona, from the Reservoir Division.
Programme
In Sharm El-Sheik, Itaipu will participate in bilateral events and meetings.
The main events are as follows:
Nov 9 2022
Side event: Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions supporting Climate Change and Biodiversity Objectives through Innovation and Clean Technologies
2:45 pm to 4 pm
Venue: SDG Pavillion
Download Agenda
Download Concept Note
Registration form
Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions Network
Nov 10 2022
Presentation: Itaipu and the 2030 Agenda
11 am to 11:45 am
Venue: Brazil Pavillion
Nov 10 2022
Energy Transition
4 pm to 4:45 pm
Venue: Brazil Pavillion
Nov 14 2022
Side event: Water, Energy, and Climate Nexus Session.
11:50 am to 12:50 pm
Venue: Water Pavillion
Download Agenda
Download Concept Note
Registration form
Nov 15 2022
Side event: The role of Hydropower in achieving Climate Resilience.
1 pm to 2:30 pm
Venue: Tajikistan Pavillion
Download Concept Note
