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Session Overview Gupta, J., Hilmer Bosch, Luc van Vliet, Andrea Mueller, Aljoscha Karg (2024-5). Property rights, contracts in the global South, Global Commission on the Economics of Water, 21 Jan, Zurich Details The UvA team was led by Professor Joyeeta Gupta, fresh from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Dr. Hilmer Bosch, and Luc van Vliet. The meeting itself took place in Switzerland. Its objective was to share research findings from the different commissioners, clarifying hypothesises and articulating tentative messages. The result were two days of lively debate on the different workstreams and the larger narrative on water they contribute to. Professor Gupta gave two presentations. First, she argued why a justice and equity dimension to the costs of inaction on the global water crisis is both lacking and critical. Second, she presented the results of Dr. Andrea Müller and Aljoscha Karg’s ongoing research into water property right regimes.

Session Overview Gupta, J., Hilmer Bosch, Luc van Vliet, Andrea Mueller, Aljoscha Karg (2024 -4). Justice and the Social Cost of Inaction, Global Commission on the Economics of Water, 21 Jan, Zurich Details Between Friday 19th and Sunday 20th January, a team from the University of Amsterdam attended the fifth in-person retreat of the Global Commission on the Economics of Water. The Commission, convened by the Dutch Government, seeks to redefine how water is valued and to govern water for the common good. The UvA team was led by Professor Joyeeta Gupta, fresh from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Dr. Hilmer Bosch, and Luc van Vliet. The meeting itself took place in Switzerland. Its objective was to share research findings from the different commissioners, clarifying hypothesises and articulating tentative messages. The result were two days of lively debate on the different workstreams and the larger narrative on water they contribute to. Professor Gupta gave two presentations. First, she argued why a justice and equity dimension to the costs of inaction on the global water crisis is both lacking and critical. Second, she presented the results of Dr. Andrea Müller and Aljoscha Karg’s ongoing research into water property right regimes.

Session Overview Gupta, J. (2024-3). Moderation of Session, Out of Balance with Water, WEF, Davos, January 17, see: https://watercommission.org/event/out-of-balance-with-water/. Details Role: Moderator Themes: The global water cycle is spiraling out of balance, with climate change aggravating torrential rains and intense droughts. The assumption that water supplies are stable, predictable and manageable is no longer true. What are the most urgent levers to realize the potential of water as a catalyst and enabler for the Sustainable Development Goals?

Session Overview Gupta, J. (2024-1). Fire-starter: Living within safe and just Earth System Boundaries: Addressing Risks and Profits for Business, Chief Sustainability Leaders Meeting: Addressing Risks, Profits and Ecology, WEF, Davos, January 16. CLIFF/Earth Commission   Details The top global risks in the next decade – from extreme weather events to natural-resource shortages – are environmental. Yet transiting to net-zero, nature-positive businesses may negatively impact profits in the short term. This session explores the role of chief sustainability leaders in addressing the nexus between business growth and competitiveness, jobs and capabilities and responsible environment stewardship. Earth Decides members are invited to join the Centre for Nature and Climate’s community of Chief Sustainability Leaders to share their unique perspectives in this conversation. 

Session Overview Gupta, J. on behalf of Yang Chen, Frank de Morrée, Augusto Heras, Janina Herzog-Hawelka, Clara McDonnell, Opal Morales Asencio, Moataz Yakan Talaat (2024-2). Fossil Fuels and the Global Economy, Strategic Intelligence, Ideas Hub, WEF, Davos, January 16. CLIFF Details Achieving the vital goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels will require deep cuts in emissions, and fundamental changes in consumer behaviour, investing, and corporate strategy. Large fossil fuel companies need to be incentivized to shift direction, developing countries must receive the financing necessary to leapfrog to sustainable energy systems, and governments much stop protecting the rights of investors at the expense of the environment. The forthcoming 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) can help foster the collective action necessary to make this a reality.

Session Overview Gupta, J. (2023). Keynote: Living within Earth System Boundaries requires Earth System Justice, Fast Tracks: Accelerating climate action to better meet growing needs, Geneva, 8 November. Details Report: As scientists warn that the climate crisis is unfolding faster than predicted, and that other planetary limits are increasingly overtaken, how can aid and health stakeholders respond to growing needs of populations while moving faster on reducing their emissions? The capacity of organisations to meet populations’ needs in an equitable way may actually not be hampered but rather reinforced by ambitious climate strategies. How can solutions favour adaptation, resilience and mitigation together? Gathering our community of partners, experts, peers and colleagues across a variety of sectors, panellists and participants shared their views and practical experience in the face of this critical challenge. Agenda: Keynote speeches | Tackling together the planet and people’s growing needs in the face of an existential threat In this session, keynote speakers looked at climate and environmental action through different perspectives: scientific, operational and policy acceleration. They spoke to the urgency, the frameworks and the benefits of acting now in the interest of the planet and people, as humanity needs to take a leap forward and collaborate towards faster, effective climate action. Professor Joyeeta Gupta, Professor of Law and Policy in Water Resources and Environment, University of Amsterdam, previously co-chair of the Earth Commission with Johan Rockström Gilles Carbonnier, Vice-president, ICRC David Nabarro, Strategic Director of 4SD Foundation, Co-Director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation, Imperial College, former Special Adviser to the UNSG on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Climate Change Moderated by Béatrice Godefroy | Director of Public Policy Engagement, Climate Action Accelerator

Session Overview Gupta, J. (2023). Discussion on climate change, Honorary lecture on Climate Justice, Vrije Universiteit Honours Programme, 8 November Amsterdam Details Report: The live Zoom session is scheduled for November 8 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. During the first hour, Sir David King will interact with the students. Joyeeta will enter the Zoom area a little before 7 p.m. so she can ask David the last question, after which he will pass the baton by asking Joyeeta the first question in turn. Then students will have until 8 p.m. to engage in conversation about the pre-reviewed reading. Participants: Group of about 25 honors students with diverse study backgrounds

Session Overview Gupta J. (2023). Keynote: Living within Earth System Boundaries requires a Just Approach, 225 years of Rijkswaterstaat celebrations, 1 November, Delft. Details Report: Climate adaptation: a way forward for urbanized deltas. The conference marks the 225th anniversary of Rijkswaterstaat. We would greatly welcome your participation. Conference participants will discuss the climate adaptation challenges of the following specific themes: Extreme river events Working towards a climate resilient coast Implementing an adaptive asset management system Navigation Vital future urban nodes Participants will discuss the issues raised in the above five themes in an international workshop format during the three days of the conference. High-level Dutch representatives will open the conference with keynote speeches from international partners. Agenda: Welcome and opening speeches Welcome by the acting Director General of Rijkswaterstaat Ms Patricia Zorko Introduction by the Minister of Infrastructure and Water Management Mr Mark Harbers Keynote speech Prof. Jayeeta Gupta – University of Amsterdam

Session Overview 1.1 Gupta, J. (2023). Lunch speech, living within Earth System Boundaries requires a Just Approach, Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, 31 October, The Hague Details Report: Lunch lecture on what opportunities exist in the field of the sustainable transition from an inclusion perspective. Agenda: The director of the Knowledge Directorate will introduce you (5 min) Then there will be time for your presentation/ keynote (about 35-40 min) – this may excite the attendees Then there is room for questions from the audience (10-15 min) Rounding/closure (5 min) by program officer

Session Overview Gupta, J. (2023). Panel presenter, Sustainable development post-2030: Whose development for what sustainability? – PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Earth System Governance Conference, Nijmegen, 26 October Details Report: Sustainable development discourse has emphasized the joint importance of environmental and development agendas at least since its original definition by the Brundtland Commission. Increasingly, the global narrative has come to see the two as intrinsically co-constitutive. This is also reflected in popular notions like just transitions and just transformative change, as well as in the Earth System Boundaries put forward by the Earth Commission. At the same time, and beyond all too positive-optimistic attitudes, these notions are also fraught with tensions. After all, they are multi-interpretable and highlight problematic relations of spatial and temporal injustice and inequity. What transforms, what makes it ‘just’, and whose development are we really talking about? Because of such questions, it is far from self-evident how research in and practice of earth system governance could advance sustainable development going forward. Now is also an especially opportune time to address these questions, as talks on a post-2030/post-SDG sustainable development agenda are beginning to start. For instance, an SDG Summit will be held in September 2023 during the UN General Assembly focused on accelerating action towards meeting the SDGs in 2030. This panel discussion seeks to open up a transdisciplinary dialogue to articulate what is at stake for a post-2030 sustainable development agenda, and to discuss how actors in science, policy and society can contribute.