“Jonathan” Environmental Animation Screening

Created by the CIFAL York Multimedia Unit, this inspiring animated film tells the story of a seagull committed to making a positive impact.  

An old seagull works to gather animals to take part in a climate change protest to show humans the catastrophes of plastic pollution. 

Aligning NDCs and NAPs to Enhance Ambition on Adaptation

Countries are expected to submit their updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in early 2025. For countries that include or expand the adaptation information in their NDCs, this update is an opportunity to communicate enhanced ambition on adaptation, in line with the UAE Framework for Global Climate Resilience, as well as to strengthen alignment between NDCs and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). NDCs and NAPs are complementary – NDCs present the country’s higher-level vision, objectives, and priorities for adaptation, while the NAP process allows countries to identify, address, and review their adaptation needs while advancing implementation of adaptation measures. Representatives from Belize, Burundi, and Suriname will share their perspectives on the way forward to strengthen alignment and coherence between the NDC and NAP, the challenges they have encountered, and how they are moving forward.

Building a Comprehensive Climate Response: The Case for a Triple Nexus Approach

This event, hosted by the Canadian CSO Triple Nexus Working Group, will address the critical need to tackle climate challenges through a triple nexus approach, the integration of humanitarian, development, and peace efforts. Given that climate funding often emphasizes development, this session will explore how combining these components creates more resilient and inclusive solutions, particularly for girls and young women. Drawing from real-world examples and insights from leading organizations, the discussion will highlight the triple nexus approach as essential for sustainable climate adaptation, while encouraging collaboration and inspiring actionable strategies for future climate programming.

From the Prairies to the Nations: Addressing Climate Disasters with Equity

The intensity and frequency of climate change-induced disasters are on the rise worldwide. The Canadian prairie region is highly vulnerable to climate-induced hazards and has seen increased drought, wildfire, and flood-related disasters. Intersecting social identity factors like gender, class, race, culture, and location—amongst others—combine to create highly differentiated disaster experiences. Hence, our response must go beyond dominant perspectives, technological solutions, and even geopolitical borders. This event will be an interactive multistakeholder panel discussing best practices beyond the usual technocratic approaches. It will also explore how international collaborations can complement efforts to improve knowledge mobilization and create equitable solutions globally.

Sustainable Medicine: Decarbonizing Healthcare During Climate Crises

This panel discussion focuses on the urgent need to decarbonize the healthcare sector. While other industries have been working on decarbonization for decades, healthcare is relatively new to the process. This event aims to raise awareness of the sector’s ambitions to eliminate emissions and to bring international perspectives that will encourage Canada to accelerate its efforts. Climate change is widely recognized as the greatest health threat of the 21st century, and its impacts will further strain the healthcare sector exacerbating health inequalities and intensifying the demands on already overburdened systems. Decarbonizing healthcare is not only a necessary step to mitigate these effects but also presents an opportunity to improve healthcare delivery, reduce costs, and engage healthcare workers who are increasingly burnt out.

The Essential Role of Health Professionals in Driving Climate Action

The panel will explore the intersection of climate change and health, focusing on the critical role that health professionals play in communicating climate risks and solutions to the public. The panel will discuss evidence-based research, best practices, and challenges in engaging communities on climate-related health risks while providing resources for those aiming to improve their ability to facilitate these crucial conversations. The discussion also hopes to draw attention to the topic of social determinants of health and to the disproportionate health impact of climate change on vulnerable populations including children, immunocompromised, older adults, Indigenous populations and racialized groups.