CLIMATE SUMMIT SERIES
COP28 Pre-summit Series
Aligning climate, education, food security, health, and culture coalitions ahead of COP28 through cross-sector dialogues that put communities at the centre.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
One Table for Many Coalitions
The COP28 Pre-summit Series convened leaders from multiple sectors so that commitments on paper translate into coordinated action across ministries, agencies, and movements.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Preparing the Ground Before the Summit Stage
Large summits often move quickly, leaving limited space for deep coordination. The Pre-summit Series created a slower, more intentional runway where partners could align priorities, clarify roles, and surface gaps before arriving at COP28.
Sessions were designed with communities in mind: what does a health commitment mean for a village clinic; how does a food systems pledge reach farmers in the Sahel; how can culture keep momentum alive after delegates fly home.
By bringing together climate, health, education, food security, and arts leaders, the series helped move from parallel efforts to a more braided approach.
FIELD NOTE
"When climate, health, and culture sit at the same table, we design commitments real people can feel."
Participant, COP28 Pre-summit Series
PROGRAMME DESIGN
How the Series Was Structured
Each gathering layered strategic briefings with grounded stories and creative interventions, so that decisions were anchored in lived realities.
Strategic Dialogues
High-level sessions aligning ministries, multilaterals, and technical partners around shared COP28 priorities.
Coalition Building
Working groups that bridge climate, health, education, food security, and culture so commitments reinforce each other.
Story-led Sessions
Panels and showcases that elevate frontline experiences and cultural narratives alongside policy discussions.
SERIES HIGHLIGHTS
Scenes from the Pre-summit Series
Moments from plenaries, working groups, and cultural performances that shaped the road to COP28.
Speakers on stage at a COP28 pre-summit session
Participants engaged in a breakout discussion circle
Delegates networking around the Great Green Wall exhibit
Artist-led performance during the pre-summit series
BEYOND THE SUMMIT
Turn Commitments into Coordinated Action
Work with GGWoA to design convenings, coalitions, and creative moments that keep the spirit of the COP28 Pre-summit Series alive in communities across the Sahel and beyond.