Summary
Between 30 October and 8 November 2024, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) hosted Climate Classroom @ COP29, a programme of ten online sessions lasting 45 minutes each. The initiative gathered institutions including the World Resources Institute (WRI), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), She Loves Tech, and the Manila Observatory. UNITAR also announced an e-course, Mastering International Climate Negotiations: All You Need to Know, developed with the United Nations Climate Change Learning Partnership (UN CC:Learn), the COP28 Presidency, and United Nations Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Context and Scope
This narrative draws on all documented material regarding the Climate Classroom @ COP29 initiative. It covers the dates, duration, format, schedule, participating institutions, the accompanying e-course, and official contact details from UNITAR. The scope extends to interpretive explanations of the session topics to provide clarity on their focus and relevance.
Exhaustive Narrative of Facts
Announcement overview
UNITAR framed Climate Classroom @ COP29 as a free and interactive educational space intended for people attending or following international climate negotiations. Each class followed a three-step structure and sought to explain complex climate issues in accessible language. Sessions were live-only, designed to remain short and engaging, and delivered fully online for global reach.
Dates and time zone
The programme ran from 30 October to 8 November 2024, with sessions scheduled in Central European Time (CET), equivalent to UTC+1.
Session schedule and content explanation
- 30 October 2024, 14:00 – NDCs: Third Time’s the Charm? (World Resources Institute (WRI))
Addressed Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), examining whether countries’ third set of pledges represented an improvement compared to earlier commitments. - 31 October 2024, 15:00 – Reducing Emissions to Address Climate Change: Current trends and commitments (United Nations Environment Programme Latin America and the Caribbean (UNEP LAC))
Analyzed global and regional emissions trajectories, comparing national commitments with what is scientifically required to meet temperature goals. - 01 November 2024, 14:00 – Systems Change Lab (World Resources Institute (WRI))
Discussed monitoring systemic transformations across energy, land use, finance, and other areas critical to achieving climate targets. - 01 November 2024, 16:00 – Global Stocktake and Climate Finance (World Resources Institute (WRI))
Examined the Global Stocktake mechanism under the UNFCCC, which reviews collective progress toward the Paris Agreement, and assessed financial flows for climate action. - 04 November 2024, 10:00 – Loss and Damage: Updates on the Fund and Board (Manila Observatory)
Explained developments in the governance and setup of the Loss and Damage Fund, established to support vulnerable countries facing climate impacts. - 04 November 2024, 14:00 – Climate Change and Human Rights (Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR))
Highlighted how climate change policies intersect with human rights, including health, dignity, and access to resources. - 07 November 2024, 09:00 – Inclusive Entrepreneurship for Climate Action (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) and She Loves Tech)
Presented approaches to innovation and entrepreneurship with a focus on gender inclusivity in advancing climate solutions. - 07 November 2024, 13:00 – Climate Change Negotiations and Health (World Health Organization (WHO))
Connected negotiation outcomes to public health challenges such as air quality, heat stress, and the spread of disease. - 08 November 2024, 10:00 – Integrating Nature in NAPs (United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP))
Addressed the integration of nature-based solutions into National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), emphasizing ecosystems as central to adaptation. - 08 November 2024, 14:00 – From Data to Action: The Evolution of Climate Services Over Five Years (World Meteorological Organization (WMO))
Showcased the role of climate services—data, forecasts, and early warnings—in strengthening resilience, and explained their evolution over a five-year period.
E-course announcement
UNITAR introduced Mastering International Climate Negotiations: All You Need to Know. The course was designed to provide participants with knowledge of negotiation processes within the UNFCCC framework, with a particular focus on enabling youth to engage effectively. It was developed with the United Nations Climate Change Learning Partnership (UN CC:Learn), the COP28 Presidency, and United Nations Climate Change (UNFCCC). The exact launch date was not specified: no documented evidence.
Participating institutions
The institutions identified were: the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), the World Resources Institute (WRI), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Environment Programme Latin America and the Caribbean (UNEP LAC), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), She Loves Tech, the Manila Observatory, the United Nations Climate Change Learning Partnership (UN CC:Learn), the COP28 Presidency, and United Nations Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Contact and web details
The UNITAR newsletter provided the following official details: United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), 7 bis, Avenue de la Paix, CH-1202 Geneva 2, Switzerland. The email was uncclearn@unitar.org, and the websites were http://www.unitar.org and http://www.uncclearn.org.
Practical Takeaways
- Climate Classroom @ COP29 was a series of ten live online classes designed to explain climate policy in concise, accessible formats.
- Sessions spanned technical, social, and institutional dimensions, covering emissions, finance, systems change, rights, health, entrepreneurship, and climate services.
- UNITAR worked with a broad coalition of international organizations to deliver the programme.
- The related e-course aimed to build long-term capacity, especially for young participants in climate negotiations.
- UNITAR provided official contact details, including its Geneva address, email, and websites, as authoritative references.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 