Development and climate days background

Development and Climate Days (D&C Days) aim to

• Bring together individuals and organizations - already attending the COP - interested in development and climate related issues
• share the latest science and best practices in development and climate change
• promote linkages between development and climate.

What D&C has accomplished so far

• Gathered and disseminated the most up-to-date information on the science and practice of climate change and development activities
• enabled people attending COPs to network and share information on development and climate change
• starting as a one-day side event on adaptation, D&C days grew to a two-day side event at COP 10 in Buenos Aires, Argentina
• growing participation in the side event (over 400 people participated in the event in Nairobi in 2006.

Previous D&C Days

Over the last few Conferences of Parties (COPs) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the twin issues of development and adaptation to climate change have grown in importance. The COPs have also been drawing an increasing number of participants from the development community who in the past have engaged little with the climate change issue.

At COP8 in Delhi, India, COP9 in Milan, Italy, IIED together with partners from the Regional and International Networking Group (RING) held a full day side event called 'Adaptation Day at COP', each of which succeeded in bringing together over a hundred participants representing both the climate change and development communities. Additional funds were raised developing country participation in these events.

Building on past successes, the event at COP10 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, expanded into a two day event called 'Development and Climate Days at COP10'. This was repeated in 2005 at COP11 in Montreal, Canada. 'Development and Climate Days at COP12' in Nairobi, Kenya, on 11 and 12 November 2006 was attended by over 400 people.

COP 14 Development and Climate days in Poznan also had a high attendance gathering more than 300 participants including representatives from government, international organisations, academia and research institutes, business and non-governmental organisations. The event also brought together more than 30 speakers and various extended discussions and questions and answers sessions were featured.

In recognition of the significance of COP15 in the context of the UNFCCC negotiations and the massive civil society and government presence in Copenhagen, D&C days was expanded to become a four day event with each day run according to the following themes: land, water and natural resources; justice, ethics and humanitarian issues; planning adaptation; and trade; finance and the private sector. In Copenhagen, approximately 800 participants attended the four-day event, including representatives of governments, international organizations, academia, research institutes, business and non-governmental organizations.

View reports of previous D&C Days reports available on the IISD website:
2009 | 2008 |2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002

Film Festival

The film festival was originally launched as a parallel event to the Development and Climate Days at COP13 in Bali in 2007. Screenings are often attended by the film-makers giving a chance for the audience to ask questions directly and take part in the ongoing debates. 2008's event was hugely popular attended by more than 200 people over the two days. Categories included activism, animation, disaster, humour and participatory video.

The 2009 film festival took place over the weekend 12-13 December.