At COP28, Systems Change Lab will host a series of interactive workshops that focus on unpacking connections within and surrounding the global food system. More specifically, these events invite participants to experience Systems Change Lab’s connections methodology and apply a systems lens to unpack the complex interconnections involved in accelerating the transformations needed across the food-land-climate nexus.
This highly engaging and collaborative series would interrogate key dependencies, impacts, enablers, and barriers to change; consider the most important areas that enable transformations; and provide the space necessary to build collaborations for accelerated action to deliver the system shifts identified by Systems Change Lab. Participants will leave each session with deeper understanding of the critical connections that can accelerate change and carry impacts between systems.
Participants will review the enablers, barriers, and dependencies around scaling up alternative proteins and discuss the biggest opportunities for progressing this transition across systems, where to focus attention and how to communicate these stories for key audiences.
Three Thematic Discussions:
Food System Connections - Alternative Proteins
- Dec 6, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm GST
- Global Commons Alliance Pavilion at COP28
- These sessions will focus on the interconnections between our food choices, in particular with regards to protein choices and climate change. Animal agriculture is a significant contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions and wealthy countries generally consume a significantly higher percentage of animal-based protein per capita compared to poorer countries and consume more protein overall than is required. Alternative proteins are rapidly becoming more common as a means to reduce GHG emissions associated with animal agriculture.
- Participants will explore the growing trend of considering alternative proteins as a high impact food systems climate mitigation intervention and will identify dependencies, impacts, barriers and enablers associated with this transition. Participants will consider the positive and negative connections between the transition away from animal-based protein, looking for opportunities to achieve positive outcomes and avoid negative effects across different systems.
Food System Connections - Oil & Gas
- Dec 6, 3:30 - 5:30 pm GST
- Food Systems Pavilion at COP28
- This session will unpack how the food and energy systems are intertwined. In particular, this session will focus on the ways our food system is reliant on fossil fuels and drives oil and gas usage around the world, contributing to global climate change. Roughly 15% of fossil fuels used globally every year are related to food production, transport, and storage.1 Our food system choices, including where we grow food, the kinds of foods we demand and when we want them, and how we process food have a huge impact on our energy use.
- This session will unpack how the food and energy systems are intertwined. In particular, this session will focus on the ways our food system is reliant on fossil fuels and drives oil and gas usage around the world, contributing to global climate change. Roughly 15% of fossil fuels used globally every year are related to food production, transport, and storage.1 Our food system choices, including where we grow food, the kinds of foods we demand and when we want them, and how we process food have a huge impact on our energy use.
Food System Opportunities - Alternative Proteins
- Dec 8, 10:45 am - 12:00 pm GST
- Global Commons Alliance Pavilion
- Building on Session 1, Participants will review the enablers, barriers, and dependencies around scaling up alternative proteins and discuss the biggest opportunities for progressing this transition across systems, where to focus attention and how to communicate these stories for key audiences.