Climate change is driving significant negative impacts worldwide – impacts that are only expected to become more pronounced if countries fail to tackle greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to a warmer climate.

These impacts will be particularly severe for small island states and developing countries. According to UNDP, “Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are on the frontlines of climate change”, being highly exposed to hurricanes and other extreme weather events, which are causing significant loss and damage to people, infrastructure and crops.

This event will put the spotlight on how extreme weather events are affected by a changing climate, explore how governments should be involved in and respond to extreme weather events, particularly in emerging economies and developing countries, and what steps are needed in the lead up to COP29 and COP30 to ensure effective action to limit the impacts from extreme weather events.

The event will feature a keynote address by Dr Friederike Otto, Climatologist and Senior Lecturer at the Grantham Institute at Imperial College London.

The keynote will be followed by a fireside chat with Dr Otto and Dr Ruth Kattumuri, Senior Director for Economic, Youth and Sustainable Development at the Commonwealth Secretariat.

This event is invite only. If you’d like to find out more about it, please contact the Grantham Institute at grantham.events@imperial.ac.uk.

This event is hosted by the German Embassy to the UK, in partnership with the Grantham Institute and the Commonwealth Secretariat.