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Wednesday 30 March 2022

11:30-12:00 l Welcome Addresses

12:00-13:30 l Ministerial working lunch: Enabling a resilient and fair transition to net zero

This roundtable examines private sector-led trends and specific initiatives that are shaping the course of implementation, specifically focusing on the integration of just transition priorities into net-zero transition strategies in firms and across the financial sector.

13:30-15:00 l Plenary session: Moving to net zero – Closing the ambition gaps on climate mitigation and adaptation

This plenary highlights how the OECD Environmental Policy Committee and the OECD at large can play a leading role in supporting the transition towards net zero while adapting effectively to the impacts of climate change. It focuses on discussing immediate plans for accelerating climate action through regulations and policy approaches in the areas of greening infrastructure, resource and water efficiency, explicit and implicit carbon pricing, and decision making in the context of climate risks.

15:30-16:30 l Plenary session: Moving to net zero – Aligning financial flows with climate and environment goals

This plenary discusses priority actions for policymakers, standard setters and financial actors to align financial flows with the net-zero transition, climate resilience and other international environmental goals such as biodiversity while avoiding the risk of greenwashing. The session also discusses key policy priorities and opportunities for international collaboration to mobilise and channel investment in environmental activities at scale and pace.

16:45-18:15 Parallel Break-Out Sessions

Theme 1. Accelerating action to address biodiversity loss

This session focuses on the range of economic instruments available to governments to address biodiversity loss. It focuses on discussing barriers to scaling them up and on highlighting countries’ ambitions for the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

Theme 2. Aligning the digital transition with a sustainable, net zero economy

This session discusses the role of digitalisation to support environmental policy, and how the OECD can support countries in better harnessing the digital transformation for environmental goals and addressing the challenges raised.

Theme 3. Enhancing environmental justice and the meaningful involvement of all people in decision-making processes

This session discusses how countries can strengthen environmental justice, and how the effectiveness and public acceptance of climate and environmental policies can be increased through socially inclusive measures.

19:00-21:00 l Dinner for Ministers and Heads of Delegation

Thursday 31 March 2022

10:30-12:00 l Parallel break-out sessions by theme

Theme 4. Trade and Environment: maximising synergies while ensuring environmental stringency

This session discusses the intersection of trade and environment policies and their potential impacts, and the role of Environment Ministries in taking action. It focuses on the challenges, limitations and knowledge gaps in tackling these overlapping trade and environmental issues.

Theme 5. Strengthening environmental protection to improve human health and safety

This session discusses the impacts of environmental degradation on health and the costs of policy inaction, as well as the benefits of taking health into account in environmental decision making. It focuses on key knowledge gaps and key priorities for policy action.

Theme 6. Harnessing policies for sustainable ocean management

This session discusses how policies can improve conservation and sustainable use of ocean and marine ecosystems, and what the OECD can do to help countries to better address marine litter and resilience of coastal and marine communities in the face of climate impacts.

12:00-13:30 l Ministerial working lunch: Citizen agency, education and public awareness in addressing environmental challenges

This session explores how governments can equip students and citizens with the skills to build more sustainable cities, start sustainable businesses, push the innovation frontier for green technologies, rethink individual lifestyles, and back ecologically responsible policy making.

13:30-15:00 l Plenary session: Addressing the global plastics challenge

This plenary discusses the key findings of the OECD Global Plastics Outlook. It allows Ministers to share current and planned domestic policy interventions to reduce plastics waste and encourage the development of more circular economy approaches to plastics. Ministers are also encouraged to highlight areas where further OECD support could be helpful, and where international co-operation is making a difference.

15:30-16:00 l Discussion and decision on Ministerial outcomes

16:30-16:40 l Closing session

Key Issues Paper

This Key Issues Paper sets the scene for the plenaries, break-out sessions and working lunches, and poses a few questions for each session to help drive discussion.


Access the Key Issues Paper (PDF)