Webinar

You’re Invited! 
COPx Panel, Sidelines to Center:
How COP Side Events Shape Global Climate Action 

As the dust settles from COP30, the real momentum continues to come from the spaces beyond the negotiation halls.

Join COPx for a timely virtual conversation on why so much meaningful climate action takes place outside the official halls of COP, and how side events, civil society gatherings, and practitioner-led spaces are accelerating global impact. This 75 minute session highlights the ideas, alliances, and implementation models that emerge on the sidelines and often set the pace for future climate policy.
 

Event Details

Date: Tuesday, December 16, 2025
Time: 2:00 PM (EST)
Location: Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/4507498694?pwd=TVpkNWJqQlAvenhoSEZoOVhUclJHUT09
Add to Calendar: https://www.addevent.com/event/7zmm7qq3pd49

Speakers

  • Hunter Lovins, Founder, Natural Capital Solutions, Co Founder, COPx
  • Merijn Dols, Managing Partner, NOW Partners
  • Michael Hamersky, Executive Director, Pace Energy and Climate Center
  • Martin Frick, Director, World Food Programme Global Office Berlin
  • Samuel Carvalho, Brazilian Lawyer & SJD Candidate, Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace
  • Paul Rowland, Chief Operating Officer, Environment Next (Moderator)

About the Webinar

Key Themes:

  • How side events influence negotiations even without formal authority
  • Academic, legal, and community movements that began in the margins and now shape climate policy
  • Bridging activism, law, science, and finance to accelerate impact
  • Indigenous and community leadership as a source of innovation and accountability
  • Examples of once-fringe climate and justice concepts that evolved into widely adopted frameworks and practices.

 

About the Session:
For many practitioners, researchers, and community leaders, COP side events are the most accessible venue for advancing ideas, building alliances, and gaining visibility. This session brings together leaders who have watched, and shaped, the evolution of these spaces for decades.

 

We will explore:

  • Why the margins of COP often move faster than the center
  • How grassroots groups use side events to build global legitimacy
  • What models, such as legal clinics, community coalitions, and innovation showcases, are producing real outcomes
  • How these sideline efforts help governments, financiers, and negotiators adopt new frameworks and scale practical solutions
  • We hope you will join us for this conversation on how ideas born in the margins become the mainstream strategies that shape the next decade of climate action

 

Support COPx:
COPx is a nonprofit initiative powered by community leadership and independent climate action. If you’d like to support our work and help expand future panels, research, and youth programs, please consider making a contribution via our fiscal sponsor, Natural Capitalism Solutions.

WEBINAR LINK