The annual UN Climate Change Conference (COP) is the only multilateral platform for climate change decision-making in the world, with nearly all nations participating. Dubai, United Arab Emirates, hosted it this year from November 30 to December 12, 2023.

NABARD is a key stakeholder in mitigating climate change, and our sustainability mandate was presented to a global audience by our chairman, Mr Shaji K V. He graced the event as a key panellist in a panel discussion on "The Building Blocks to Financing the Transition to Regenerative Landscapes".

Moving the sustainable development discussion along, he engaged in a constructive dialogue with Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, the Commonwealth Secretary General. His visit was also marked by meetings with representatives of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Government of India's Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MOEFCC) and delegates in the India pavilion.

Strategic meetings with senior officials from World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA); Ms Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven, MD and Ms Vera Scholz, HoD for Thematic and Portfolio Development (Climate Change and Digitalisation), Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); Mr Anup Jagwani, Global Head of Agri-Business at IFC, World Bank were also chaired by him.

He was accompanied by Ms MG Jayashree, DDG, and Mr Ravi Shankar, OSD, Department of Financial Services (DFS, GoI), Mr Nilay Kapoor, CGM, NABARD, Mr S. Manikumar, CGM, NABARD, Mr Dinesh Poolakkunnath, CGM, NABARDa nd Mr Prasad Rao, GM, NABARD.

NABARD also joined an insightful Round Table discussion on "Scaling up rural finance for greater rural resilience in India", where in addition to DFS officials, ADB, and JICA members, experts from various MDBs convened to delve into ways to foster sustainable solutions for rural development.