COP28

Culture: New tool driving the climate agenda

EFI is delighted to be amongst the first partners of the UNFCCC’s new Entertainment and Culture Initiative (E+C) launched at COP28 to promote the use of culture in helping drive the race to net zero. This launch by the UN reflects a growing body of evidence that using film and television to engage audiences with the climate agenda can be highly effective. EFI has been working in this emerging field since 2018 and is at the forefront of this movement harnessing the power of film to engage societies with the climate agenda and boosting demand for climate action.

EFI Program

Blue Zone | Green Zone | Downtown Dubai

Over 7 days EFI ran a series of events bringing award-winning documentaries and high-level panel discussions to the heart of COP28, in partnership with the International Finance Corporation and the UNFCCC’s Entertainment and Culture Initiative.

EFI was one of only a handful of organisations running events across all 3 COP28 venues, maximizing the reach of these human impact stories from the front line of climate change, to audiences with a diverse range of experiences and perspectives

COP28 Highlights

Curating documentaries that reflect topical issues at critical moments

Anote's Ark screening + panel discussion

This was a Global Stocktake year at COP28; looking back at progress made since the Paris Agreement at COP21. In response to this EFI chose to screen a film about the Pacific island nation of Kiribati and their president’s role in the creation of this landmark agreement. The film is a snapshot of past hopes and expectations; and reveals with shocking clarity how little has changed in the past 8 years whilst the people of Kiribati continue to struggle against the rising tides.

Several of our panelists joined us fresh from the Loss and Damage Fund negotiations in their roles as national negotiators: listening to their determination and dignity in the face of such adversity bought a huge dose of reality to the event.

‘If there is one thing I recommend during the COP, it is to watch this documentary film! .... It was such a powerful experience - to not just understand but “feel” the profoundness of the climate adaptation and justice issue, through the story of Kiribati’,

Katherine Koh, International Finance Corporation

Youth v Gov screening + panel discussion

Re-energizing key issues

EFI screened Youth v Gov fresh off the back of German and Portuguese high court rulings in November 2023 holding governments to account in support of the climate agenda. The film Youth v Gov is the inspiring story of an American youth group taking on the world’s most powerful government, asserting a willful violation of the children’s constitutional rights in creating the climate crisis. If they’re successful, they’ll not only make history, they’ll change the future.

In bringing this film to COP28, EFI drew attention to these landmark decisions and the responsibility of governments to provide citizens with safe and healthy environments.