Essaouira Hosts Seventh International Climate Change Conference

Essaouira, Morocco — Researchers, government officials and experts from 24 countries have gathered in the Atlantic coastal city of Essaouira for the seventh International Conference on Climate Change, a three-day meeting aimed at turning climate finance, research and nature into practical solutions.

The conference, known as CI2C-2026, runs from 29 to 31 October 2026 under the theme “Finance, Research and Nature for Just and Sustainable Climate Solutions”. Reports on 30 October described sessions already under way, with participants discussing adaptation, territorial resilience, sustainable urban planning, decarbonisation and the clean energy transition.

Key facts

• Event: Seventh International Conference on Climate Change (CI2C-2026)
• Place and dates: Essaouira, Morocco, 29–31 October 2026
• Theme: Finance, Research and Nature for Just and Sustainable Climate Solutions
• Participants: Government officials, researchers, experts, academics and economic stakeholders from 24 countries, according to reports on 30 October
• Organisers: The International Center for Research and Capacity Building, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, ENERGIES 2050 and the Essaouira School of Technology at Cadi Ayyad University

Finance, research and nature on one agenda

The organisers say the seventh edition broadens earlier work by bringing together five pillars of climate action: mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, resilience and finance. The aim, they say, is an integrated vision of climate change grounded in local territories, rather than separate discussions of science, policy and money.

The programme is built around thematic sessions covering climate science and knowledge of the Earth system; ecosystems and natural resources, including water, biodiversity, oceans, forests and agriculture; and climate-society interactions such as health, food security, migration and tourism.

Further sessions address energy transitions and climate policies, and the economic and technological drivers of the transition, including artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship. Environmental diplomacy and climate finance mechanisms are also on the agenda, with the conference aiming to produce actionable recommendations for a greener future.

Why Essaouira, why now

Essaouira has hosted the conference before. The organisers say the sixth edition, held in the city in 2025, brought together more than 400 researchers, experts and decision-makers from 15 countries, and led to partnerships and published scientific work.

The timing matters beyond Morocco. The conference closes just over a week before the COP31 climate summit opens in Antalya on 9 November 2026, where governments will discuss implementation of existing climate commitments. The Essaouira discussions on finance, adaptation and nature-based solutions feed directly into that agenda, and readers can follow the road to Antalya in our coverage of the COP31 leaders’ summit.

The organisers’ background material cites the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report finding that global warming has reached about 1.1 to 1.3 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and warns that continued emissions could push warming far higher by the end of the century. Against that background, the conference frames finance, research and nature not as separate topics but as parts of a single solution.

Other recent climate gatherings show the same pattern of science meeting policy: the One Earth Summit in Hong Kong brought together more than 700 participants on 30 October to discuss climate, energy and nature.

Frequently asked questions

What is CI2C-2026?

CI2C-2026 is the seventh edition of the International Conference on Climate Change, a scientific and policy meeting organised by the International Center for Research and Capacity Building with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, ENERGIES 2050 and the Essaouira School of Technology at Cadi Ayyad University.

When and where is the conference held?

The conference takes place in Essaouira, Morocco, from 29 to 31 October 2026, according to the organisers’ official call for papers.

Who is taking part?

Reports on 30 October said participants from 24 countries are attending, including government officials, researchers, experts, academics and economic stakeholders.

What topics are on the agenda?

The agenda covers five pillars — mitigation, adaptation, loss and damage, resilience and finance — with sessions on climate science, ecosystems and natural resources, health, food security, migration, tourism, energy transitions, climate policy, artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship.

How does the conference connect to COP31?

The conference closes just over a week before COP31 opens in Antalya, Türkiye, on 9 November 2026. Its recommendations on finance, adaptation and nature-based solutions speak directly to the implementation agenda governments will discuss there.

In short, Essaouira’s message is that climate solutions must be financed, researched and rooted in nature at the same time — and that local experience, shared internationally, is where global commitments begin to become real.