Assistant Secretary Estenoz Affirms Interior Department’s Commitment to Tackling the Climate Crisis at COP28

Date: Monday, December 11, 2023
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates —  Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz and Department of the Interior leaders today wrapped up their participation in the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Dubai. Throughout the trip, the delegation met with international leaders and stakeholders to highlight and affirm the Department’s commitment to tackling the climate crisis with collaborative, science-based solutions.

Marking the contributions and perspectives of young people in efforts to tackle the climate crisis, on Friday, Assistant Secretary Estenoz joined other Administration leaders at Dear World Leaders: A Message From Youth, a forum where they heard directly from young people from across the world on how the climate crisis is impacting their generations and the importance of including young voices in decision-making.

The Department is expanding efforts to engage young people in addressing the climate crisis with initiatives across its bureaus, including through the Indian Youth Service Corps (IYSC), a partnership-based program that is providing meaningful education, employment and training opportunities to Indigenous youth through conservation projects on public and Tribal lands, and Hawaiian homelands. Earlier this year, Secretary Deb Haaland announced a $15 million commitment through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to the IYSC and other programs supporting the next generation of conservation and climate stewards.

On Saturday, Assistant Secretary Estenoz and Biden-Harris administration leaders participated in the America the Beautiful: United States Efforts to Conserve Land and Water panel, where they showcased the Administrations progress towards President Biden’s goal to conserve, connect, and restore 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030. She also joined leaders for the Building a Resilient Future: Whole-Community Approaches to Nature-Based Solutions panel, where she announced new steps the Department is taking to utilize nature-based solutions in its efforts to tackle the climate crisis. conserve, connect, and restore 30 percent of America’s lands and waters by 2030.

On Sunday, Assistant Secretary Estenoz moderated Unlocking Adaptation: Water as a Key to Climate Action, a panel conversation where U.S. governmental leaders highlighted the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience (PREPARE) and the White House Action Plan on Global Water Security. The Department plays a critical role in support of PREPARE’s mission to help people adapt to and manage the impacts of climate change, including through the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Landsat program, which is helping collect data to track land use and document land change due to climate change. Through the International Technical Assistance Program (ITAP), the Department is also building capacity in different countries, drawing from the diverse expertise of Interior employees.

Throughout the week, the Department’s delegation met with international leaders to discuss efforts to boost the clean energy economy and collaborative science partnerships. Assistant Secretary Estenoz met with government leaders from Denmark to reinforce the Department’s collaboration on the development of offshore wind energy. With 30 years of experience in the offshore wind energy sector, Denmark will continue to be an important ally as the Department works towards President Biden’s clean energy goals that will create good-paying jobs, boost local economies, and help address environmental injustice. Assistant Secretary Estenoz also met with government leaders from Indonesia to discuss bilateral cooperation through ITAP. Through the program, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and USGS technical experts support Indonesia’s national park management, wildlife conservation, peatland restoration, and marine protected areas.

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