GDI Hub at COP 30

At COP 30, the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub), hosted at UCL, is committed to contributing to the global conversation on inclusive climate resilience to ensure the voices of disabled people are heard. 

Our colleague Bala Nagendran is representing GDI Hub and will speak at two sessions in the Blue Zone, alongside partners working on inclusive infrastructure, disability-inclusive urban development, and climate action. Together, we aim to explore partnerships and practical actions to ensure people with disabilities are not left behind. 

Accessible infrastructure and services are critical for people with disabilities' equal participation in urban life. GDI Hub's inclusive infrastructure case studies from six cities globally have shown that people with disabilities living in cities are disproportionately impacted by the climate change impacts yet remain excluded from urban development processes and climate decision-making. 

As cities are leading climate adaptation and mitigation infrastructure implementation, accessibility and inclusion must be embedded from the outset. There is no resilient and sustainable future without inclusion. 

Through the two sessions and wider engagement, the GDI Hub will share insights from our ongoing AT2030 programme, highlighting priority actions for disability-inclusive and climate-resilient urban infrastructure. At the close of COP30, GDI Hub will also publish a knowledge piece presenting existing evidence and arguments and outlining a novel approach for advancing disability-inclusive local climate action. 

🗓️ 17 Nov, 2025   |  ⏰ 15:15–16:15 (𝘉𝘙𝘛)  | 📍 𝘋𝘙𝘐 𝘗𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘡𝘰𝘯𝘦
𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗹: 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗚𝗘𝗗𝗦𝗜) 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲

Co-hosted by International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM).


🗓️ 20 Nov, 2025   |  ⏰ 11:30–12:30 (𝘉𝘙𝘛)  | 📍 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘏𝘶𝘣, 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘡𝘰𝘯𝘦
𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀: 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻, 𝗙𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆-𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗨𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Co-hosted by GDI Hub, Alziras Institute, and UN-Habitat (United Nations Human Settlements Programme)