The 2016 United Nations Climate Change Conference was an international meeting of political leaders and activists to discuss environmental issues.

[4] The Marrakech Conference is a continuation of regular global summits organised by United Nations following the Kyoto Protocol.

The Ah Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action was created to "close the ambition gap" that existed between greenhouse-gas emission commitments made by nations and the aim to keep climate change below an increase of 2 °C.

They are also expected to take extra measures to transition to climate friendly technologies in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

[14] Observer organizations must apply and be accepted by the COP to send representatives to any meeting or presentation related to the UNFCCC.

Each COP is meant to cooperatively decide on how to deal with climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This summit focused primarily on climate negotiations, in the backdrop of Africa being the part of the world that is the most threatened by global warming.

On a more local note, the city of Marrakesh also took the opportunity to create for itself a greener image; for example, it has provided 300 bicycles for public use as part of a municipal bicycle-sharing scheme.

[18] GIB participated in a dialogue on "financing the sustainable transition of territories" to contribute to the Marrakech Roadmap for Action definition.

There were four moderators of the event: Raymond van Ermen, a Belgian member of the European Water Partnership; Masagos Zulkifli, Minister for the Environment and Water Resources of Singapore; Edgar Gutiérrez Espeleta, Minister of Environment and Energy in Costa Rica and president, UNEA; Susan Mboya, the President of the Coca-Cola Africa Foundation.

[19] This panel discussed promoting new green products in relation to finance, while also incorporating climate considerations throughout economic systems.

Nestor Batio Bassiere, Burkina Faso; Diego Pavia; Mafalda Duarte, United States; Elham Ibrahim, Africa.

[19] This forum developed ideas on how to create business models that left a minimal carbon footprint on earth.

Moderators include Sue Reid, Indonesia; Paul Isaac Musasizi, Uganda; Eric Olson, US; Yoshioka Tatsuya, Japan.

17 November Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management (WOCAN) What Gets Measured Gets Valued: Incentivizing and Measuring Gender Impacts for Sustainable Landscape and Livelihoods The W+ Standard Wins the 2016 UNFCCC’s Momentum for Change Award; Jeannettee Gurung, Phd, Lee A.

[21] Analysts suggested the election of Donald Trump in the 2016 United States Presidential race impeded efforts at the congress due to his regressive views on climate change.

[22][23] Other criticisms came from environmental campaigners who argued that the Conference was "heavy on rhetoric and light on real progress."

The Conference in Paris the year prior was seen as one that provided a foundation for future progress, with the succeeding event in Marrakesh supposed to be turning those promises into action.

Additional criticisms depicted the less developed countries as not receiving enough money in order to help them adapt to "changes that are already happening because of global warming.