Global Climate Conference Highlights Te Pae Christchurch’s World-Class Capabilities
In October 2025, Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre proudly hosted the 8th International Adaptation Futures Conference (AF2025). The flagship event of the United Nations World Adaptation Science Programme (WASP) drew more than 2,000 researchers, practitioners, policymakers and scientists from around 80 countries to Ōtautahi Christchurch, with a further 300 delegates joining online.
Visitors immediately responded to both the venue and the city, remarking on Te Pae Christchurch’s seamless connection to its surroundings. Dr Helen Adams, Reader in Climate Change Adaptation at King’s College London, noted that the centre “fits in the diverse architecture of Christchurch,” adding that it is “a really beautiful building from the outside.”
Together, these impressions reinforced Te Pae Christchurch as a world-class setting for global conversations shaping the future of climate resilient communities, economies and environments.
A World-class Venue Enabling a Complex, Hybrid Programme
AF2025 delivered an ambitious programme, comprising more than 200 sessions in multiple formats. Te Pae Christchurch’s digital infrastructure, flexible spatial design and experienced technical team ensured the entire hybrid event ran with clarity and cohesion.
Delegates recognised the quality of the event environment. Professor Winston Chow, Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group II, said the venue “was great for focused plenary discussions”, noting that the session rooms were “cosy enough for animated, engaging conversations.”
As a Toitū net carbon zero certified venue, Te Pae Christchurch also aligned with AF2025’s sustainability objectives. Low waste practices, locally sourced menus and high-quality hybrid connectivity supported a lower carbon delivery model while maintaining strong engagement for both in-person and online audiences.
A Walkable, Connected Delegate Experience
Te Pae Christchurch’s central location was pivotal to the conference’s success. With hotels, restaurants, riverside parks and cultural landmarks only minutes away, delegates enjoyed an effortless, walkable experience that reduced transport emissions and enhanced the programme’s sustainability ethos.
AF2025 Co-Convenor Professor Bronwyn Hayward said it was “fantastic to be able to do this in a venue and a place that is walkable, green, encourages sustainability and allows us to work both person to person and online.”
Chow also highlighted how the venue supported connection, observing that “for a large conference, you make personal connections to the people here. The venue allows for the opportunity to happen.”
A Purpose-built Centre Supporting Global Collaboration
AF2025 demonstrated how Te Pae Christchurch’s design, filled with natural light, flexible spaces and advanced digital systems, encourages collaboration at every scale, from major plenaries to intimate breakout discussions.
Delegates remarked on the welcoming nature of the venue, with Tagaloa Cooper, Director of the Climate Change Resilience Programme at SPREP, praising both its atmosphere and its team. “The Te Pae staff have just been fabulous,” she said. “It really does feel like a venue that belongs to the people who come in here for the moment they’re in here.”
For Te Pae Christchurch, the conference was a clear testament to the venue’s ability to host events that are ambitious in scope, international in scale and united by a shared global purpose.
Ōtautahi Christchurch: A Climate-Ready Destination
AF2025 further cemented Christchurch’s reputation as a destination capable of hosting major climate-focused, values driven international events. Its compact layout, strong research community and collaborative local partnerships provided an ideal foundation for the programme.
Distinguished Professor Steven Ratuva of the University of Canterbury said Christchurch “offers both the infrastructure and the expertise to engage meaningfully with global challenges.”
At the heart of this capability is Te Pae Christchurch, a venue designed to bring people, knowledge and purpose together.
See the highlights from this event in the official conference video: