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Aug 20, 2024, 11:12:50 AM8/20/24

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UN Climate Change – Global Climate Action

20 August 2024

High-Level Champions'

Newsletter

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World Mangrove Day: Celebrating the Bridges between Land and Sea

Oyster harvester, Dionewar Island, Senegal © FAO, Sylvain Cherkaoui

On this year’s World Mangrove Day - July 26, Race to Resilience partner, The Global Mangrove Alliance, launched ‘The State of the World’s Mangroves’ report celebrating ‘tremendous advances’ in mangrove protection, while steering solutions to address half of the world’s mangrove ecosystems which remain under threat.

Mangroves are critical ecosystems, bridging land, freshwater, and sea - and playing host to great diversity, while protecting and providing for countless coastal communities around the world. For example, mangroves annually support nearly 800 billion juvenile fish, prawns, bivalves, and adult crabs; playing an essential role in food chains and, in turn, global food security. And, remarkably, mangroves hold, on average, nearly 400 tonnes of carbon per hectare in their living biomass and in the top metre of soil.

The new report is an impressive synthesis of global knowledge on mangroves, while also presenting the critical need to protect these ecosystems. It also provides an update on the progress of the Mangrove Breakthrough, which has placed mangroves centre stage, gaining support from 50 governments, with a goal of mobilising USD 4 billion to ensure the future of 15 million hectares of mangroves. The Mangrove Breakthrough represents a transformative initiative at the intersection of conservation, science, finance, and policy. The report also highlights the innovative financial mechanisms needed to support on-the-ground actions, outlined in the Mangrove Breakthrough Financial Roadmap.

Proportion of mangroves protected by country (Source: World Database on Protected Areas).

Astrid Schomaker, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity highlighted that

mangroves are important in the context of nearly all Goals and Targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, as such, they should be central not only to restoration and area-based conservation efforts, but also in targets addressing spatial planning, sustainable use, climate change and species conservation, among others. Schomaker said:

“Under the Convention on Biological Diversity, the global community has recognized the importance of biodiversity, not only for its own sake, but also for the many ecosystem services and functions it provides for our well-being and survival. In many ways, mangroves are the ‘poster child’ of the interdependence between people and nature.”

The State of the World’s Mangroves can be found here, and a video message from Razan Al Mubarak, the UN Climate Change High-level Champion for COP 28 can be found here.

Mangrove Breakthrough Council Appoints Ambition Loop as Secretariat Host

The Council of the Mangrove Breakthrough: Credit Ignace Beguin, Climate Champions Team.

In related news, the Mangrove Breakthrough Council has selected Ambition Loop to host its Secretariat. As the group’s governing Secretariat, non-profit Ambition Loop will work directly with governments and delivery partners around the world to achieve the goals of the Breakthrough: to protect and restore 15 million hectares of mangroves forests by mobilising 4 billion USD by 2030.

Building a sustainable future: Azerbaijan's leading property developers come together for climate action

CEOs of Azerbaijan’s real estate developers have signed a climate pledge, committing to play their part in limiting global warming to 1.5°C.

Under the Azerbaijan Sustainability Built Environment Pledge, leaders from the country’s buildings sector including the ‘Reconstruction, Construction & Management Service in Agdam Fuzuli & Khojavend’, and the ‘Restoration, Construction & Management Service in Jabrayil, Gubadli & Zangilan’, have acknowledged their role in supporting Azerbaijan to achieve its national greenhouse gas emission reduction target of 40% by 2050.

The signing took place during the “Azerbaijan Sustainable Built Environment Leadership Roundtable” in Baku last month. In attendance were government and private sector leaders including Mr. Anar Guliyev, Chairman of the State Committee on Urban Planning and Architecture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, H.E. Mukhtar Babayev, COP 29 President Designate and Nigar Arpadarai, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP 29.

Commenting on the pledge, Ms. Arpadarai said: “As High-Level Champion for COP 29, my role is to enhance ambition and strengthen the engagement of non-state organisations including business in supporting countries to deliver the goals of the Paris climate agreement.

I therefore welcome the commitment by some of Azerbaijan’s leading developers and contractors to pave the way for ambitious climate action in their operations. As a source of 21% of our greenhouse gas emissions, urgent innovation within the buildings sector is crucial to achieving both our national and international climate goals. As High-Level Champion I stand ready to support business leaders as we embark on this decarbonisation journey together.”

The roundtable also included CEOs from the UAE's leading property developers including Masdar City and Dubai Holdings who are members of the UAE Built Environment Sustainability Blueprint working group launched last year.

Electrifying Public Transport: a Route to Africa's Just Transition

Guest interview: Jit Bhattacharya, BasiGo

Jit Bhattacharya, co-founder of Kenya-based electric vehicle technology company, BasiGo

BasiGo is an electric vehicle technology and financing company dedicated to introducing electric bus services in sub-Saharan Africa. Headquartered in Nairobi, Kenya, the company provides state-of-the-art, electric buses, along with charging and maintenance services for city bus operators.

We spoke to BasiGo’s co-founder, Silicon-Valley innovator, Jit Bhattacharya, who explained his vision for clean public transport in African cities, as a means to cut emissions, while driving growth and green industrialization.

How did BasiGo come about, what’s your vision for African e-mobility?

BasiGo was inspired in the first few days of the COVID pandemic in Kenya when for three days all the city’s 20,000 diesel buses came to a stand still.

What we witnessed was remarkable. Almost overnight, as the fumes cleared, emerged Mount Kenya, some 350 kilometres away from Nairobi. The snow-capped peaks of ‘Kirinyaga’ or the ‘mountain of whiteness’, had been invisible for decades, but for three days it became visible on the city’s horizon.

For that brief time, the whole city looked up to witness the earth breathing. For me, it was a brief glimpse of just how much damage diesel buses are causing to the environment of this rapidly growing city. I knew then it was time to take action.

We already knew that Kenya has amazing renewable energy resources - and over 90% of the electricity feeding the Kenyan grid comes from renewable sources. So, if we could replace Kenya’s diesel buses with electric buses, we could, firstly, have a greater impact on CO2 than introducing electric buses almost anywhere else in the world. Secondly, we could create a future where the skies of Nairobi allowed its citizens to see Mount Kenya every single day.

Nairobi is set to become one of seven African megacities by mid century, with its population expected to double to more than 10 million people by 2050. Considering this, we said, clean public transport in Nairobi is not just something that we want to happen, it needs to happen.

A couple of years later, fuel prices rose by over 70% since early 2022 and after examining the impact of this spike on the running costs of diesel buses, we found that on average, the cost of filling them was 75% higher than the cost of charging electric buses.

This was a real ‘Wow moment’ for us! We realised our mission to introduce electric buses into Africa was entirely sound, economically. This gave us the impetus to launch BasiGo, to help to insulate Kenya from the fuel crisis by putting electric buses onto Nairobi’s roads.

Today, we have 28 E-Buses in operation, 24 are in Nairobi Kenya. We have also expanded into Rwanda, where we have four buses operating in the capital, Kigali. Our buses in Kenya are powered by 90% renewable energy from the Kenyan grid, which creates a huge carbon saving of 50 tons of CO2 annually for each bus we deploy.

Since our first E-Buses went into operation in March of 2022, they have driven two million kilometres, and carried over three million passengers. Crucially, they've also avoided the cost of over 400,000 litres of diesel, and almost a thousand tons of CO2. E-Buses are a triple win - boosting the profits of operators by cutting their fuel costs; reducing air and carbon pollution, and also giving citizens access to modern, safe, high quality, and affordable public transport.

How do you make electric business affordable for Kenyan bus operators?

Central to BasiGo’s mission is our ‘Pay-As-You-Drive’ financing model that makes electric buses affordable and profitable for bus operators.

Operators don't face the high upfront cost burden, which is limiting electric vehicle (EV) adoption all over the world. Rather than trying to sell an electric bus over a diesel bus, we offer them to operators on a lease. For a very low deposit, we enable operators to access the economic benefits of electric buses. And once the E-Buses are on the road, our Pay-As-You-Drive lease also includes all the costs of charging and service and maintenance. Through this model, bus operators are actually breaking even within a matter of months.

We’re proud that the Kenya Bus Service (KBS) which has been in operation for 90 years, has just released its first electric bus with BasiGo. It’s amazing that we're helping to bring a legacy company like KBS into the electric age by giving them access to new technology which, as diesel prices rise and fall, keeps public transport consistently affordable for passengers.

As a result, we currently have reservations for 500 electric buses from operators in Kenya and 300 from Rwanda.

We now have a big job ahead of us in terms of delivering on that promise, especially as the electric buses that we deliver here in Kenya are actually all locally assembled.

How does BasiGo’s locally assembly model contribute to Kenya’s just transition?

One of our big announcements of the last few months was the launch of the first dedicated electric bus assembly line here in Kenya. With our new high volume assembly line at the Kenya Vehicle Manufacturers (KVM) plant, we plan to locally assemble 1,000 E-Buses for Kenyan bus operators by the end of 2026.

This investment will create 300 green manufacturing jobs in Kenya. Already, BasiGo has over 500 orders from bus operators in Nairobi and an additional 300 reservations from bus operators in Kigali, Rwanda.

So, the transition to E-Buses goes well beyond the environmental benefit. It is an opportunity for Kenya to establish itself as a manufacturing hub for modern EV’s, and the components that make up those vehicles.

Sub-Saharan Africa is notoriously often-times treated as the dumping ground for old, used vehicles which are imported from around the world. It's a big problem. A just transition is not possible in Africa until we can break these cycles and actively create a modern vehicle manufacturing sector. We’re starting in Kenya.

This is an excerpt from a longer article which can be found here.

Mohieldin and Rockström Join Race to Zero and Race to Resilience Global Ambassadors

Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, the UN Special Envoy on Financing the 2030 Agenda and Dr. Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, have been appointed Global Ambassadors to the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience campaigns.

Mohieldin, the former UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP 27, and Rockström join an eminent group already working to support the campaigns by accelerating the implementation of zero carbon targets and building resilience in urban, rural and coastal areas.

Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Mohieldin said: “As High-Level Champion for COP27, it was a privilege to work alongside the Global Ambassadors and learn from their expertise and knowledge. In this role, I look forward to continuing my support for advancing climate projects pipelines across the developing world and increasing equitable investment where it’s urgently needed. I also look forward to continuing my support for the Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda, as a comprehensive, shared agenda to rally global action around 30 adaptation outcomes that are needed to address the adaptation gap and achieve a resilient world by 2030.”

Dr. Rockström added: "I am honoured to become an Ambassador of the Race to Resilience and Race to Zero. These science-based global campaigns have mobilised actors outside of government, from bankers to activists. We urgently need to mobilise all efforts to cut global emissions by half by 2030 and to build climate resilience across the world, in particular among the most vulnerable people.”

Chosen for their range of expertise across regions and sectors, the group of Global Ambassadors includes Emma Howard Boyd CBE, Chair of the Environment Agency; Racquel Moses, CEO, the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator and Susan Chomba, Director of Vital Landscapes at the World Resources Institute (WRI), among others.

European Clean Energy Firms Called to COP 29

Are you based in Europe and looking to showcase your clean energy project on the global stage? Then read on…

Image credit: COP 29 Presidency.

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) and the High-Level Champions are giving Europe-based clean energy projects the opportunity to present their initiatives to investors at a finance forum on 9 October in Hamburg, Germany.

The selected projects will have the opportunity to meet with potential funders including regional development financial institutions, commercial lenders, sovereign wealth funds, private capital providers and philanthropies,

In addition, successful projects will receive support in investment presentation preparation and training in UNECE’s PPP and Infrastructure Evaluation and Rating System (PIERS methodology) to enhance skills in transparency, accountability, and investor readiness and could also be invited to participate at COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan later this year.

With climate finance taking centre stage at this year’s UN climate conference, this initiative offers a unique platform to engage with the climate finance ecosystem.

To date, USD 1.9 million has been raised for projects in emerging markets and developing countries including a green hydrogen project in Kazakhstan, a wind power plant in Georgia, and a lithium-ion battery factory in Turkey.

To apply, please submit your expression of interest here by 10 September 2024.

For additional information please contact Sagarika Chatterjee, Department Director, Climate Finance, Climate Champions (sagarikac...@climatechampions.team) and Sara Lemniei, CEO, SLK Group Capital (sa...@slkgroupcapital.com).

Race to Resilience update:

The Campaign Welcomes a New Partner

The Southern Africa Regional Anticipatory Action Working Group (RAAWG) has joined the Race to Resilience as our 37th partner.

Anticipatory action is designed to reduce the humanitarian impacts of forecast hazards by implementing measures before the most acute impacts of an event are felt.

The RAAWG was founded in 2019 to work closely with local government and stakeholders to implement such actions. These can include early warning messages, cash transfer, the provision of drought-resistant seeds, agriculture training and the improvement of water sources. These interventions prevent vulnerable populations from sliding into food in-security and malnutrition.

With Climate Week New York just around the corner, the Resilience Hub will soon be back on the road as the official home of the Race to Resilience. This year, together with Global Resilience Partnership (GRP), the Hub will be hosting a flagship event on ‘Innovating and Investing for People and Planet.’ Register to secure your place here.

Race to Zero Update:

14,500 Members Driving the Race to Zero

The Race to Zero continues to expand, reaching over 14,500 members around the globe; an 8% increase since our 2023 Progress Report. New analysis shows that 12% of the Forbes Global 2000 and 40% of the WEF Alliance of CEO Climate Leaders members are in the Race to Zero.

In the last few months alone, over 800 new Small-and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) have joined the Campaign. The membership of SMEs, such as Frog Bikes in the Race is pivotal; with SMEs representing 90% of businesses and more than 50% of employment worldwide.

Check out our latest members via our recently updated ‘Who’s In?’ Dashboard.

Race to Zero Members Placing Energy at the Heart of Net Zero Strategy

The energy system is being transformed before our eyes by the exponential forces of renewables, electrification, and efficiency. According to RMI, cleantech costs have fallen by up to 80 percent, while investment is up nearly tenfold and solar generation has risen twelvefold.

Aligning this shift with the outcomes of the Global Stocktake, the High-Level Champions’ 2030 Climate Solutions sets out a target to double the rate of energy efficiency improvements and triple renewable power generation capacity. Within this target, solar and wind power by 2030 must comprise at least 40%, and all renewables at least 60%, of global electricity generation by 2030.

This article outlines how Race To Zero Members, ranging from General Motors (GM) - to Pepsico, and AstraZeneca - are embracing these goals by putting renewable energy adoption and energy efficiency measures at the forefront of their net zero strategies.

Signals of Change:

● 1.5°C-aligned Transition Plans Surge: 1 in 4 companies (5,906) that disclosed to CDP data last year have 1.5°C-aligned climate transition plans; a 44% increase from 2022. Moreover, companies with transition plans have achieved double the rate of emissions reductions of those without plans. The new data signals that transition plans are no longer perceived as a ‘nice-to-have’ as a means to show credibility. Instead, time-bound plans to transition business models, company assets, and operations with a 1.5°C pathway are increasingly seen as ‘...critical for businesses accessing capital, driving efficiency, and complying with market and regulatory demands.’

● Cities as Demand Drivers: A new report from the UN Department of Economic & Social Affairs (UNDESA) highlights the critical role cities play in accelerating the transition to a clean energy future. With increasing urbanization and population growth, cities are well-positioned to act as innovation hubs, and harness synergies between climate action and SDGs, to reduce mitigation and adaptation costs.

● World’s First Global ‘Net Zero Standard’ Underway: The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recently announced its intention to launch the first ever international Net Zero standard, at COP 29 in Azerbaijan. The new standard, an evolution of the ISO Net Zero Guidelines, promises to provide clarity on the net zero transition, and ultimately enable independently-verified and comprehensive climate action.