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UN
Global Climate Action
17
April
2024 | |
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High-Level
Champions'
Newsletter | |
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Uplifting
Indigenous Climate Leadership | |
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The UN Climate Change High-Level
Champion for COP 28, Her Excellency, Razan Al
Mubarak has been a vocal supporter of Indigenous
Peoples and their myriad contributions to tackling
the climate crisis — from advocacy to
environmental stewardship. To mark the event, Al
Mubarak recorded a video address calling on
multilateral funds and funders to support direct
access to finance for Indigenous Peoples. The COP
28 Champion has also just announced the tendering
of a new Global Data Study to establish a
solid evidence base to showcase the significant
contributions of Indigenous Peoples in the
critical realm of climate action.
The 23rd Session of the UNPFII
focuses on the theme of ‘Enhancing Indigenous
Peoples’ Right to Self-determination in the
Context of the UN Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples: Emphasizing the Voices of
Indigenous Youth’. To understand this agenda from
the perspective of Indigenous communities, we
asked human rights and environmental lawyer,
Nonette Royo, about the vast potential to boost
Indigenous Peoples’ role as key partners to
deliver on countries’ climate, nature and
biodiversity commitments.
The newsletter also brings updates
from the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial, attended
by the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for
COP 29, Nigar Arpadarai. Plus, we bring you a
unique perspective on the UK net zero transition,
from Chris Skidmore, the former Energy and Clean
Growth Minister who signed the country’s
commitment into law.
Read on to learn how the increasing
inclusion of Indigenous Peoples opens the door to
a new paradigm for climate action and adaptation
on a global
scale. | |
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Returning
to the wisdom of our
ancestors | |
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Nonette
Royo, Executive Director, Tenure Facility.
Credit:
Tenure Facility |
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Guest Q&A:
Nonette
Royo, Executive Director, Tenure
Facility
Indigenous Peoples
and local communities live on and manage more than
half of the world’s land, yet they only have legal
ownership of 10% of these territories. Robust
Indigenous and local land rights are vital for
managing forests, reducing greenhouse gas
emissions, preserving biodiversity, and improving
livelihoods.
Nonette Royo has
spent more than 30 years fighting for the tenure
rights of Indigenous Peoples communities in the
world’s tropical forests, in regions ranging from
Latin America to Southeast Asia and Africa. As
Executive Director of Tenure Facility, Nonette has
helped to map, and protect some 18 million
hectares of land – an area equivalent to the size
of Cambodia - which is expected to double this
year. We spoke to Nonette about how a clear
commitment to inclusion underpins her work to
strengthen the tenure of Indigenous Peoples
Communities and boost their ability to preserve
and protect traditional lands and
resources.
How
does Tenure Facility support Indigenous
Communities to protect nature?
The
Tenure Facility offers grants and technical
assistance directly to Indigenous Peoples and
local communities, who are self-determined and
work collectively,
in
their efforts to secure tenure, with a particular
focus on mitigating climate change, reducing
conflict and promoting gender
equality. | |
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Members
of the Indigenous Siekopai community who reside in
the Amazon jungle along Ecuador’s border with
Peru.
Credit:
Tenure
Facility. | |
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How can Indigenous
knowledge help us to solve the climate
crisis?
From
the perspective of Indigenous Peoples, the climate
crisis is not just a heating crisis - it's a
crisis of lifestyle. Humankind’s relationship with
nature is in crisis due to a loss of respect for,
and connection to nature. The longevity of
Indigenous Peoples stretches back thousands of
years as they live by the central principle of
“only take what you need, and leave the rest for
future generations.”
Indigenous
knowledge can help us to return to the wisdom of
our ancestors to survive and overcome the climate
crisis. Everyone - whether white, black or
whatever colour - has the inherent ability to
coexist with nature. But somehow we have put
ourselves in a place that is so safe and sanitised
- with everything bought from stores - that we
have created the illusion of separation from
nature. In reality, everything that we consume and
use is from the natural world, and our
disconnection from our source places puts
humankind into existential danger.
The
existence of Indigenous Peoples is inextricably
linked to nature itself - if nature fails, their
communities fail, and vice versa. We can relearn
the value of this connection from Indigenous
Peoples - it’s not just about science, it’s about
being part of nature, to protect the conditions
for our mutual
survival. | |
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Members
of the Gond tribe, breaking and flaking seeds to
extract oil in a forest village in east-central
India.
Credit:
Tenure
Facility. | |
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Why
is direct
funding of Indigenous Communities
essential?
Direct
funding of Indigenous Communities is essential,
firstly as it acknowledges that communities that
have lived within forests for many generations are
acutely aware of the challenges they face and are
best placed to implement solutions. Living in
partnership with nature can be precarious, but
over time communities have learned to survive and
thrive by supporting nature. Few external parties
have that lived experience, so it makes the most
sense for Indigenous Communities to lead on
projects and to allocate funds.
Now
externally-driven problems, such as climate change
and deforestation threaten the natural ecosystems
that communities depend on, causing issues such as
food insecurity, wildfires and droughts.
Communities need funds to protect themselves and
their territories, but traditionally, only a tiny
amount of climate and development funding trickles
down to them. This is due to an entrenched
mistrust of Indigenous Peoples and misplaced
doubts in their ability to handle money. Our
experience and data completely debunks these
myths. Indigenous Peoples can indeed allocate
funds, and conduct effective reporting, for
example, using technologies, such as smartphones
for data collection and reporting, or aerial
drones for surveying lands or GPS devices for
mapping.
From
providing direct finance to communities, we're
seeing that the metrics of accountability,
effectiveness and efficiency are all met. Now is
the time to break down those bureaucratic barriers
to fully empower Indigenous Communities to
lead. | |
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Mapping
efforts are integral to recognising and securing
land rights as well as ensuring community
participation.
Credit:
Tenure
Facility. | |
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What
does inclusion look like for Tenure
Facility? | |
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A group
of women involved in the management of a local
community forest concession and reforestation
efforts in the southwest of the Democratic
Republic of Congo. Ley Uwera/Tenure
Facility. | |
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In
the context of Tenure Facility’s work to expand
the sustainable management and protection of their
forests and lands, real ‘inclusion’ means
providing open access to all information at the
right time, which promotes full understanding and
engagement.
To
promote their self governance it’s important to
ensure that the leaders of Indigenous Peoples
Communities are represented fully, plus an
understanding of the processes which underpin the
election of those leaders is also key. Tribal
leaders have a vision for how the community exists
with nature which lives in their processes and
protocols that are passed down, reinforcing their
cultural identity and social cohesion within the
community.
Click here for the
full interview with Nonette
Royo. | |
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Copenhagen
Climate Ministerial: A milestone on the road to
COP
29 | |
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The UN Climate Change High-Level
Champion for COP 29, Nigar Arpadarai attended the
Copenhagen Climate Ministerial and highlighted
that momentum behind the clean energy transition
is driving both global climate action and real
economy impact.
The COP 29 Champion reflected that
tangible advances in the energy transition, such
as the USD 1.7 trillion investment in clean
energy in 2023, can now be translated into
bold ambition in the next national climate action
plans – known as Nationally Determined
Contributions (NDCs) – which are being shaped of
COP 30.
“When it comes to combating climate
change, neither governments nor non-government
entities can do it alone,” Arpadarai said. “We
need bold climate action from all sectors of
society, each of which can push the other forward
towards a more prosperous, resilient, zero-carbon
economy. It’s been inspiring to hear of bold
leadership from countries large and small as we
build towards COP29 in Azerbaijan – a platform
where all will have an equal voice.”
The Copenhagen Ministerial was a key
moment for environmental ministers to build on
previous climate talks and pave the way for the
next generation of national climate transition and
resilience plans, which would provide the
confidence needed for finance to flow to
zero-carbon, climate-resilient, and
nature-positive development pathways.
Find out more about the key areas of focus for the Champions
Team, including
recent progress towards a Just Transition Away
from fossil fuels, policy incentives to increase
finance flows and the next generation of national
climate transition and resilience
plans. | |
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Learning
the lessons of the UK’s net zero
transition | |
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Chris
Skidmore OBE speaks at New York Climate Week,
September 2023. Credit:
Climate
Group. | |
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Guest
Q&A, Chris Skidmore OBE
As a former UK energy
minister, Chris Skidmore OBE signed into law the
country’s commitment to curtail emissions to net
zero by 2050. Chris went on to lead an independent
Net Zero Review, Mission Zero, which set out the
‘historic opportunity’ offered by net zero. The
Review travelled to all four nations of the UK,
received over 1,800 responses to the Call for
Evidence, and held more than 50 roundtables,
making it one of the largest national engagement
exercises on net zero. It described net zero as
the “economic opportunity of the 21st century”,
highlighting that the supply of goods and services
to enable the global net zero transition could be
worth GBP 1tn to UK businesses by 2030.
We spoke to Chris
about advocating for net zero inside the
Government - and the need for key stakeholders,
from business, to investors and cities - to engage
with governments as they prepare the new phase of
climate plans (Nationally Determined Contributions
(NDCs).
How
have you supported the global net zero
transition?
Nearly
five years ago when I was the UK's Energy and
Clean Growth Minister, I had an opportunity to
sign into law the UK's commitment to curtail
emissions to net zero by 2050. The UK was the
first G7 country to make that legislative
commitment, so it was a landmark moment. Back
then, no one really expected that over the
following five years, 92% of global GDP
would be represented by a net zero target of some
form, as it is today. To understand how the UK
could best meet its climate commitments, the then
Prime Minister commissioned an independent Net
Zero review, which turned into the 340 page
Mission Zero
report, that sets out the ‘whole of society’
opportunity offered by the
transition.
Ever
since then, I've been working to research and
articulate the benefits and opportunities of net
zero - not just as a means to reduce emissions,
which is critical - but also to highlight the
economic opportunity offered by the transition, in
terms of growth, jobs and regeneration.
Why
is it important for governments to see and hear
from the climate community during this NDC
countdown phase?
I
found it incredibly important as a UK Minister to
know that - as a Government - we weren’t just
‘going it alone’ on net zero. If organizations
with a large manufacturing and employee base were
able to demonstrate their plans to increase
productivity and jobs through the transition that
really helped to assure bold policymaking to
support them. As a politician, you can't measure
the outcomes of policy just on the metric of
carbon dioxide reductions, as not all stakeholders
fully grasp those benefits yet. What they do
notice, however, is when major companies clearly
and impactfully signal their trajectory, like when
Jaguar Land Rover announced its intention to build
a £4 billion gigafactory for electric
vehicle batteries
in the UK.
Operationalising
net zero is all about coalition building, it’s
about demonstrating strength in numbers and
showing the path to the future. Businesses now
recognize the investment opportunities and - on
the flip-side, the risk of standing still, which
leads to stranded assets, stranded jobs and
stranded businesses.
We're
living through a revolutionary time. The more
people can get out there and explain that net zero
equates to growth - and that change should not be
feared, but embraced - the faster we can
accelerate the transition, and the more value will
be generated.
Too
many companies are participating in ‘green
hushing’ - quietly implementing their climate
commitments, but behind closed doors. That's a
huge mistake. By providing evidence of their
commitment and action, companies can fuel
engagement with stakeholders - from suppliers, to
investors and employees. A major upside is that
entire ecosystems can advance towards net zero,
while transparent engagement also makes supply
chain relationships less transactional, deepening
partnerships across sectors.
This
is an historic, once-in-a-generation moment, like
the introduction of electricity - where new ways
of thinking are going to advance productivity,
efficiency and opportunities for prosperity. I
want that to happen in the UK and all over the
world.
Click here for the
full interview with Chris
Skidmore. | |
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Race
to Resilience Update:
Business Leading
Resilience Action:
● The
Sharm Adaptation Agenda (SAA) and partners
launched the "Business Action for Adaptation &
Resilience" discussion paper. With the
contribution of several Race to Resilience (RTR)
Partners sharing how they leverage the SAA to
redefine sustainability and drive the global
climate agenda forward.
● Partner
Resilience First, and other collaborators launched
the Climate Resilience Pathways:
Catalyzing Private Sector Action. This initiative
aims to empower companies to enhance their
resilience, scale-up adaptation investment, and
drive systemic transformation toward a sustainable
future. Leveraging the expertise and resources of
nearly 70 leaders in climate, sustainability,
strategy, and risk management, they seek to
catalyze private sector action on climate
resilience by showcasing leading practices and
fostering collaboration.
Multilevel Action
Leadership:
● Partner,
Regions4, published The ‘Transformative Multilevel
Action’ we need to see at Biodiversity COP 16.
The policy brief shares insights on the critical
role of subnational governments in navigating
the intertwined challenges of the climate and
biodiversity crises, and the action needed to
catalyze ambition towards COP 16.
● The
Global Mangrove Alliance highlighted the
importance of Engaging Local Ecological Knowledge
to Inform Mangrove Restoration and
Conservation, through the launch of a new
guide. The guide shares 21 case studies
to provide best practices for engaging
with, and harnessing the power of local
communities and resources.
● Partner,
Risk Informed Early Action Partnership, has
launched Early Action: The State of Play
2023 report, providing a snapshot of
international, regional and national investments,
commitments and activities linked to early warning
and early action.
Solution stories of the
month:
● Accelerating gender-responsive
climate resilience in Latin America.
● Empowering Jamaica’s climate
resilience through innovative green
finance. | |
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Race
to Zero Update:
Expert Peer Review Group
Updates:
● Race
to Zero is pleased to announce its new Expert Peer
Review Group Co-Chair, Peter Boyd. Peter is about
to set out on the Race of his life, 250KM, in the
Marathon Des Sables. Find out more here.
● Congratulations
to Race to Zero’s Expert Peer Review Group member,
Dr Yixian Sun (Faculty of
Humanities & Social Sciences) who has been
awarded a prestigious Future Leaders Fellowship
from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Partner
Updates:
● Planet Mark is
hosting a Scope 3 Masterclass series
throughout April.
● Exponential Roadmap
Initiatives consults on a climate solutions framework.
● Small
businesses in SME
Climate Hub want to take climate action,
but there are still significant barriers -
including a lack of policies, funding, data on
current emissions, and time. More results from
their latest survey.
● An
updated version of the Net Zero Investment
Framework (NZIF) is now open for
consultation until 24 April. Mahesh Roy from IIGCC
(co-convenor of Net Zero Asset Managers
and Paris Aligned Asset Owners and Marrakech
Partnership Finance co-focal point) explains why this is
important.
● International Wineries
for Climate Action shares insights on regenerative
viticulture.
● To mark World Water
Day, Health
Care Without Harm Europe has released an animated video explaining how to
dispose of pharmaceuticals correctly at home.
Accelerator
Updates:
● Giki and Environmental
Defense Fund are hosting a Race to Zero Employee Engagement
webinar on the 21st of May.
● New
Accelerator SUCCA
Africa will join the COP 29 Champion, Ms.
Arpadarai at the Africa Regional Forum on
Sustainable Development to showcase the role of
non-State actors and business in the lead up to
the 2030 and 2063 Agendas. Join virtually on April
18th.
Member
Updates:
● Race
to Zero is collecting case studies on nature, energy and policy leadership. Please submit
member success stories!
● Join
an upcoming event on 7th May on the
Breakthrough Agenda. Register for session one (9am
BST) here or session two (4pm
BST) here. | |
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● The
UAE, Azerbaijan and the Brazil COP Presidencies
Troika launched the ‘Roadmap to Mission
1.5°C’. In a letter issued to Parties on 21
March, the Troika outlined its objective to raise
and reframe ambition for the development process
of the next round of NDCs. Throughout 2024, the
Troika will host a series of high-level political
convenings to assess key barriers to NDC
development.
● The
co-chairs of the New Collective Quantified Goal on
Climate Finance (NCQG) released the 2024 work plan including information
on the three Technical Expert Dialogues (TEDs),
High-Level Ministerial Dialogue, and consultations
with interested non-State actors. The next TED will take place on 23 - 24
April in Cartagena, Colombia, including the
participation of non-State actors.
● The
chairs of the subsidiary bodies announced on 27 March that the
first global
dialogue under the UAE Just Transition Work
Programme (UAE JTWP) in 2024 will focus on
‘Just Transition pathways to achieving the goals
of the Paris Agreement through NDCs, NAPs
(National Adaptation Plans) and LT-LEDs (long-term
low-emission development strategies).’ In
preparation, non-State actors are
encouraged to share their views on
opportunities, best practices, actionable
solutions, challenges and barriers relevant to the
topic as early as possible, and no later than four
weeks before the dialogue (which will take place
before SB 60 starting on 3 June). Additionally,
non-State actors
are invited to provide submissions for other work
streams including the mentioned NCQG, the
Sharm el-Sheikh mitigation ambition
and implementation work programme, or the Sharm el-Sheikh dialogue. You
can also consult the list of all calls for submissions from COP
28 and how to make a submission here.
● At
the Copenhagen Climate Ministerial in Denmark on
21-22 March, the International Energy Agency (IEA)
and UNFCCC joined forces on the implementation of
COP 28 outcomes while focusing on three key
areas – tracking and reporting on the
energy-related outcomes of the first Global
Stocktake at COP 28; building consensus on actions
to deliver 1.5 °C-aligned energy transitions; and
supporting the next round of NDCs.
● In
a Speech at Chatham House, UN Climate
Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell
highlighted the urgency to address climate change
stating, “We have two years to save the world.” He
underlined the need to take a quantum leap in
climate finance and urged bold new national
climate plans by all nations that protect people,
boost jobs, and drive inclusive economic
growth.
● A
new UN report on Financing for
Sustainable Development called for urgent
steps to mobilise finance at scale to close the
development financing gap, now estimated at USD
4.2 trillion annually, noting that financing
challenges are at the heart of the world’s
sustainable development crisis and bold actions
are needed to scale up SDG investment and reform
the global financial system.
● The
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has
launched a new World Energy Transitions Outlook
brief, which provides the latest tracking data
and analysis of global progress towards the COP 28
goal to triple global renewable power capacity by
2030.
● Marking
the second annual International Day of Zero Waste,
UNEP launched the Food Waste Index Report 2024,
which provides the latest global estimates on food
waste, occurring at retail and consumer-level
while emphasizing that addressing food waste is an
important facet of embracing zero waste and
tackling the climate
crisis. | |
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● World Circular Economy Forum (WCEF)
2024, 15-18 April, Brussels, Belgium
● 14th IRENA’s Assembly 2024,
16–18 April, Abu Dhabi, UAE
● World Future Energy Summit,
16–18 April, Abu Dhabi, UAE
● UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous
Issues, 23rd Session, 15-26 April,
New York, USA
● Asian Venture Philanthropy
Network, 23-24 April, Abu Dhabi, UAE
● Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week,
16-18 April, Abu Dhabi, UAE
● World Bank and International
Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring Meetings, 19 - 21
April, Washington DC, USA
● World Bank and IMF Spring
Meetings, 19-21 April, Washington, D.C.,
USA
● World Energy Congress, 22-25
April, Rotterdam, Netherlands
● IEA Global Summit on People-Centred
Clean Energy Transitions, 26 April, Paris,
France
● IEA Summit on Clean Cooking in
Africa, 14 May, Paris, France
● World Water Forum, 18-25 May,
Bali, Indonesia
● International Transport Forum 2024
Summit, 22-24 May, Leipzig, Germany
● 60th Sessions of the
UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies, 3 -13 June,
Bonn, Germany
● Daring Cities 2024 Bonn
Dialogues, 3-5 June, Bonn, Germany
● Sustainable Energy for All Global
Forum, 4-6 June Bridgetown, Barbados
● G7 Summit 2024, 13-15 June,
Puglia,
Italy | |
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