UN
Global Climate Action
29
March
2023 | |
High-Level Champions'
Newsletter | |
Knowledge is power: New data tools track
net zero
progress | |
The Race to Zero has launched its Data
Explorer. Developed by Climate
Arc, and powered by CDP
data, it shows the progress of the largest 500
Race to Zero member companies by revenue. It is a
critical first step to enhancing transparency on
net zero commitments. Read more about the
Data Explorer here
and support us in our goal to halve emissions by
2030 by promoting and sharing this tool with
your networks.
Race to Zero partner, the SME
Climate Hub has also launched a free
reporting tool. Developed specifically
for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)
the tool helps summarize SMEs’ annual greenhouse
gas emissions, actions taken to reduce emissions
and provides an opportunity to report on climate
solutions.
The SME Climate Hub is a non-profit global
initiative that empowers small to medium sized
companies to take climate action and build
resilient businesses for the future. As part of
its Climate Commitment, businesses are required
to disclose their progress towards net zero on a
yearly basis.
Likewise, the Race to
Resilience has
launched an improved tool to help support the
campaign’s mission to increase the resilience of
four billion people living in vulnerable
communities. The Data
Explorer provides information on
the efforts made by the Campaign’s partner
organizations to increase the resilience of
individuals, businesses, territories and natural
systems. The actions implemented by partners are
organized as per the impact systems of the Sharm-el-Sheikh Adaptation
Agenda launched at COP27. The Data Explorer
is primarily intended for non-State actors who
are collaborating with the Race to
Resilience partners to report their climate
resilience actions and quantify and validate
their impact under a common framework. However,
the information provided on the platform can
also be useful to anyone interested in
understanding the progress of the
campaign.
| |
Water
tight solutions: Outcomes from the UN 2023 Water
Conference | |
More than 50 leading global companies
united to make unprecedented collective
commitment to SDG 6 at the recent UN 2023
Water Conference. During the opening
day of the Conference held for the first time in
46 years, over 50 of the world’s largest
corporations, operating in over 130 countries
and employing 2 million people worldwide,
launched the Business
Leaders’ Open Call for Accelerating Water
Action.
The Open Call for Water Action is an
unprecedented appeal for private sector action
to help solve the global water crisis and
advance progress on SDG 6 to ensure access to
water and sanitation for all. The Open Call
provides a unified commitment by the corporate
sector to the Water Action Agenda, the main
outcome of the historic UN Water
Conference.
By joining the Open Call for Water Action,
companies commit to work to build water
resilience across their own global operations
and supply chains. They also pledge to work
collaboratively across sectors to achieve
collective positive water impact in at least 100
prioritized water-stressed basins by 2030. The
strategy aims to contribute to water security
for 3 billion people, and help enable safe
drinking water and sanitation for more than 300
million people.
Water insecurity is one of the most
pressing sustainability challenges of the 21st
century, presenting humanitarian, environmental,
and economic concerns. More than 2
billion
people lack safe drinking water; a 40
percent water deficit is projected by 2030; and
water-protecting ecosystems have experienced
rapid destruction. Climate change continues to
significantly intensify these risks, adding
further urgency to act. CDP estimates that
some USD 300
billion of business
value is at risk due to
water scarcity, pollution, and climate
change.
Find
out more about the Champions’ work on water
here
| |
All
hands on deck ahead of crucial IMO
meeting | |
The United
Nations’ International Maritime Organization
(IMO) has concluded its latest round of talks
ahead of July’s critical Marine Environment
Protection Committee meeting (MEPC 80) which aim
to decide the shipping industry’s strategy to
mitigate the sector’s impact on climate
change.
During the
meeting this week of the IMO’s Intersessional
Working Group on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas
Emissions from Ships delegates met to discuss
and finalize the draft Revised IMO Strategy on
the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
from ships.
Dr
Aly Shaw, Policy Lead at shipping
consultancy
UMAS
said
“This
meeting marked a growing clarity on likely
ambition for 2050 and also 2040, which is a
positive sign for an equitable transition that
requires targets aligned with limiting
temperature rise to 1.5 or below. However,
despite the repeated support across meetings for
a just and equitable transition that leaves none
behind – there is little sign of this commitment
being embedded throughout the revised strategy
as of yet.”
| |
Clean
Cooking Alliance: Cooking, but not on
gas | |
The Clean Cooking Alliance continues to
transform markets, shape policies, and increase
access to clean cooking for the billions of
people around the world who still live without
it according to its 2022
Annual Report. Clean
cooking companies received a record US $200
million in investment, marking 2022 as a
breakout year for the sector.
Read more on the work of the Champions’
Clean Cooking Breakthrough here.
| |
“What’s
Everyone Waiting For?”: The release of the
IPCC’s Synthesis
Report: | |
As the recent report of the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
details, humans are responsible for virtually
all global heating over the last 200 years, the
rate of temperature rise in the last half
century is the highest in 2,000 years and
concentrations of carbon dioxide are at their
highest in at least 2 million years. However,
the report also concludes that remaining within
the 1.5°C limit is achievable if we’re ALL
prepared to take a quantum
leap
in climate action. In response to the
IPCC report, UN Climate Change Executive
Secretary Simon Stiell has laid out 3
steps to course correct on climate
change.
Read our
interview with
Paulina Aldunce, lead author of the IPCC’s
Working Group II in which she says, “ Sadly, the
evidence scientists provide, and the urgency we
communicate, isn’t always reflected in action.
And this is frustrating. What is everyone
waiting for?”
The High-Level Champions also responded to
the report by saying:
Mahmoud
Mohieldin, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion
of the COP 27 Presidency:
“ The IPCC’s latest report once again
serves as a powerful reminder that if we race at
speed towards a 1.5°C resilient world,
while also ensuring a just transition and
implementing SDGs, we will be welcomed at the
finish line by a fairer and more sustainable
future. We have every reason to believe
that this is possible.
Razan
Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level
Champion of the COP 28 Presidency:
"All of us alive today have the privilege
of being responsible for the protection of
future life on Earth. If we choose to
ignore this fact, our world of beautiful
abundance could soon become a danger
zone.
Nature is our ally in this battle, a
non-negotiable part of the solution to achieve
the goals of the Paris Agreement and help
protect us from even graver impacts of a warming
world.
The world’s oceans, plants, animals and
soils have absorbed over half of humanity’s
emissions in the past decade alone and will
continue to do so if they are protected and
restored. The IPCC has made it clear: the power
is in our
hands.” | |
Join
the final meeting of the Global Stocktake
technical
dialogue! | |
The Global
Stocktake (GST) is a top priority
for COP 28 in order to align efforts on climate
action and ramp up ambition and put us on track
to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. It
has been highlighted by the UNFCCC Executive
Secretary as a moment of course correction
towards 2030 and the COP 28 Presidency has
emphasised how they will work to ensure that the
world responds to the GST with a clear plan of
action. For the stocktake to be a success, it
needs robust input from everyone.
In the
lead up to COP 28 and as part of the final stage
of technical assessment component of the GST,
the UN Climate Change secretariat has launched
an Expression of Interest process in
collaboration with the High-Level Champions to
assist the co-facilitators in inviting
cities, subnational regions, businesses,
investors and civil society to the third and
final meeting of the technical dialogue (TD1.3)
taking place during the Bonn Climate Change
Conference in June 2023.
Further
information and the detailed design of TD1.3
will be shared in due course in an information
note from the co-facilitators taking into
account the guidance received from Parties,
summary of the second meeting (TD1.2)
discussions and inputs submitted to the GST
information portal. While the design
and exact numbers are still to be confirmed,
approximately 60 seats will be made available
for non-Party stakeholders to bring their
expertise to the discussions and engage with
technical experts from Party delegations.
As such,
the High-Level Champions strongly encourage the
active participation of cities, subnational
regions, businesses, investors, and civil
society from all regions to highlight the
opportunities for transformational climate
action and support Parties in this process. To
be considered for participation, please submit
your expression of interest available on
this webpage before
Tuesday,
11 April 23:59 CEST.
| |
Chile’s
Water Utilities Association - Asociación
Nacional de Empresas de Servicios Sanitarios
A.G., (ANDESS)
has joined the Race to Zero as an Accelerator. In
this capacity,
the
Association commits to aligning with Race to
Zero’s criteria; accelerating membership;
sharing knowledge and hosting events; engaging
with the Race to Zero team and enhancing
diversity, across regions and sectors.
ANDESS'
mission is to highlight the key role the
sanitation industry must play in the development
goals and environmental protection of Chile. The
news was welcomed by Maisa
Rojas,Chile’s
Environment Minister.
Similarly,
sustainability consultancy Giki
has also joined the Race to Zero as an
Accelerator. Giki works with everyone
from small businesses through to global
companies to help
educate and engage staff to build sustainable
behaviours which cut carbon at home and at
work.
| |
● After
the historic decision that was taken last year
at COP 27 to create a Loss and Damage fund, the
committee tasked with operationalizing the fund
is meeting for the first time. Remarks were shared by UN
Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell
to open the first meeting of the Transitional
Committee on the operationalization of the loss
and damage fund. The meetings can be viewed
online here.
● European
Union countries have given final
approval to a landmark law to end sales of
new CO2-emitting cars in 2035. The EU law will
require all new cars sold to have zero CO2
emissions from 2035, and 55% lower CO2 emissions
from 2030, versus 2021 levels. The targets are
designed to drive the rapid decarbonisation of
new car fleets in Europe.
● A
new report jointly released by UN
Climate Change and CDP finds companies in the
Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action are
making promising strides when it comes to
climate action, with more than 80% of them
publicly reporting on their progress in line
with their commitments. According to the report,
some companies are making good on their climate
commitments, demonstrating ample opportunities
to reduce emissions across their supply chains,
but others are falling short in their efforts to
drive down emissions.
● New
research published by
Climate Group shows that funding for climate
action and policies at subnational level is
essential to keep the world on track for 1.5
degrees of warming, especially as state and
regional governments represent over 50% of all
environment and climate spending. The research
looks at the mechanisms states and regions can
use to raise funds to accelerate to net zero and
adapt to climate change: particularly carbon
pricing, green bonds, national government
funding and taxes and fees. The report also
examines ways in which subnational governments
can effectively spend climate finance and how
they can also help other groups access that
finance.
● More than 500
common species of fish, seaweed, coral and
invertebrates that live on reefs around
Australia have declined in the past decade
according to a study published in the Nature
journal.
The study monitored 1,057 species and found 57%
of them had declined, and almost 300 were
declining at a rate that could qualify them as
threatened species. It concludes global heating
was likely the main driver of hte falls, with
marine heatwaves and a rise in ocean
temperatures hitting species that live on rocky
and coral reefs.
● Launched ahead of
the
UN 2023
Water Conference, the new edition
of the UN World Water Development Report focuses
on twin themes of partnerships and cooperation.
Published by the UN Education, Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the report
highlights collaborative ways actors can work
together to overcome common challenges.
Globally, two billion people do not have safe
drinking water and 3.6 billion lack access to
safely managed sanitation, the report
found.
● The
world is facing an imminent water
crisis, with demand expected to outstrip the
supply of fresh water by 40% by the end of this
decade according to a new
report from the Global
Commission on the Economics of Water. Johan
Rockstrom, the director of the Potsdam Institute
for Climate Impact Research, co-chair of the
Commission and a lead author of the report said
the world’s neglect of water resources was
leading to disaster. “The scientific evidence is
that we have a water crisis. We are misusing water, polluting water, and
changing the whole global hydrological cycle,
through what we are doing to the climate. It’s a
triple crisis.” The report’s authors say nations
must start to manage water as a global common
good, because most countries are highly
dependent on their neighbours for water
supplies, and overuse, pollution and the climate
crisis threaten water supplies globally, the
report’s authors say.
● UN
Climate Change and COP 28 Presidency have
launched a bid to put marginalised youth at the
centre of climate talks. The International Youth Climate
Delegate Program will sponsor 100 young
people to attend COP28 in November. Delegates
from countries on the list of Least Developed
Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States
(SIDS), Indigenous Peoples and other minority
groups around the world will be prioritised.
Anyone interested and eligible can apply
here.
Deadline:
Wednesday, 7 April 2023.
● The
Scottish Government in collaboration with the
International Institute for Environment and
Development (IIED) has released the Practical
Action for Addressing Loss and Damage” report. It follows on from the
conference Addressing Loss and
Damage: Practical Action hosted by the
Scottish Government in October 2022 in
collaboration with the UN Climate Change
High-Level Champions and the Global Resilience
Partnership. The conference brought together
international representatives and practitioners
to articulate best practice and explore
innovative opportunities to address and finance
loss and damage and contributors presented more
than 30 case studies of action already being
taken. The report draws together the evidence
presented in those case studies to explore some
of the key issues faced by communities,
governments, donors, the private sector and
others working to address inescapable climate
impacts in their regions, countries and systems.
● The
Race to Resilience (RtR) is looking for new
members of its technical advisory body, the
Methodological Advisory Group (MAG) through an
Open Call for Nominations. The MAG advises the
development and refinement of the Race to
Resilience’s Metrics Framework and the
methodological processes associated with its
application, aiming to esquire the credibility,
transparency and robustness of the Race to
Resilience. More application information and
selection criteria can be found in the application here. Deadline: 29
March 2023
● IRENA's
World
Energy Transitions Outlook Preview
highlighted that although progress is being made
with the global investment across all energy
transition technologies reaching a record high
of USD 1.3 trillion in 2022, yearly investments
must more than quadruple to over USD 5 trillion
to stay on the 1.5°C pathway, and cumulative
investments between now and 2030 need to total
USD 44 trillion, with energy transition
technologies representing 80% of the investment,
or USD 35 trillion.
● IIGCC
has released net zero
guidance for infrastructure, to help
investors align and manage infrastructure
portfolios with the goal of achieving global net
zero emissions by 2050 or sooner
● UN Climate Change
is boosting the capacity of the
world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries to
adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate
change, which include ever more severe and more
frequent floods, storms, and
droughts.
One key
activity is to train experts to formulate
national adaptation plans which are crucial to
access funding for specific adaptation projects,
which can range from measures to make food
systems more resilient to improving water
services.
In addition, the Technology Executive
Committee and
the children
and youth constituency of UNFCCC have identified
the latest
trends in
technologies such as remote sensing and
artificial intelligence can help people adapt to
the impacts of climate change, allowing them to
better prepare for storms, floods, and
fires.
● São Tomé & Príncipe,
Singapore, and Suriname have reported their efforts and
progress on their climate actions to the UN
Climate Change secretariat. The reports
demonstrate solid climate action progress and
varying needs for financial, technological and
capacity-building support to . increase climate
action.
● Watch the Climate Pledge's Future
Forward
series on the Climate Champions’ website
from 4 April. Future Forward
is a character-driven documentary series
featuring people and businesses pioneering
industry innovation on the front lines of
climate change. Each film profiles visionaries
fighting for their dream of a better world, the
complex hurdles to igniting corporate change on
a global scale, and a contagious hope—and
inspiration—for the future.
● Join
B-Lab and the Race to Zero for a webinar
to learn about how you can be part of the
Race to Zero. If you don’t currently have a net
zero commitment with one of the Race to Zero Partners, come along to find
out more about how you can join.
● Four
Regional
Climate Weeks, Africa, Middle East and North
Africa, Latin America and Caribbean, and
Asia-Pacific, will be held this year to build
momentum ahead of COP28 and the conclusion of
the first Global Stocktake.
| |
Keeping up with the
Champions | |
● Mahmoud
Mohieldin spoke to the Economist at its
8th annual Sustainability Week. During
the conversation on “Driving the flywheel faster
on the journey to a net-zero future”, Mohieldin
discussed how
momentum from COP 27 can be maintained
into
COP 28.
● Razan
Al Mubarak participated in the Road to COP 28
launch event during which she discussed the
importance of her role as High-Level Champion in
strengthening the engagement of non-State actors
in supporting Parties in global climate
action.
● Mahmoud
Mohieldin was named the Most
Influential Personality of the Year Award by
Daily
News Egypt.
● Mahmoud
Mohieldin attended the 35th Board meeting of the
Green
Climate Fund in Incheon, South Korea, where
he addressed the Board Members about the need
and urgency to meet the global climate finance
needs, especially under the dire global
socio-economic conditions the world is currently
experiencing . The meeting closed with the
approval of $ 587.7 million for seven new
projects in developing nations, four of which
already got their contractual agreements
signed.
● Razan
Al Mubarak attended the Monaco
Blue Initiative where she highlighted the
importance of accelerating efforts to protect
and conserve marine ecosystems for their climate
mitigation, coastal communities resilience and
biodiversity benefits.
● In
a session hosted by UN
ESCWA on "Planning and Financing Sustainable
Development in Times of Recovery and Crisis",
Mahmoud Mohieldin highlighted how the current
economic conditions necessitate the activation
of innovative financing tools and blended
finance. Specifically, he urged the need to
assess financing development priorities in a
holistic manner in order to determine the size
of the financing gap.
● On
the sidelines of Indonesia's presidency of the
ASEAN Group 2023, Mahmoud Mohieldin
participated in a side-event discussing the
interlinkage between ESG standards and Islamic
finance. Mohieldin shared that total Islamic
financial assets currently exceed USD 2 trillion
as per latest estimates, including annual zakat
contributions amounting to about USD 300 billion
across the Muslim world. However, Zakat - as
well as other forms of Islamic Solidarity Fund -
remains underutilised when it comes to bridging
the SDG financing
gap. | |
● Green
Climate Fund, Board Consultation Meeting, 24-28
April | |
| | | | |
