*[Enwl-eng] Here is the latest news from the High-Level Champions!
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enwl at enw.net.ru
Tue Oct 10 22:22:00 MSK 2023
UN Global Climate Action
10 October 2023
High-Level Champions'
Newsletter
Middle East & North Africa are Ripe for
Transformation - MENA Climate Week Preview
Leaders are arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia,
for the latest Regional Climate Week, which will focus on delivering a
holistic, system-wide transformation of the Middle East & North Africa
(MENA) region, to drive climate resilient growth to 2030. It will provide a
platform for policymakers, practitioners, businesses and civil society to
exchange on climate solutions, barriers to overcome and opportunities and
contribute to the Global Stocktake process, concluding at COP 28, by
bringing focus to specific, region-relevant, forward-looking actions to
accelerate progress towards a resilient 1.5 C trajectory.
The MENA region is suffering from severe
impacts from climate change, such as extreme heat, water scarcity,
desertification or floods. Extreme heat waves reached over 50 degrees
Celsius in 2021 in Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, for
example. If this trend continues, many cities in the Middle East may become
uninhabitable before the end of the century. On the other hand, countries
from other MENA sub-regions suffer from unprecedented flooding as
experienced by Libya this year, plus Levant states — such as Palestine,
Jordan, and Syria — are deeply afflicted by water scarcity.
As a third of the world’s oil supply is
currently produced in the Gulf, the IEA’s forecast that demand for oil will
peak by the end of this decade is resonating across the region. Even if we
stop building fossil fuel assets today, USD 3.6 trillion of global
investment is already committed to building out fossil fuel infrastructure
above the requirements of net zero. The global transition to clean energy is
accelerating - the age of opportunity and sustainable transition is here. It
is crucial that the transition to a climate resilient and low-carbon economy
is just and equitable. Non-State actors’ strategies to tackle the growing
threat of climate change should incorporate the full range of environmental,
social, economic and governance dimensions and to address transitional
challenges encountered by vulnerable communities.
With these dual dynamics at play, the MENA
region is ripe for scaling up their transformation even further. The rapid
growth in clean energy recently provides a narrow corridor to 1.5 degrees C.
There is now a major opportunity to foster climate ambition in the MENA
region, and through building capacity - accelerate emissions reductions and
boost adaptation.
The UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for
COP 28, Her Excellency Razan Al Mubarak, will actively participate in the
MENA Climate Week, spearheading a comprehensive, shared roadmap for
ambitious climate action by 2030. Priority actions for MENA include raising
investment in renewables, promoting water conservation, and implementing
climate-resilient infrastructure.
The key aims for the week include:
● Building momentum around the Just Energy
Transition Collaboration (JET-Co) framework, especially highlighting the
vital role of business, cities, states and regions in fostering just energy
transitions in local communities.
● Highlight the role of Buildings as a
climate solution. E.g. the ‘Forging Pathways for Sustainable and Resilient
Buildings in the MENA region’ session where the Buildings Breakthrough will
be featured among other initiatives and opportunities to reflect on the
latest Breakthrough Agenda report, including the recommendation that
roadmaps to near-zero emission and resilient buildings by 2030 should be
developed and coordinated by all national and sub-national authorities.
● Accelerate the implementation of
Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and ecosystem-based approaches in MENA, plus
promote collaboration to advance the pipeline of shovel-ready NbS projects
and on-the-ground delivery.
● Recognize the role of of cities and
subnational governments as vehicles to support the implementation of
national country plans (Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCS) and
National Adaptation Plans (NAPS)) in the of delivery of the Paris Agreement,
as they already have plans and projects in place taking climate action as a
matter of urgency.
● Enhance resilience in the transportation
infrastructure sector and identify impactful initiatives that can be
elevated at COP 28 on High-Level Champions and Marrakech Partnership
platforms and through the Sharm Adaptation Agenda (SAA).
Taking place less than two months ahead of COP
28 in Dubai, it provides an important milestone to accelerate climate action
from non-State actors, to embed real economy solutions at the core of
climate action, and ensure a strong response to the first Global Stocktake.
The high-level segment, which will include
ministerials on the just energy transition, finance, adaptation and the
Global Stocktake and all main track sessions and events with webcast links
can be found off the main MENACW website and interactive programme.
2023 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group
and the International Monetary Fund
Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin, the UN Climate Change
High-Level Champion for COP27 will participate in the 2023 Annual Meetings
of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund from October 9 -
15 in Marrakech, Morocco. The meetings bring together central bankers,
ministers and representatives from the private sector and civil society
among others to discuss issues of global concern including climate change.
Dr. Mohieldin’s participation will include
attending the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the Coalition of Finance Ministers
for Climate Action to discuss greening the financial system. For the first
time ministers will present a Climate Action Statement (CAS) representing
the Coalition’s collective drive towards climate action. Finance Ministers
will also share insights on effective approaches to engaging with the
finance community and highlight challenges that need to be addressed to
drive ambitious climate ambition. In addition, Dr. Mohieldin will attend a
dialogue with Finance Ministers from the Vulnerable Twenty Group (V20)
countries to underline the need to reform the global financial system to
facilitate equitable access for the climate vulnerable and address debt
sustainability.
Dr. Mohieldin will also participate in a
closed-door roundtable together with representatives from the IMF, World
Bank and Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) to discuss how more
effective public and private sector collaboration can contribute to
supporting country platforms, such as the Just Energy Transition
Partnerships (JETPs). Country platforms can play a crucial role in helping
emerging markets and developing economies accelerate their climate ambitions
and attract necessary climate investments.
Coral Reef Breakthrough spawns recovery of the
world’s most threatened ecosystems
The Champions have partnered with the
International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), a network including 45 countries
who represent over 75% of the world’s coral reefs, plus the Global Fund for
Coral Reefs (GFCR), to launch the Coral Reef Breakthrough.
The Coral Reef Breakthrough aims to secure the
future of at least 125,000 km2 of shallow-water tropical coral reefs with
investments of at least US$12 billion. Around 500 million people, including
vulnerable coastal communities, earn their livelihoods from the fishing
stocks and tourism opportunities that coral reefs provide. Reefs also buffer
shorelines from the effects of increasing hurricanes in regions ranging from
the United States and the Caribbean to the Philippines.
The Breakthrough is geared to boosting the
resilience of coastal communities by restoring coral reefs; supporting more
than half a billion people globally by 2030, while accelerating broad-based
climate action.
Key Coral Reef Breakthrough actions include:
1.. Stopping drivers of loss: Mitigating
local drivers of loss including land-based sources of pollution, destructive
coastal development, and overfishing.
2.. Doubling the area of coral reefs under
effective protection: Bolstering resilience-based coral reef conservation
efforts by aligning with and transcending global coastal protection targets
including ‘30by30.’
3.. Accelerating Restoration: Assisting the
development and implementation of innovative solutions at scale and climate
smart designs that support coral adaptation to impact 30% of degraded reefs
by 2030.
4.. Securing investments of at least USD 12
billion by 2030: from public and private sources to conserve and restore
these crucial ecosystems.
Commenting on the Breakthrough, H.E Ms. Al
Mubarak said:
“Coral reefs are more than just beautiful;
they are our lifelines. They are essential to the security and resilience of
many nations, especially those in low-lying island states. These are nations
staring down the barrel of climate change. The Coral Reef Breakthrough is an
initiative for the world, for the hundreds of millions who depend on these
coastal communities.”
COP 28 Presidency Amplifies Voice of
Indigenous Peoples at COP 28
H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak and Hindou Oumarou
Ibrahim, Coordinator of the Association of Indigenous Women and Peoples of
Chad (AFPAT), and Co-Chair, the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on
Climate Change (IIPFCC).
H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak has announced a series of
measures to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples and the
visibility of Indigenous People-led solutions at the crucial COP 28 climate
summit.
The range of measures has been designed to
ensure that Indigenous Peoples play an active role at the climate summit,
including:
● Financial support for Indigenous elders,
including those from each of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
socio-cultural regions, will receive support to attend COP 28.
● Subsidized accommodations for Indigenous
Peoples during COP 28.
● Interpretation services for the 10th
Meeting of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP)
Facilitative Working Group to attend COP 28.
Among the announced initiatives was a Global
Data Study on Indigenous Peoples. It will seek to understand opportunities
in investing in Indigenous Peoples’ funds and organizations. The study has
the potential to address a key challenge faced by Indigenous peoples
organizations: limited direct access to finance.
Speaking at an event co-hosted by the COP28
Presidency and the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change,
H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak highlighted that even though Indigenous Peoples are
observers of the UNFCCC “... their valuable perspectives remain
underrepresented in multilateral climate processes, and they receive a very
small share of the international funding for climate action.”
H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak added:
“This is far more than a moral imperative. We
simply won’t be able to solve the climate crisis without authentically
incorporating the leadership of Indigenous Peoples and other traditionally
underrepresented groups such as women and youth.”
Spanning 90 countries, there are an estimated
476 million Indigenous Peoples, primarily residing in Asia, who offer a
wealth of ecological and traditional knowledge, particularly within
Indigenous Peoples' forestlands where deforestation rates are significantly
lower compared to other regions. Indigenous Peoples' long-recognized
practices play a crucial role in addressing climate and biodiversity
challenges.
Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, the Coordinator of the
Association of Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT), and the
Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change
(IIPFCC), said:
“The initiatives represent progress towards
the inclusion and recognition of the rights and knowledge of indigenous
communities, especially for COP 28. Indigenous peoples can bring concrete
solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation, and their voice needs to be
heard. I hope that COP 28 will lead to concrete results for climate action
and support to those who are on the front line of climate change.”
Climate Week NYC 2023: Mobilising action on
adaptation, decarbonisation, nature and climate finance
Dr. Mohieldin (centre) speaking at the SDG
Action Weekend.
Climate Week New York recently united business
leaders, political change makers and civil society representatives -
showcasing progress and calling for stronger climate commitments to place
the planet on a science-based 1.5 C, resilient path.
The Champions’ programme covered a range of
critical themes - from decarbonisation to adaptation, from resilience to
loss and damage, as well as the urgent need to accelerate climate and nature
finance and the central role of nature, youth and indigenous peoples in
tackling climate change.
Key highlights of the week included:
● The High-Level Champions presented a
finance blueprint to narrow the climate & nature funding gap in Emerging
Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs). Two important papers provided key
recommendations to help to secure the USD 1 trillion in annual finance that
developing countries need by 2030 to take effective climate action and
restore nature, as shown in the Sharm-El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda (SAA), and
the 2030 Breakthroughs.
● The UN Secretary-General’s Climate
Ambition Summit showcased “first movers and doers” responding to the call
for accelerated climate action. The entirety of the business, finance, city
and subnational government trailblazers that spoke at the event are members
of Race to Zero partner initiatives.
● H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak participated in the
SDG 2023 Summit: ‘Challenges & Progress of Environmental Philanthropy for
Achievement of the SDGs.’ She raised the potential for philanthropic
organisations to leverage resources strategically; collaborate and form
alliances, and invest in solutions and change makers - in areas ranging from
biodiversity conservation to sustainable agriculture.
● During the UN’s Sustainable Development
Goals Action Weekend, Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin convened a side event on the
outcomes of the Regional Platforms for Climate Projects which mobilises
funds for climate projects
● Dr. Mohieldin also spoke at an event on
mobilising private climate finance in emerging markets and developing
countries, where he explained his vision for an impactful climate finance
marketplace.
● Delhi became the 84th city to join the
Race to Resilience (details below)
● Following April’s UN Permanent Forum on
Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), H.E. Al Mubarak met with forum members to
discuss the progress on meaningful inclusion and engagement of Indigenous
values and knowledge systems at COP 28.
(From left to right: Minister Sonia Guajajara,
H.E. Razan Al Mubarak, Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim during the UNPFII dialogue)
● Dr. Mohieldin addressed the Net Zero
Banking Alliance (NZBA), as well as GFANZ and UNEP FI representatives at an
event where he envisioned the role for banks in transitioning towards green
economies by investing in climate projects.
Dr. Mohieldin addresses members of the NZBA in
New York during Climate Week.
● H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak spoke at an event
titled ‘The Future of COPs’ attended by the President and Youth Climate
Champion for COP 28. At the event, H.E. Ms Al Mubarak raised her vision for
action, inclusivity and opportunity at the upcoming COP, including engaging
the private sector to protect nature and biodiversity.
● Major developments were announced for
the Mangrove Breakthrough with support from the UAE and Salesforce (details
below)
● Dr Mohieldin chaired a session on
‘Transformative L&D Financing Facility for V20 Small Island Developing
States (SIDS)’. Mohieldin called for fair and efficient financial support
for SIDS to enable them to adapt to climate change and deal with the losses
and damages resulting from it.
● H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak opened the World
Biodiversity Summit, highlighting that biodiversity loss is already costing
the global economy 10% of its output each year, and nature-based Solutions
currently only receive 8% of public climate finance and 17% of private
finance.
● At the ‘Sustainable Ocean Economy’ High
Level Event H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak urged all coastal countries to present
ocean-related goals for COP 28, including accelerating the implementation of
the Ocean Breakthrough goals.
During the official opening ceremony organized
by the Climate Group, H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak, highlighted the significance of
COP 28 in Dubai - in the context of the first Global Stocktake of the Paris
Agreement:
“Although we are far off target, we know of
solutions that will rapidly help close the gaps. With partnership and
science we have identified the key levers of change, and nature will play a
central role given it also supports the most vulnerable of populations.”
For more news from Climate Week NYC, please
click here.
Inspiring ‘fence sitters’ to become climate
leaders
Guest Q&A - Feike Sijbesma, Honorary Chairman
(former CEO) of DSM; Co-chair, CEO-Climate-Alliance, and Climate Champions
Global Ambassador
At Climate Week, the UN Secretary-General's
Climate Ambition Summit provided a platform for the "first movers and doers"
that are responding to the call for accelerated climate action.
To understand how to shape a transformation
mindset, we spoke with Climate Champions Global Ambassador, Feike Sijbesma.
Feike led the metamorphosis of Royal DSM from a bulk-chemical company into a
purpose driven science-based company, focused on nutrition, health and
sustainable living. He also co-chairs the Global Center on Climate
Adaptation (GCA).
What’s the current state of play of corporate
climate action?
“Climate change is one of the major challenges
faced by mankind - and as the engines of our economies, companies have a
vital role to play in driving the transition to a net zero, nature positive
world. Increasingly, I’m seeing that companies are stepping up to this
responsibility, shown through the increased commitments to curb emissions to
net zero by 2050, plus to halve emissions by 2030.
There’s much work to be done to strengthen
existing targets. But, overall, corporate disclosure is rising, with both
mandatory and voluntary standards, such as TCFD and ISSB, respectively,
increasing accountability.”
What approaches are companies taking to reduce
their impact on the planet?
“Collaboration between companies is opening up
numerous innovative ways to decarbonise global value chains.
For example, the CEO Climate Leaders Alliance
is a group of 125 major global companies which, through stimulating and
inspiring each other, SBTi linked target-setting and knowledge-sharing are
uncovering myriad new ways of turning their climate promises into reality.
Of course companies reduce their own emissions
by cleaner processes, but also look for greener alternative energy sources
for their operations. On top: energy savings are important as well.
Next to this, circularity is a massive area of
opportunity. It’s an approach to (re-)designing, producing, and consuming
goods to minimise waste, maximise reuse and recycling - therefore reducing
the strain on resources. In essence, it’s good for business and the planet.
Companies can only make their businesses more
circular through collaboration with other companies in their value chain.
For example, sometimes a company must redesign the way that raw materials
enter the beginning of the value chain to be able to increase recycling at
the other end. So, companies need to work transparently with their
suppliers, as well as with fellow industry players, to develop new
technologies, and approaches. Of course, companies need to be careful to
avoid infringing on anti-trust laws, but in most cases new approaches are
implemented in tandem with legal teams, so this is not a risk.
It is important that companies also anchor
sustainability and reducing emissions in their businesses: that would make
sustainability more sustainable.”
Have you got any examples of these business
models in action?
“The company I led in the past, DSM, has many
examples of this. One is Bovaer, or ‘Clean Cow’ in the past - a new feed
supplement that safely suppresses the enzyme that combines hydrogen and
carbon to produce methane, to significantly reduce the environmental
footprint of cows, one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.
DSM is collaborating on this across the value
chain to introduce this. For example, DSM is working with food producers,
such as dairy companies, to encourage its adoption in farms around the world
to reduce their emissions.”
How can we expand the ‘first movers and doers’
in the climate space?
“Leadership is an important topic. As with any
development in the world - whether in business or government, there is
always a relatively small group of leaders. And there’s a group of laggards.
And there’s a large group of people who sit still a bit on the fence in
between.
The major conferences, like New York Climate
Week, and COP and Davos, are important moments for business and governments
to come together to shape the conditions for new leaders to step up. It’s
vital that the leaders of today stay focused on bringing the larger group of
‘not so fast movers, or a bit of fence sitters’ with them by sharing results
with industry peers. There are many actions companies can take. For example,
new governance systems can be embedded into boards, such as aligning
financial and remuneration targets with climate action. Most important:
anchor it in your business and don’t see it as CSR, only.
In this way, the fence sitters come to
understand that embedding sustainability is not a cost or an ‘add-on’, but
it’s actually a genuine route to future proofing a company. Once potential
leaders have witnessed the evidence, then it’s a question of encouraging
them to take the first step towards climate leadership.”
How can leaders foster a culture of
transformation?
“To make organisations more sustainable, the
leaders need to set the direction, shape the vision and steer action.
Leaders must ensure that internally the vision is well understood and
connected across the business, so that people understand their role. It’s
essential for leaders to take their people with them on the journey.
Leaders should also ensure that sustainability
is anchored at the heart of the business. It should not only exist at the
extreme ends of the company. Sustainability shouldn’t just exist in the
annual sustainability report, on the edges, or for the top of the
organisation for the CEO to present on stage. It should be anchored at the
core, anchored with core competencies of companies.
Sustainability should also be central to the
way that companies make money. Leaders should integrate financial economic
success with doing good for the world. By doing so, companies futureproof
themselves. So, leaders need to align the vision with the organisation,
explain it, and bring the whole organisation alone. It takes a lot of
effort, but once it is set it is long lasting. In other words: doing well
(financially/economically) by doing good (for the world).”
How would you summarise the climate challenge
ahead?
“Climate is a huge challenge for mankind - it
will influence people today and generations to come. We all have a
responsibility - as governments, as companies, as civil society to step up.
I am confident with the rate of advancement of innovation, coupled with a
collaborative mindset, we can curtail and adapt to climate change.
It’s vital that we go in this direction
together. The argument for inaction usually comes from a place of
uncertainty about whether the transition will cost money and jobs,
especially for poor or even middle income people. But by the same token,
many regions, such as Africa and South Asia, are already facing the effects
of climate change, and can’t provide their own food supply anymore - and so,
there is a major impetus to accelerate action in emerging and developing
economies.
Overall, it’s clear that the burden of climate
change should be distributed amongst the strongest shoulders - otherwise we
will only face resistance. So we need a fair and inclusive approach, also
regarding the bill of all of this. Lastly, shareholders need to also take
responsibility, by stimulating change in the companies that they have
invested in.
If we can work together with different
stakeholders, across industries to meet different interests then I’m sure we
can succeed. We have no choice, since: No one can be successful in a world
that fails.”
The full article and a video of Feike Sijbesma
can be found here.
Responding to the Breakthrough Ambition Report
2023
The events at Climate Week NYC also provided a
key opportunity for stakeholders to respond to the recently launched
Breakthrough Agenda report, which calls for strong and targeted
international collaboration in high emissions sectors, such as power,
transport, industry, buildings and agriculture, to deliver faster, smoother
and cheaper transitions for all.
The latest report’s recommendations span
financial assistance, research and development, demand-creation,
infrastructure, standards and trade, to accelerate the transition in key
hard-to-abate sectors. Coordinated action in each of the sectors will help
to mobilise investment, and create the economies of scale required to bring
down the price of crucial technologies and sustainable agriculture
solutions.
Key highlights in the 2023 report included:
● Membership of the Breakthrough Agenda
increased to 48 countries, now totalling over 80% of global GDP.
● Two new sectors – Buildings and Cement
were added in 2023, taking the footprint to over 60% of global emissions.
(Breakthroughs for these sectors are planned to be launched at COP 28).
● Notable progress in international
cooperation across sectors was found in research and innovation, where
countries have committed USD 94 billion to clean energy demonstration
projects.
However, only modest progress has been made in
strengthening international collaboration in the last year, for example in
expanding financial assistance to developing countries, and in joint
research and development initiatives. However, much more progress is needed
in ‘harder’ areas, such as aligning standards and policies to create demand
for clean technologies, and to establish crucial dialogue on trade in
sectors.
The report launch event can be watched back
here.
Race to Zero latest developments:
● Race to Zero membership has almost
doubled from 7,760 to 12,566 over the past 18 months and continues to grow,
against a challenging landscape.
● At Climate Week NYC, Race to Zero and
Oxford Net Zero ran the ‘Road to Regulation’ event, where 30+ attendees
shared insights on the benefits of using the Global Stocktake this year to
translate ambitious voluntary action into net zero-aligned policy and
regulation.
● Read the UN Climate Change High-Level
Champions’ perspective on how we need to help turn net zero promises into
policy.
● Race to Zero partner, Pledge to Net Zero
hit a major milestone, as it announced that its members from across the
global environmental industry have collectively cut their emissions by
around 600,000 tonnes across Scopes 1 – 3, against their baselines.
● Not-for-profit organisation for senior
business leaders and Race to Zero partner, Business Declares hosted a ‘Queue
for Climate & Nature’ for UK professionals. Learn more about the campaign
here.
● At Solutions House during New York
Climate Week, Race to Zero Accelerator Environmental Defense Fund’s +
Business team launched the Net Zero Action Accelerator (NZAA), a new climate
action hub to help businesses fast track climate progress, reach their
sustainability goals and galvanise leadership across supply chains. Learn
more about the NZAA here.
● At the ‘Impact of the Health Sector on
Climate Change: Carbon Footprint in Health Centres Meeting’ that took place
within the agenda of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European
Union, Race to Zero Accelerator Comunidad Sanidad #PorElClima, an initiative
of Por El Clima, presented the results from the calculation of the carbon
footprint of Spanish health centres. Por El Clima is collaborating with the
Ministry of Health to develop the first Carbon Footprint Reduction Plan in
the Spanish healthcare sector.
● The COP 28 UAE Presidency and SME
Climate Hub launched the COP 28 & SME Climate Hub for MENA. The major
initiative will provide small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in MENA
with access to the Race to Zero campaign, and free tools and resources to
implement emissions reductions strategies across their business and report
on progress annually. The SME Climate Hub platform, available globally in
English and Spanish, has now been translated to Arabic for accessibility and
is a first of its kind in the MENA region.
Race to Resilience latest developments:
Delhi joins Race to Resilience, vows to
achieve 25% green coverage
India’s capital city has joined the Race to
Resilience, unveiling a set of commitments at Climate Week NYC to both
bolster climate resilience and promote sustainable development.
As part of the campaign, the Delhi government
has also committed to increase the city’s green space and tree planting,
aiming to boost the city’s green cover from 23% to 25% over the next five
years.
Delhi is now one of India’s hottest cities and
it is particularly vulnerable to heat waves due to its large population and
a significant concentration of lower-income groups. The tree planting
commitment is one of a range of sustainable cooling and heat resilience
strategies. Other commitments announced by Delhi include investments in
circular economy practices to reduce and repurpose waste, as well as
renewable projects, such as meeting 10% of Delhi’s annual energy demand
through rooftop solar plants.
H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak, praised Delhi’s ambitions
and pragmatic approach, highlighting their use of clean energy through
residential rooftop solar plants and advancements in local air pollution
monitoring technology.
Dr Mohieldin also commended Delhi for joining
the campaign and aligning with the Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda,
emphasising that Delhi’s actions exemplify holistic, inclusive, and
affordable climate solutions for investors and the community.
H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak, said:
“Communities must build resilience to climate
change, and Delhi’s ambitions are exemplary. We can learn from the
pragmatic, realistic and just solutions-oriented approach that the City of
Delhi is providing. For example, boosting clean energy using rooftop solar
plants in residential areas, or advancing the technology used for monitoring
local air pollution. I look forward to supporting these plans and offering a
blueprint for other cities in India, Asia, and further across the world.
Further information is available here.
Salesforce announces support for Mangrove
Breakthrough
During Climate Week NYC, Race to Zero member,
Salesforce, in partnership with the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI),
announced its support for the Mangrove Breakthrough as part of a USD 8.3
million grant towards climate justice and nature-based solutions.
Part of the Marrakech Partnership Adaptation
and Resilience Breakthroughs, the Breakthrough initiative aims to conserve
and restore 15 million hectares of mangrove ecosystems globally by 2030.
With coastal communities already facing the impacts of a changing climate,
there is an urgent need to invest in mangroves as effective nature-based
solutions.
The support for the Mangrove Breakthrough is a
keystone in Salesforce’s climate finance strategy. While still early in its
journey, Salesforce’s climate finance strategy also includes a mix of
climate finance instruments, including commitments to invest USD 100 million
in Carbon Dioxide Removal, purchase 280,000 MWh in renewable energy
certificates from small, distributed energy projects, and a USD 100 million
Ecosystem Restoration & Climate Justice Fund.
Natalia Alekseeva, Coordinator of the UN
Decade on Ecosystem Restoration at UNEP, said:
“Salesforce is the first private sector entity
announcing their support to the UN World Restoration Flagships – the most
ambitious initiatives connecting people and nature. We welcome this
commitment and urge more companies to step up in our race to restore Earth.”
Launch of the Global Climate Action Awards
The UN Global Climate Action Awards,
spearheaded by UN Climate Change since 2011, aim to recognize the world’s
most innovative efforts to tackle climate change and to inspire global
action among non-party stakeholders.
This year, the Awards seek to highlight the
climate action that young people around the world are undertaking to ensure
their communities are more sustainable, resilient, and equitable places to
live. Two youth award categories were announced at the launch of the 2023 UN
Global Climate Action Awards on 18 September in Bonn:
1. Youth leading the energy
transition: Recognizing the efforts of youth (under 35 years of age) in
driving renewable energy and/or energy efficiency activities that are
locally led and/or community focused.
2. Youth supporting nature and
ecosystems-based climate action: Recognizing innovative work by an
individual or group of young people in indigenous and/or local communities
to restore, maintain, or enhance nature’s resilience or its contributions to
people, through nature-based solutions and/or ecosystem-based approaches.
Nominations for the 2023 Award will be
accepted until midnight 15 October 2023 (CEST) through here. The winners
will be celebrated at COP28. Further information on award categories and
benefits are available here.
The 2023 Awards are implemented in partnership
with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Permanent Representative of
the United Arab Emirates to IRENA.
Keeping up with the Champions
● Dr. Mohieldin participates in a pre G20
Summit press briefing on developing MDB’s and IFI’s Performance for
Financing Development and Climate Action
The event, entitled “G20 SUMMIT: How to fix
the world's broken financial system and fund a fairer future” was organized
by ONE Campaign, and also attended by representatives from the Gates
Foundation, Costa Rica, and ONE Campaign.
● H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak joins Food Day Event
at the UN General Assembly (UNGA)
At the event, attended by the Rockefeller
Foundation, WWF and the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, H.E. Ms. Al
Mubarak announced that the Champions are producing a Food Systems Call to
Action for Non-Party Actors, to go alongside the state-level Declaration on
Resilient Food Systems, Sustainable Agriculture & Climate Action.
● Dr. Mohieldin highlights concerns that
EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) fails to account for climate
and development action in developing countries
Speaking at an event entitled ‘Implications of
CBAM on Egypt’ Mohieldin highlighted the impact of this tax on the activity
of companies operating in hard-to-abate sectors such as fertilizers, cement,
iron, steel and hydrogen, and thus on the economies of developing countries
as a whole.
● Dr Mohieldin shares vision for Africa
with GFANZ Network
The GFANZ Africa Network held its Advisory
Board meeting on the sidelines of the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi,
where the GFANZ Africa Network also announced a partnership with the Africa
Development Bank. Here, Mohieldin shared an update on what’s next for the
Network and the role the continent plays on the road to net zero.
● Dr. Mohieldin attends meeting at the
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva
Mohieldin highlighted that enjoying a clean
and healthy environment is integral to human rights, as it helps to maintain
the right to life, health, water, food, housing and a decent standard of
living.
● Mohieldin participated in an event to
discuss the role of advanced technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in
addressing climate change
In his remarks at the event, entitled
"Harnessing the potential of AI for urban climate action" organized by The
New School, Google.org, the Centre for Public Impact and the World Resource
Institute, Mohieldin said AI can play a key role in reducing carbon
emissions if included in de-carbonization efforts.
https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/508878.aspx
In case you missed it
● At its High-level Pledging Conference on
5 October, twenty-five countries pledged support to the Green Climate Fund
(GCF) with USD 9.3 billion over the next four years (2024-2027). The
conference brought together government ministers and top climate experts to
drive the Fund’s second replenishment cycle or GCF-2. More information is
available here.
● The UNFCCC secretariat, under the
guidance of the chairs of the subsidiary bodies, published a synthesis
report on 4 October on the submissions on views on the elements for the
consideration of outputs (or ‘political’) component of the first global
stocktake. Parties and non-Party stakeholders were invited to submit their
views to serve as input to the Intersessional October Workshop. The report
is available here.
● The High-Level Champions’ submission on
the above highlighted, among others, the Breakthrough Agenda and 2030
Breakthroughs for providing an overarching vision and framework for
continually strengthening collective action across sectors, to support
Parties to make transitions faster, less difficult, and lower cost. The HLCs
also emphasized their mobilization of NPS around specific adaptation and
resilience outcome targets through the Race to Resilience and Sharm
el-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda. They also referred to their efforts of
advancing a global pipeline of implementable, financeable and investable
projects for emerging markets and developing economies, covering all areas
of adaptation, resilience and mitigation.
● A new report released on 22 September
summarizes the challenges and opportunities identified during the first
global dialogue under the Sharm el-Sheikh mitigation ambition and
implementation work programme, with a focus on “accelerating the just energy
transition”. The dialogue took place in conjunction with SB 58 in June and
brought together Parties and non-Party stakeholders to discuss best
practices, challenges and opportunities. The report by the co-chairs of the
work programme is accessible here.
Mark Your Calendar
a.. Middle East and North Africa Climate
Week (MENACW 2023): Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), 8-12 October
b.. 8th World Investment Forum 2023: Abu
Dhabi (UAE),16-20 October
c.. Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week
(LACCW 2023): Panama City (Panama), 23-27 October
d.. Asia-Pacific Climate Week (APCW 2023):
Johor (Malaysia), 13-17 November
e.. Net Zero Festival: London (UK), 31
October - 1 November
f.. COP 28: Dubai (UAE), 30 November - 12
December
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From: Global Climate Action
Sent: Tuesday, October 10, 2023 6:13 PM
Subject: Vladimir, here is the latest news
from the High-Level Champions!
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