*[Enwl-eng] Here is the latest news from the High-Level Champions!
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Mon Sep 18 19:29:12 MSK 2023
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UN Global Climate Action
18 September 2023
High-Level Champions'
Newsletter
“We can. We will”- New York Climate Week Gets
Underway
New York Climate Week (NYCW) theme “We can. We
will” reflects the focus on showcasing existing world-leading climate
projects - and vital discussions of how to practically scale more action,
faster.
The annual event hosted by the Climate Group
and New York City, in conjunction with the UN General Assembly (UNGA) opens
this Sunday 17 September, with some 400 sessions taking place across the
city.
The UN Climate Change High-Level Champions
will participate in and convene various events, aiming to engage a number of
stakeholders to enhance climate action in alignment with goals of the Paris
Agreement and the Global Biodiversity Framework.
During the opening ceremony, Her Excellency
Razan Al Mubarak will highlight the importance of protecting nature for
achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement - unless we halt the erosion of
nature we will destroy one of our main climate action levers. She will also
raise the opportunities under nature, for example, it’s estimated that
ocean-based mitigation options can reduce the ‘emissions gap’ (the
difference between emissions expected if current trends and policies
continue and emissions consistent with limiting global temperature increase)
by up to 21% on a 1.5°C pathway, by 2050.
H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak will also stress the role
of the Global Stocktake as a critical tool for identifying the gaps and
solutions pathways to 2030 and beyond to engage all stakeholders in a just
transition to a 1.5C, resilient and inclusive world.
On the next day, Dr. Mohieldin will tackle the
issue of financing climate justice for a sustainable and resilient future
alongside Asif Saleh, CEO, Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee
(BRAC) and Dominique Hyde, Director at UNHCR at the Hub Live hosted by
Climate Group, New York Climate Week Official Host. Dr. Mohieldin will
mainly shed light on the hurdles to the flow of finance to the landmark Loss
& Damage Fund, announced last year at COP27, and climate justice more
broadly. Being concerned with both quality and quantity, he will also
explain the need of developing countries for more concessional finance to
avoid future debt challenges. The opening remarks of the session will be
delivered by the Scottish First Minister, Hamza Yusuf, given his government’s
financial pledge at COP27 and notable commitment to the issue of loss and
damage.
The key focus areas of the High-Level
Champions at this year’s NYWCW are:
● The release of the second annual
Breakthrough Agenda Report, in partnership with IRENA, IEA and the
Breakthrough Agenda, at a High-level virtual media roundtable, where Dr.
Mohieldin gave opening remarks alongside Fatih Birol and Francesco La Camera
at the outset of the event on the 14 September.
● The High-Level Champions will join forces
with the UN Regional Economic Commissions, and the COP 27 and COP 28
Presidencies to host an event on ‘Regional Platforms for Climate Projects:
Building an Impactful Climate Finance Marketplace’ on 17 September at the UN
HQ. The event will demonstrate SDG 17 (Partnerships for Sustainable
Development) in action, heightening the visibility of projects for public
and private investors, as well as developers of projects on climate
mitigation, adaptation, and resilience, which cut across SDGs 6, 7, 11, 13
and 14. Dr. Mohieldin will give scene-setting remarks followed by
discussions around climate finance mobilisation and project acceleration in
practice.
● Evidence of the significant progress made
against the Sharm-El Sheikh Adaptation Agenda (SAA) adaptation outcomes,
especially Health, Finance and Loss and Damage, will be discussed at the
event ‘Adaptation and Resilience Action: Showcasing Progress and Catalyzing
Pace and Scale.’
● Showcasing progress on nature initiatives,
including transforming food systems and leveraging private finance to build
resilience and drive a net zero and nature positive future. For example, on
the 18 September, at the event ‘Unlocking the Catalytic Potential of Private
Finance to Accelerate Delivery of a Net Zero and Nature-Positive Future’, a
new Champions-led paper will be launched on the Nature-Climate Nexus -
helping to catalyze private capital for nature-based solutions (NbS).
● Driving the ambition loop through stronger
net zero policy and regulation. On 19 September, the event ‘Driving the Road
to Regulation’ will discuss the role for non-Party stakeholders to clear and
fair ground rules for a just and resilient net zero economy, which would
turbocharge voluntary action and halve emissions by 2030.
● Harnessing the knowledge of Indigenous
Peoples for the implementation of climate action. H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak and
H.E. Shamma Al Mazrui, the COP28 Youth Climate Champion will address an
event on 22 September on Indigenous Peoples’ (IP)’s inclusion and
engagement, reporting back on IP related progress towards a more sustainable
and healthier future, with a view to building momentum to COP 28 and beyond.
At the NYCW, the High-Level Champions will
also focus on galvanizing leadership on climate finance, technology transfer
and capacity building.
Keep fully up to date with the Champions’
involvement at Climate Week NYC here.
Africa Shows the Way - Africa Climate Summit
and Africa Climate Week Highlights
Africa Climate Summit and Africa Climate Week
in Nairobi at the beginning of September have supported the channelling
billions of dollars of new finance towards a net zero, nature positive
transformation, that would meet the socio-economic needs of Africans, while
addressing energy poverty and driving development.
Bringing together more than 10,000
participants, ranging from governments, cities and subnational regions, the
private sector, and civil society from across the continent and the world,
the two events highlighted the challenges, barriers, solutions and
opportunities for climate action and support within the context of Africa,
showcasing how Africa is not just a continent facing climate impacts but
also can lead the world in climate solutions, and serving as a critical
source of key regional messages and recommendations to inform the Global
Stocktake, which will conclude at COP 28.
The Nairobi Declaration, a blueprint for
Africa’s green energy transition
The Summit culminated in the adoption of the
African Leaders Nairobi Declaration on Climate Change and Call to Action by
19 Heads of State, a unanimous agreement to raise billions of dollars for
green growth, mitigation and adaptation to address Africa’s climate
challenges. The Declaration laid down a goal to raise Africa’s renewable
generation capacity to 300GW clean energy by 2030, up from 56GW in 2022.
According to President William Ruto of Kenya,
"Africa’s abundance of wind and solar energy can power our development,
creating jobs, protecting local economies, and accelerating the sustainable
industrialization of the continent. But for us to lead the way toward a
sustainable and prosperous future for our continent and the world, finance
and technology must be provided to our developing countries
Call for a global tax on fossil fuels
The Nairobi Declaration also proposes the
establishment of a global carbon taxation system to increase climate finance
and incentivise industrialised countries to accelerate their
decarbonisation. The Declaration sets out the expectation for the world’s
richest countries and biggest emitters to keep their pledge of USD100
billion in annual climate finance for developing nations, stating: “No
country should ever have to choose between development aspirations and
climate action”.
Other highlights included:
● The United Arab Emirates (UAE) committed to
buying USD450 million of carbon credits from the Africa Carbon Markets
Initiative (ACMI) at the Carbon Markets for Global South event. Instigated
by the Champions’ first regional finance event at COP27 in Egypt, ACMI seeks
to unlock voluntary carbon markets to finance Africa’s energy, climate and
development goals. Speaking at the event, Mohieldin welcomed the investment,
adding that we now need to work on “cross border adjustment mechanisms so
exporters of carbon markets like Africa ensure the integrity of their
offerings”.
● H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak announced that USD100
million has been secured to accelerate the implementation of The Great Blue
Wall Initiative, a Western Indian Ocean (WIO)-born, African-driven roadmap
to achieve a nature-positive world by 2030. Contributions from the Canadian
Government, WWF, Wetlands International, Ocean Hub Africa and Pew, were
confirmed at the ‘Advancing Africa’s Blue Economy’ Presidential event.
● Following a 60-million Euro debt conversion
deal between Germany and Kenya to free up renewable energy and sustainable
agriculture investment, the Champions convened a broader dialogue on the
need for credit enhancement led by the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs)
to scale these instruments more broadly.
● At a ministerial meeting on ‘Scaling High
Impact Climate Finance for Africa’, Bogolo Kenewendo, High-Level Champions’
Special Advisor and Africa Director, highlighted the wide range of bankable,
climate-focused investment opportunities in Africa, as shown by the UN
Compendium. Mohieldin, Kenewendo, and Reuben Wambui (Climate Finance Expert
at the Net-Zero Africa Initiative) outlined ‘Five bold reforms to Close
Africa’s Climate-Finance Gap’, in Project Syndicate.
● Speaking at a Green Climate Fund (GCF) event
on ‘Climate Initiatives to Finance Climate Action and the SDGs’ Mohieldin
highlighted that Africa needs more equity investments and concessional
financing to boost climate resilience for vulnerable communities.The
replenishment of the GCF is one of the means ensuring that financing coupled
with real-economy impact reaches people at the forefront of the climate
challenge.
● Mohieldin participated in a session on
“Unlocking Climate Finance Flows to African Projects” within the activities
of Africa Climate Summit where he highlighted that financing for African
climate projects need to account for the debt crises shackling many
countries, and the continent’s climate targets, mainly the adaptation
activities.
● Mohieldin also took part in the High-Level
Dialogue on the Global Stocktake: Enhancing climate action and support for
Africa, emphasizing how non-Party stakeholders are ready and willing to
support national governments with opportunities to achieve our collective
goals. He also highlighted the importance of the Global Stocktake becoming a
living manual of forward-looking actions that is accessible and
understandable for all.
● During the Investment in Nature and
Biodiversity ministerial, Ms. Kenewendo urged the scaling of finance in
nature for Africa and increasing domestic private capital to accelerate
Africa’s green transformation. The launch of the Pan African Fund Managers
Association aims to support this as a mechanism to help African pension
funds share ideas and skills, as well as facilitate co-investment
opportunities.
● During ‘The Just Energy Transition
Collaboration (JET-Co) Dialogue for Africa event’ Mohieldin called for the
mainstreaming of JET-Cos to contribute to economy-wide transformations,
including hard-to-abate sectors and food systems.
“No one would argue that an energy transition
needs to be just. Yet we’ve seen with the Jet-P initiatives how complicated
the implementation can be. We need frameworks that are not just conceptual
but practical too. The cost of introducing new energy infrastructure is huge
so public- private finance partnerships are critical. Similarly, local
communities need to be consulted on how these projects are developed and
implemented to ensure they’re in line with their local priorities and
realities on the ground.”
● As the official initial session of the Track
2 (‘Cities, Urban and Rural Settlements, Infrastructure and Transport’)
programme, the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities (LGMA)
Constituency, alongside the Covenant of Mayors for sub-Saharan Africa (CoM
SSA) and Cities Race to Resilience convened an event on ‘Unlocking Finance
for city-scale transformation through Multi-level Governance.’ The session
included opening remarks from co-hosts, the COP 28 Presidency, Bloomberg
Philanthropies and the High-Level Champions - represented by Dr. Mohieldin.
Mohieldin announced that:
"The first integrated municipal financial
framework for the local level, using two pilot cities in Egypt and
Mozambique, will be launched at COP28" (see below).
The session included a valuable interactive
segment, where Mayors, Ministers and Development Finance Institution
representatives shared tangible examples of how and where multi-level
governance and collaboration has directly supported the unlocking of finance
within specific sectors. The outcome from the session was a strong call that
multilevel action & urbanisation must be key at COP28, and the 'new normal'
going forward, recognising the important role for subnational governments to
translate national commitments into practice.
● Introducing the African NbS Implementation
Dialogue workshop H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak said:
“Nature-based projects hold the key to
unlocking the ambitious climate action required in this critical decade of
delivery. The collective experiences of governments and non-government
entities will shape our understanding of the opportunities and obstacles we
face in accelerating the vital projects”.
● Importantly, both High-Level Champions met
with Marrakech Partnership stakeholders to exchange their reflections on the
Africa Climate Week and how capturing real examples of implementation and
concrete solutions is crucial to bring regional perspective to the Global
Stocktake going towards COP 28.
Global Stocktake technical report calls for
all-of-society approach
A technical report on the Global Stocktake
(GST) report recently published by the two co-facilitators of the GST
technical dialogue provided the most comprehensive assessment of global
climate action to date.
Based on the inputs received throughout the
GST technical assessment process in 2022 and 2023, the report highlighted
the progress made but also underscored a looming gap between promises and
action towards limiting global warming to 1.5°C and the phase out of any
unabated coal power needs to be accelerated in this decade to course correct
on climate. The report coincided with the recent shocking news that June to
August 2023 was the planet’s warmest summer since records began in 1940.
With 17 key technical findings, the report
showed that to curtail further warming and strengthen the global response to
the threat of climate change in the context of sustainable development and
efforts to eradicate poverty, the gap between intention and action must be
urgently closed. This can be achieved, for example, through systems
transformations and whole-of-society approaches with accelerated
implementation efforts by and collaboration between national and
sub-national governments, businesses, investors, youth, indigenous peoples,
workers and civil society across all areas of climate action, including
finance, adaptation and resilience, emissions reductions and nature
regeneration.
An unprecedented surge of businesses,
investors, cities, regions and civil society demonstrating robust,
science-based commitments, is helping to shift entire sectors, redirecting
capital, disseminating new technologies, and driving innovation. These
include the Marrakech Partnership Climate Action Pathways, 2030
Breakthroughs, Breakthrough Agenda, and Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda,
as well as Race to Resilience and Race to Zero campaigns.
Ms. Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level
Champion for the UAE’s COP28, said:
“The global stocktake shows us that
businesses, investors, cities and regions can provide the groundswell of
action needed to halve emissions, build resilience and end nature loss by
2030, if they collaborate to implement commitments. A more resilient,
nature-positive, net-zero emissions economy will enhance health, security,
jobs, equality and wider sustainable development for all.”
Further information on the GST report,
including responses from Dr Mohieldin, plus the Global Covenant of Mayors
for Climate & Energy and the We Mean Business Coalition can be found here.
The Road to Regulation: Turning climate
policies into reality
On Tuesday, 19 September, an important
roundtable will take place at New York Climate Week, ‘The Road to Regulation’,
focusing on the role of non-Party stakeholders to align and collaborate to
encourage a supportive policy and regulatory environment.
Through the lens of the GST technical
synthesis report the problem is abundantly clear - voluntary commitments are
still not translating into the scale of real emissions reductions we need.
According to the IPCC, reaching net zero by 2050 requires halving emissions
by 2030. That requires commitments to be implemented and ramped up –
quickly.
The ground is therefore ripe for net zero
rules, regulations and incentives. The recent groundswell of voluntary
commitments has built common norms, aligning actors behind common criteria
and signalling to governments that climate action is feasible and desirable.
Since launching in 2020, the partners of the Race to Zero campaign have
mobilized over 12,000 businesses, investors, cities, regions, healthcare
facilities and academic institutions behind robust, science-based
commitments to halve emissions by 2030.
However, voluntary action can only go so far.
Government policies will help to ensure these commitments are fulfilled,
supported, and strengthened. They will create a level playing field across
regions and industries, drive innovation, reward first-movers, and unlock
investment.
The High-Level Champions are already working
with partners to encourage greater advocacy. They put out a call to action
in June for businesses, investors, cities, regions and civil society to join
the Race to Zero and align their advocacy, policy and engagement with net
zero goals. The Race to Zero also released The 5th P (Persuade) Handbook
setting out best practices for advocacy, policy and engagement and
showcasing examples of leadership.
Prior to the Road to Regulation roundtable, a
blog will be published here highlighting the growing momentum behind net
zero policy making, both in the public and private sector. Watch this space.
Race to Zero latest developments:
Exponential Roadmap Initiative launched their
Greening Cash Action Guide. This Guide examines a driver of corporate GHG
emissions - emissions associated with how banks manage and repurpose the
cash deposits of their corporate clients for emission-producing activities.
You can read more details here.
The Principles for Responsible Investment
(PRI), who supports a number of Race to Zero’s finance partners, such as Net
Zero Asset Owners Alliance, Net Zero Investment Consultants and Net Zero
Asset Managers, has just released a report on ‘Responsible Investment and
Sustainability Outcomes in China’. Positively, the report notes that:
“Internationally, China’s foreign investment activity, particularly through
the Belt and Road Initiative, is focused on open, green, clean and inclusive
sustainable development that follows high standard, people-centred and
sustainable approaches.”
In an open letter coordinated by Climate Group
and We Mean Business Coalition, and covered in the Financial Times, leading
Indian businesses and companies operating in India have written to G20
leaders with seven key policy asks. Read the letter in full here.
Race to Zero also warmly welcomes their first
UAE based Accelerator, The Surpluss. The Surpluss is a B2B climate-tech
operator with more than 400 members in the UAE that drives the net zero
transition by assisting companies to reduce the intensity of their
industrial processes by reducing greenhouse gas emissions through resource
sharing and industrial symbiosis cluster formation. The Surpluss aims to
transform excess into equal access, empowering communities and reshaping the
future of business, one synergy at a time.
Race to Resilience latest developments:
Race to Resilience Partners Convene with Dr.
Mohieldin at Africa Climate Week
Champions Re-energise Resilience
A host of knowledge-sharing meetings took
place at Africa Climate Week, between Dr. Mohieldin, H.E. Ms Al Mubarak and
a range of Race to Resilience partners. During the meetings, partners shared
their experiences of adaptation and resilience solutions that are currently
being implemented, including challenges and opportunities for scalability
and replicability across the African region.
On the 5th September, a roundtable discussion
took place with Dr. Mohieldin and select R2R partners. The meeting had the
participation of Mayor Manuel de Araújo from the City of Quelimane,
Mozambique, one of the first member cities of Cities Race to Resilience, who
shared on some of the resilience building efforts undertaken at local level:
“As the city of Quelimane, we recognise the
importance of underpinning our actions with sound policies and strategies to
strengthen resilience and DRR work. This DRR work is also aligned with our
Cities Race to Resilience and Covenant of Mayors in Sub-Saharan Africa (CoM
SSA) commitments and further supported by these initiatives. These voluntary
opportunities are raising the ambition of our current climate adaptation
actions, and accelerating implementation, but more work is needed in
proactively securing finance for climate change, disaster risk reduction and
sustainability actions. This funding is essential for implementing risk
reduction measures. It can be used to build seawalls, improve drainage
systems, restore our ecosystems, educate residents about disaster
preparedness, and more.”
Dr. Mohieldin challenged partners to support
Quelimane, and his own home village, Kafr Shokr in Qalyobeya in Egypt, to
explore avenues to increase the delivery of finance, capacity building and
technology for locally-led adaptation action in the two African cities, by
using an integrated municipal financing framework that builds on resilience
efforts and enhances collaboration between R2R partners.
H.E Razan Al Mubarak meets with Slum Dwellers
International SDI)’s Women Collaborative Group in Nairobi, Kenya
Looking ahead to COP28, Ms. Al Mubarak
expressed her interest in working on grant mechanisms that flow efficiently
and directly to support the resilience building of communities in informal
settlements.
Water: a Resilience Amplifier and a Priority
for Africa
The climate crisis is exacerbating a severe
drought crisis in the Horn of Africa. Over 36.1 million people in the region
are currently affected, with Ethiopia, Somalia, and Kenya shouldering the
highest burdens.
During Africa Climate week the Race to
Resilience, Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) and UNICEF Somalia, co-hosted
a panel discussion highlighting the role of non-State actors working closely
with governments, and UN agencies to deliver Climate Resilient Solutions for
Water, Hygiene and Sanitation in the Horn of Africa.
The event convened Rania Dagash, UNICEF
Regional Deputy Director; plus Ahmed Nur Yusuf, Director General of Somalia’s
Ministry of Environment and Climate Change; and Dr. Ismail Fahmy M Shaiye,
Advisor- Water and Climate Change, Executive Office of the President of
Kenya; plus the Youth Ambassador for SWA, Anita Soina, among others.
News from Race to Resilience Partners
Build Change celebrated a significant
milestone after eight years of collaboration with the Colombian Seismic
Engineering Association and the Colombian Government. The adoption of AIS
410 into Colombia's Building Code marks the nation's first guideline for
enhancing the resilience of informal housing.
The Global Evergreening Alliance welcomes its
newest member - the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), which is an
international nonprofit organisation leading timber certification to promote
the sustainable management and consumption of forest and forest products
worldwide.
Resilience First welcomes its newest member -
the International SOS, which is delivering customised health, security risk
management and wellbeing solutions to fuel organisations' growth and
productivity.
Ocean Risk Resilience Alliance Executive
Director Karen Sack shares her insights on the race to ocean resilience, and
why COP28 will mark a pivotal moment to build momentum for the protection of
oceans.
The International Coalition for Sustainable
Infrastructure announces a call for contributions to the second issue of The
Climate Resilient Infrastructure report, which focuses on Nature. Deadline
for contributions 30 September.
Solution Stories:
DARAJA: Transforming Weather Information into
Urban Resilience in East Africa
Partner: DARAJA, Resurgence
Implementers: Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI)
in Nairobi, the Centre for Community Initiatives (CCI) in Dar es Salaam,
Resurgence, the Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD), the Tanzania
Meteorological Authority (TMA) and key local community partners and leaders.
Countries & Region: Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia,
Sudan and Uganda – Africa
Impact System: Human Settlements /Early
Warning Systems
Beneficiaries / Impact: 982,000 people
benefited to date
Manhattan debuts ambitious coastal protection
blueprint
Partner: International Coalition for
Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI)
Implementer: New York City
Country & Region: U.S , North America
Impact System: Human Settlements,
Infrastructure and Water
Beneficiaries / Impact: < 110,000 people
In case you missed it
● The UN Sports for Climate Action
initiative is inviting all sports fans around the world to take part in a
global sports fan survey – Bigger Than The Game – which aims to understand
the potential of sports clubs and organizations in inspiring fans to engage
with sustainable development and climate action. Additionally, fans are
encouraged to share the survey on social media using the provided toolkit.
● The Breakthrough Agenda Report 2023 has
been launched by the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International
Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the High-Level Champions, highlighting
that strong and targeted international collaboration on technologies and
markets for sectors such as power, transport, industry, buildings, and
agriculture must be supercharged to deliver transitions that are faster,
easier and cheaper for all.
● The Roadmaps to Nature Positive which
provides companies with step-by-step guidance to achieve credible and
impactful nature-positive ambition, action and accountability, have just
been released by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
● The Global Covenant of Mayors (GCoM) and
ARUP released the highly anticipated Unlocking Urban Energy Access and
Poverty research and summary reports, pointing out the great potential that
local governments have to facilitate energy access and alleviate energy
poverty, which can be unlocked with policies & regulation, stakeholder
collaboration, internal capacity building & data collection, investment &
securing finance, and city-led programmes.
Mark Your Calendar
a.. New York Climate Week: 17-24 September
b.. SDG Summit: New York (USA), 18-19
September
c.. Climate Ambition Summit: New York (USA),
20 September
d.. High-Level Dialogue on Financing for
Development: 20 September
e.. IEA Critical Minerals and Clean Energy
Summit: Paris (France), 28 September
f.. Building Bridges Conference: Geneva
(Switzerland), 3-5 October
g.. High-Level Pledging Conference of the
second replenishment of Green Climate Fund (GCF-2): Bonn (Germany), 5
October.
h.. Middle East and North Africa Climate
Week (MENACW 2023): Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), 8-12 October
i.. 8th World Investment Forum 2023: Abu
Dhabi (UAE),16-20 October
j.. Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week
(LACCW 2023): Panama City (Panama), 23-27 October
k.. Asia-Pacific Climate Week (APCW 2023):
Johor (Malaysia), 13-17 November
l.. Net Zero Festival: London (UK), 31
October - 1 November
m.. COP 28: Dubai (UAE), 30 November - 12
December
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Sent: Monday, September 18, 2023 6:45 PM
Subject: Vladimir, here is the latest news from the
High-Level Champions
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