United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC)

1. How has the COVID-19 pandemic changed the priorities of your organization?

The COVID-19 pandemic, by making in-person meetings and international travel not possible for a long period of time, introduced serious challenges for the international climate change process. Many formal and informal meetings were postponed, including the postponement of the major COP26 conference in Glasgow for a year, from November 2020 to November 2021. Under these conditions, the key priority of the UNFCCC secretariat was to ensure continuity of mandated activities and the negotiation process under the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. The following measures have been undertaken, for example:

• Expert meeting and meetings of constituted bodies under the UNFCCC moved to a virtual format as possible;
• In June 2020, the secretariat organized a “June Momentum on Climate Change” which represented a series of online events conducted under the guidance of the chairs of the Subsidiary Bodies under the UNFCCC or by the incoming COP26 Presidency, with support of the UNFCCC secretariat;
• Another series of such events, the UN Climate Change Dialogues, was organized in November-December 2020;
• From 31 May to 17 June 2021, sessions of the Subsidiary Bodies under the UNFCCC took place as a fully virtual conference, which allowed Parties to make progress on the high volume of work accumulated in the absence of formal sessions in 2020. Finally, in close cooperation with the Government of the United Kingdom as an incoming COP26 Presidency, the COP26 conference of the governing bodies to the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement was organized in Glasgow in October-November 2021. The conference was successful, representing a significant milestone in the international response to the global challenge of climate change. The package of decisions consists of a range of agreed items, including strengthened efforts to build resilience to climate change, to curb greenhouse gas emissions and to provide the necessary finance for both. As part of the package of decisions, Parties also completed the Paris Agreement’s rulebook as it relates to market mechanisms and non-market approaches and the transparent reporting of climate actions and support provided or received (more information is available on the UNFCCC website).

 

2. In 2020/2021, how has your organization endeavored to support Member States to build back better from COVID-19 while advancing the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda? Please select up to three high-impact initiatives to highlight, especially those that address interlinkages among the SDGs. How has your organization cooperated with other UN system organizations in those efforts to achieve coherence and synergies?

The most recent COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference, hosted by the UK in partnership with Italy, took place from 31 October to 12 November 2021 in the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The Glasgow Climate Pact adopted by the conference aims to turn the 2020s into a decade of climate action and support, so that the rise in the global average temperature can be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The full package of decisions taken in Glasgow includes strengthened efforts to build resilience to climate change, to curb greenhouse gas emissions and to provide the necessary finance for both. As part of the package of decisions, Parties also completed the Paris Agreement’s rulebook as it relates to market mechanisms and non-market approaches and the transparent reporting of climate actions and support provided or received. In addition, new agreements for action by Parties and non-Party stakeholders were concluded at the margins of COP26, outside of the formal negotiations framework. A few relevant examples to illustrate such action are:

The Glasgow breakthrough agenda, aiming to help countries to work on clean technologies and sustainable solutions;

The Glasgow Leaders Declaration on forests and land use, aiming to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, with more than 140 countries joined;

The Global Methane Pledge, a US-EU led initiative which aims at reducing methane emissions by 30% by 2030 compared to 2020, with more than 100 countries joined;

The global forest finance pledge, whereby 12 countries pledged to provide $12 billion for the 2021-2025 period in collaboration to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030;

The Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA), aiming to catalyse and scale investment in action-oriented research and innovation for adaptation that strengthens resilience in communities most vulnerable to climate change;

The COP26 Health Programme, with 52 countries committing to building health systems which are able to withstand the impacts of climate change and which are low carbon and sustainable;

Statement on supporting the conditions for a just transition internationally, addressing green growth, decent work, and economic prosperity in the transition to net zero. In addition, new agreements for action by Parties and non-Party stakeholders were concluded at the margins of COP26, outside of the formal negotiations framework. A few relevant examples to illustrate such action are:

• The Glasgow breakthrough agenda, aiming to help countries to work on clean technologies and sustainable solutions;
• The Glasgow Leaders Declaration on forests and land use, aiming to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, with more than 140 countries joined;
• The Global Methane Pledge, a US-EU led initiative which aims at reducing methane emissions by 30% by 2030 compared to 2020, with more than 100 countries joined;
• The global forest finance pledge, whereby 12 countries pledged to provide $12 billion for the 2021-2025 period in collaboration to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030;
• The Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA), aiming to catalyse and scale investment in action-oriented research and innovation for adaptation that strengthens resilience in communities most vulnerable to climate change;
• The COP26 Health Programme, with 52 countries committing to building health systems which are able to withstand the impacts of climate change and which are low carbon and sustainable;
• Statement on supporting the conditions for a just transition internationally, addressing green growth, decent work, and economic prosperity in the transition to net zero. More information is available at UNFCCC website: unfccc.int, https://unfccc.int/conference/glasgow-climate-change-conference-october…, https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/conferences/glasgow-climate-cha….

Name:	Review of adaptation actions envisaged in Parties’ NDCs and their linkages with SDGs
Partners: (please list all partners)
Relevant SDGs	SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 , 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17
Member States benefiting from the initiative:	All 197 Parties to the Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC)
Description:	In their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) submitted under the Paris Agreement, some Parties described how their adaptation actions relate to sustainable development frameworks, describing the overall linkages and synergies between their adaptation efforts and efforts towards the SDGs; identifying the essential role of adaptation in the achievement of SDGs, as well as the role of sustainable development in successful adaptation; and emphasizing the importance and benefits of integrating implementation of climate and SDG-related efforts. Further, some Parties specified how adaptation in specific priority areas contributes to achieving individual SDGs. The figure below provides an overview of the specific synergies identified between adaptation efforts and efforts towards SDGs. More information is available in the NDC Synthesis Report (https://unfccc.int/documents/307628).
Website:	https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/nationally-…, https://unfccc.int/documents/307628.

 

Name:	Review of mitigation actions envisaged in Parties’ NDCs and their linkages with SDGs
Partners: (please list all partners)
Relevant SDGs	SDGs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 , 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17
Member States benefiting from the initiative:	All 197 Parties to the Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC)
Description:	In their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) submitted under the Paris Agreement, some Parties clarified the alignment between their mitigation measures and efforts towards specific SDGs, highlighting the multiple co-benefits of their measures for sustainable development and the cost-effectiveness of their measures in relation to sustainable development under their fiscal constraints, including those due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For example, some Parties communicated one or several specific SDGs in relation to which there are synergies with their priority areas or mitigation measures (see the figure below), with energy supply measures contributing to achieving SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) and LULUCF measures contributing to achieving SDG 15 (life on land) most frequently indicated; and a few Parties considered contribution to achieving SDGs as a criterion for identifying such measures to be included in their NDCs.
Website:	Website: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/nationally-…, https://unfccc.int/documents/307628.

 

Name:	Key decisions (1/CP.26 and 1/CMA.3) of COP26: Glasgow Climate Pact
Partners: (please list all partners)
Relevant SDGs	SDGs 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17
Member States benefiting from the initiative:	All 197 Parties to the Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC)
Description:	The most recent COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference, hosted by the UK in partnership with Italy, took place from 31 October to 12 November 2021 in the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The Glasgow Climate Pact adopted by the conference aims to turn the 2020s into a decade of climate action and support, so that the rise in the global average temperature can be limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius. The full package of decisions taken in Glasgow includes strengthened efforts to build resilience to climate change, to curb greenhouse gas emissions and to provide the necessary finance for both. As part of the package of decisions, Parties also completed the Paris Agreement’s rulebook as it relates to market mechanisms and non-market approaches and the transparent reporting of climate actions and support provided or received.
Website:	unfccc.int, https://unfccc.int/conference/glasgow-climate-change-conference-october…, https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/conferences/glasgow-climate-cha….

3. Has your organization published or is it planning to publish any analytical work or guidance note or toolkits to guide and support recovery efforts from COVID-19 while advancing SDG implementation at national, regional and global levels? Please select up to three high-impact resources to highlight, especially those that address interlinkages among the SDGs.

N/A

4. How has your organization engaged with stakeholder groups to support SDG implementation and COVID-19 recovery at national, regional and global levels? Please provide main highlights, including any lessons learned. If your organization has established multi-stakeholder partnerships in this regard, please describe them (objectives, partners involved, relevant SDGs, Member States benefiting from the partnership) and provide links to relevant websites, if applicable.

Main highlights and lessons learned:

A number of partnerships and cooperation activities have been established under the UNFCCC framework to support implementation of climate action at national, regional and global levels. Some example are as follows (see also some details in the next section).

Multi-Stakeholder partnerships established

1) UNFCCC’s regional collaboration centers: The UNFCCC secretariat and its partner organizations operate six regional collaboration centers (RCCs) around the world: RCC Bangkok – Asia and the Pacific, RCC for Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, RCC Kampala – Eastern and Southern Africa, RCC Lomé – Western and Francophone Africa, RCC St. George's – Caribbean, RCC Panama – Latin America. The RCCs support national climate action through capacity-building, technical assistance and strategic networking – sourcing know-how and resources to drive clean development Since the adoption of the Paris Climate Change Agreement in December 2015, the RCCs have had the broader task of supporting implementation of countries' Nationally Determined Contributions under the agreement. The RCCs are also actively involved in the organization and conduct of regional climate weeks. The Regional Climate Weeks provide a platform for representatives of national and subnational governments, cities, the private sector, financial institutions and civil society to jointly discuss opportunities to build back better from the COVID-19 pandemic by identifying opportunities to deploy ambitious measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to climate change.

2) Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action: Under the leadership of the High-Level Climate Champions, the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action supports implementation of the Paris Agreement by enabling collaboration between governments and the cities, regions, businesses and investors that must act on climate change. Its mission is to strengthen collaboration between governments and key stakeholders to immediately lower emissions and increase resilience against climate impacts. These actions are guided by the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement and undertaken in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The focus is on environmental, economic and social system transformation, promoting higher ambition of all stakeholders to collectively strive for the 1.5 °C temperature goal and a climate-neutral and resilient world.

3) The Nairobi work programme on impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation to climate change (NWP): The Nairobi work programme on impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation to climate change (NWP) was established at COP 11 (December 2005, in Nairobi) to facilitate and catalyse the development and dissemination of information and knowledge that would inform and support adaptation policies and practices, with a focus on developing countries. Since then, the NWP has engaged countries and a growing network of partner organizations, experts and other relevant organizations from all fields and world regions in sharing the latest information and knowledge, to bridge knowledge gaps and scale-up action in response to the adaptation knowledge needs identified by the Parties to the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement.

4) Santiago network for averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change: The vision of the Santiago Network is to catalyze the technical assistance of relevant organizations, bodies, networks and experts, for the implementation of relevant approaches for averting, minimize and addressing loss and damage at the local, national and regional level, in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change (decision 2/CMA.2, para 43). The Santiago Network aims to connect vulnerable developing countries with providers of technical assistance, knowledge, resources they need to address climate risks comprehensively in the context of averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage. At COP26 in Glasgow (2021), decisions 17/CP.26 and 19/CMA.3 clarified the functions of the network and agreed on further development of its institutional arrangements. Decision 1/CMA.3 (Glasgow Climate Pact) established the Glasgow Dialogue to discuss the arrangements for the funding of activities to avert, minimize and address loss and damage associated with the adverse impacts of climate change, to take place in 2022–2024, concluding in June 2024.

5) Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform: The Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP) is an open and inclusive space and brings together people and their knowledge systems to build a climate resilient world for all. The platform aims to strengthen the knowledge, technologies, practices, and efforts of local communities and indigenous peoples related to addressing and responding to climate change, to facilitate the exchange of experience and the sharing of best practices and lessons learned on mitigation and adaptation in a holistic and integrated manner and to enhance the engagement of local communities and indigenous peoples in the UNFCCC process. In accordance with the Paris Agreement and Decision 1/CP.21, climate change is a common concern of humankind. When taking action to address climate change, the respective obligations on, inter alia, the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities should be respected, promoted and considered. At COP26 in Glasgow (2021), decision 16/CP.26 provided an additional momentum to the work of the platform.

 

Following the adoption of the 2019 SDG Summit declaration (GA resolution 74/4), where Member States outlined ten priority areas for accelerated action in SDG implementation, please highlight any major integrated and innovative policies or initiatives that your organization may have adopted in the following areas:

5.1 leaving no one behind;

The outcomes of the recent COP26 conference in Glasgow (United Kingdom) were adopted by consensus of all Parties. Special attention was paid to most vulnerable groups, with specific decisions focusing on Least Developed Countries, Gender and Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples.

5.2 mobilizing adequate and well-directed financing;

The recent COP26 conference in Glasgow (United Kingdom) adopted a number of decisions on finance relating to climate change, such as

• Decision 4/CP.26: Long-term climate finance;
• Decisions 6/CP.26 and 11/CMA.3: Report of the Green Climate Fund and Guidance to the Green Climate Find;
• Decisions 7/CP.26 and 12/CMA.3: Report of the Global Environment Facility and Guidance to the Global Environment Facility
• Decision 13/CMA.3: Matters relating to the Adaptation Fund;
• Decision 9/CMA.3: New collective quantified goal on climate finance

5.3 enhancing national implementation;

The recent COP26 conference in Glasgow (United Kingdom) adopted a number of decisions on finance relating to climate change, such as

• Decision 4/CP.26: Long-term climate finance;
• Decisions 6/CP.26 and 11/CMA.3: Report of the Green Climate Fund and Guidance to the Green Climate Find;
• Decisions 7/CP.26 and 12/CMA.3: Report of the Global Environment Facility and Guidance to the Global Environment Facility
• Decision 13/CMA.3: Matters relating to the Adaptation Fund;
• Decision 9/CMA.3: New collective quantified goal on climate finance

5.4 strengthening institutions for more integrated solutions;

The recent COP26 conference in Glasgow (United Kingdom) adopted a number of decisions aiming to strengthen existing partnerships and cooperation mechanisms in the implementation of climate action by both Parties and non-Party stakeholders, such as

• Decisions 1/CP.26, 1/CMP.16 and 1/CMA.3: Glasgow Climate Pact;
• Decision 16/CP.26: Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform;
• Decisions 18/CP.16 and 22/CMA.3: Glasgow work programme on Action for Climate Empowerment.

5.5 bolstering local action;

Support to local action by a broad range of stakeholders is part of UNFCCC activities, in particular in the framework of Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) and the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform. The recent COP26 conference in Glasgow (United Kingdom) adopted a number of decisions to further strengthen such support, such as

• Decision 16/CP.26: Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform;
• Decisions 18/CP.16 and 22/CMA.3: Glasgow work programme on Action for Climate Empowerment.

5.6 reducing disaster risk and building resilience;

The recent COP26 conference in Glasgow (United Kingdom) adopted a number of decisions relevant to reducing disaster risk and building resilience, such as

• Decision 3/CP.26: National adaptation plans;
• Decision 3/CMP.16: Report of the Adaptation Fund Board for 2020 and 2021 and decision 13/CMA.3: Matters relating to the Adaptation Fund;
• Decision 7/CMA.3: Glasgow–Sharm el-Sheikh work programme on the global goal on adaptation;
• Decisions 17/CP.26 and 19/CMA.3: Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts.

5.7 solving challenges through international cooperation and enhancing the global partnership;

The overarching decisions (1/CP.26, 1/CMP.16 and 1/CMA.3, the Glasgow Climate Pact) of the recent COP26 conference in Glasgow (United Kingdom) pay particular attention to multilateralism, international cooperation and enhancing the global partnership. Also relevant in that respect are many outcomes outside the formal negotiation framework, such as

• The Glasgow breakthrough agenda, aiming to help countries to work on clean technologies and sustainable solutions;
• The Glasgow Leaders Declaration on forests and land use, aiming to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, with more than 140 countries joined; and complemented also by the COP26 IPLC forest tenure joint donor statement and the COP26 Congo basin joint donor statement;
• The Global Methane Pledge, a US-EU led initiative which aims at reducing methane emissions by 30% by 2030 compared to 2020, with more than 100 countries joined; • The global forest finance pledge, whereby 12 countries pledged to provide $12 billion for the 2021-2025 period in collaboration to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030;
• The International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition, committed to working together, both through ICAO and other complementary cooperative initiatives, to advance ambitious actions to reduce aviation CO2 emissions at a rate consistent with efforts to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C; and many others. More information on COP26 outcomes is available on the UNFCCC website.

5.8 harnessing science, technology and innovation with a greater focus on digital transformation for sustainable development;

The recent COP26 conference in Glasgow (United Kingdom) resulted in a number of outcomes relating science, technology and innovation. On science, the overarching decisions (1/CP.26 and 1/CMA.3, the Glasgow Climate Pact) recognized the role of science in formulated the international response to the global climate change challenge. In addition, the conference also adopted conclusions addressing climate research and systematic observation. For technology, the following decisions can be noted:

• Decision 9/CP.26: Enhancing climate technology development and transfer through the Technology Mechanism;
• Decision 15/CMA.3: Enhancing climate technology development and transfer to support implementation of the Paris Agreement. Technology and innovation were also addressed in multiple outcomes outside the formal negotiation framework, such as
• The Glasgow breakthrough agenda, aiming to help countries to work on clean technologies and sustainable solutions;
• The Global Methane Pledge, a US-EU led initiative which aims at reducing methane emissions by 30% by 2030 compared to 2020, with more than 100 countries joined;
• The International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition, committed to working together, both through ICAO and other complementary cooperative initiatives, to advance ambitious actions to reduce aviation CO2 emissions at a rate consistent with efforts to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C; and many others.
• The Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA), aiming to catalyse and scale investment in action-oriented research and innovation for adaptation that strengthens resilience in communities most vulnerable to climate change;
• The COP26 Health Programme, with 52 countries committing to building health systems which are able to withstand the impacts of climate change and which are low carbon and sustainable;
• The 2022 action plan by the Zero Emission Vehicles Transition Council, identifying high priority areas to overcome shared challenges to support the transition to zero emission vehicles;
• The International Aviation Climate Ambition Coalition, committed to working together, both through ICAO and other complementary cooperative initiatives, to advance ambitious actions to reduce aviation CO2 emissions at a rate consistent with efforts to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C;
• Declaration on accelerating the transition to zero emission vehicles;
• Statement on new “mission innovation” missions to catalyse investment to accelerate technologies to facilitate urban transitions, eliminate emissions from industry, enable carbon dioxide removal and produce renewable fuels, chemicals, and materials;
• Statement on global coal to clean power transition; • Statement on international public support for the clean energy transition;
• Declaration by the Green Grids Initiative – One Sun One World One Grid.

5.9 investing in data and statistics for the SDGs; and

The recent COP26 conference in Glasgow (United Kingdom) adopted a decision to provide operational guidance on the implementation of the enhanced transparency framework under Article 13 of the Paris Agreement. This decision (decision 5/CMA.3: Guidance operationalizing the modalities, procedures and guidelines for the enhanced transparency framework referred to in Article 13 of the Paris Agreement) provides technical guidance on the data to be reported and reviewed in the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and on the development of the related tools and training materials.

5.10    strengthening the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF).

The recent COP26 conference in Glasgow (United Kingdom) was major effort to advance implementation of SDG goal 13. The decisions adopted by the conference aim at enhancing implementation of climate action (SDG goal 13) across all countries that are Parties to the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement (see the full list of decisions on the UNFCCC website).

6.  In the lead up to the 2023 HLPF to be held under the auspices of the General Assembly (or 2023 SDG Summit), please provide your organization’s recommendations on how to overcome challenges to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of the SDGs, taking into account the thematic reviews and voluntary national reviews conducted to date.

• The need to accelerate and enhance climate action in the framework of achieving SDG goal 13 remains urgent. For such enhancement, leadership by developed countries and the provision of adequate support to developing countries to enable their enhanced action in mitigation and adaptation remain critical, in line with the relevant provisions of the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. • The recent Glasgow conference (COP26, CMP16, CMA3) provided decisions to accelerate and enhance climate action which need to be followed up and implemented fully in the coming years, such as the call for enhancing NDC targets and the several work programmes or other initiatives launched in Glasgow for mitigation, adaptation, transparency, use of Article 6 instruments for cooperation, as well as support underpinning such work, in terms of finance, technology and capacity building.

7.  Please review your organization's information contained in the UN System SDG Implementation Database. If you wish to submit any updates, please share details below.

The current input is an update of the UNFCCC input made in 2019