United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

1. Since the adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, has the governing body of your organization taken (or will it take) any decisions or new strategies to guide the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? If any, please provide a brief summary below, including the overarching vision of your organization.

The UNFCCC secretariat services the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, its Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Over 20 years of progress under the UNFCCC process have created many mandates for various activities to take action on climate change, which the secretariat implements to support Parties and stakeholders in their efforts. The UNFCCC is the central forum for providing United Nations system leadership and assisting Parties and other stakeholders in the transformation towards a climate-resilient world.

The Paris Agreement, agreed by Parties at COP21 in Paris, in 2015, brings nations together to strengthen the response to climate change, with the aim of keeping global temperature rise this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and as close as possible to 1.5 degrees, while building countries’ resilience to the adverse effects of climate change. The Agreement entered into force on 4 November 2016, marking a shift in focus towards implementation of climate action. It also signals the commitment of nations to take action for the climate and sustainable development, translating the goals of the Paris Agreement into actionable strategies and shifting global financial flows onto low-carbon, climate-resilient pathways.

The Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development together present a common vision for the well-being of all peoples and set in motion the economic, societal and environmental transformation needed to realize that vision. As Parties to the Paris Agreement prepare, communicate and maintain successive nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and advance their national adaptation planning efforts, governments are integrating actions to lower greenhouse gas emissions, enhance adaptation and build climate resilience, along with socio-economic development strategies, with both integral to sustainable development. NDCs and national adaptation plans are vehicles allowing national governments to transform ambition and planning to address climate change and advance their sustainable development, into actions, policy interventions and investment plans.

Overview of the scope of work of the secretariat:

With the adoption of the Katowice Climate Package at COP 24, the world entered a new era of climate ambition:

for all nations to implement the Paris Agreement and unleash its full potential;
for nations to significantly update their nationally-determined contributions by 2020;
to help developing countries and the most vulnerable get the support they need; and
to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Katowice package sets out the essential procedures and mechanisms that will make the Paris Agreement operational. The successful adoption of well-crafted implementation guidelines promises to build greater trust and to strengthen international cooperation on one of the greatest challenges of our times: transitioning to a low-emissions, climate-resilient world. The Katowice outcome is a complex package, achieved through in-depth technical discussions and political compromise and containing operational guidance on:

the information about domestic mitigation and other climate goals and activities that governments will provide in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs);
how to communicate about efforts to adapt to climate impacts;
the rules for functioning of the enhanced transparency framework, which will show to the world what countries are doing about climate change;
establishment of a committee to facilitate implementation of the Paris Agreement and promote compliance with the obligations undertaken under the Agreement;
how to conduct the global stocktake of overall progress towards the aims of the Paris Agreement;
how to assess progress on the development and transfer of technology;
how to provide advance information on financial support to developing countries and the process for establishing new targets on finance from 2025 onwards.

2.1 SDG-specific strategies, plans or work programmes

Given the intrinsic synergies of the Paris Agreement and 2030 Agenda, the UNFCCC secretariat’s efforts in mobilising enhanced climate action and supporting the implementation of the Paris Agreement will also advance countries’ implementation of the SDGs.

The Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development[1] together present a common vision for the well-being of all peoples and set in motion the economic, societal and environmental transformation needed to realize that vision. As Parties to the Paris Agreement prepare, communicate and maintain successive nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and advance their national adaptation planning efforts through the process to formulate and implement national adaptation plans (NAPs), governments are integrating actions to lower greenhouse gas emissions, enhance adaptation and build climate resilience, along with socio-economic development strategies, with both integral to sustainable development. NDCs and national adaptation plans are vehicles allowing national governments to transform ambition and planning to address climate change and advance their sustainable development, into actions, policy interventions and investment plans.

Enhancing climate action is fundamental to achieving sustainable development. The reinforcing synergy between the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda and renewed focus on national level implementation provides an opportunity for the intergovernmental community to enhance coherence of support and action, to enable national governments to integrate their efforts to implement climate action and the SDGs. Efforts on both fronts can be integrated at both the international and national level. The synergy between the Agreement and the 2030 Agenda is manifested in the policies and measures that national governments have committed to in their NDCs and national adaptation plans, allowing national governments to turn planning into actions, policy interventions and investment plans.

The UNFCCC secretariat provides support to Parties, in particular developing country Parties to help them to increase their ability to participate effectively in the implementation of the Paris Agreement, including:

facilitating the mobilization of support for the preparation and communication of NDCs and adaptation communications of developing country Parties,
provision of technical assistance and operational support to institutions serving the Agreement, enhancing coordination and delivery of resources for country-driven strategies, and
enhancing the engagement of all levels of government and various actors in addressing climate change, including concrete action by non-Party stakeholders.

To ensure coherence of efforts at the intergovernmental level, the UNFCCC secretariat is working to strengthen its ties with relevant United Nations agencies in order to more effectively support governments in integrating climate action with the SDGs. In this context, the role of the secretariat is expected continue to evolve in order to assist governments and all stakeholders in the rapid undertaking of climate action and the swift implementation of the Paris Agreement, as well as the 2030 Agenda, especially given that implementation of both Agendas requires scaling up joint efforts.

In particular, under the UNFCCC process, Parties are currently getting ready for NDC implementation for 2020, including by:

Aligning NDC actions with new policy priorities and the reality of climate action on the ground;
Refining/Updating the analysis underpinning NDCs;
Improving the Regulatory/Institutional Framework;
Identifying and Prioritizing Policies and Measures;
Developing an NDC Implementation Plan including financial considerations;
Taking stock of recent developments since the adoption of the Paris Agreement;
Preparing new/updated NDCs for submission by 2020.

[1] See <http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/RES/70/1&Lang=E>.

3.1 Mainstreaming the SDGs in development plans and policies or through national sustainable development plans/strategies:

Climate impacts do not discriminate; climate action is essential for achieving all SDGs, taking mitigation action and adapting to climate change is critical to empowering people and ensuring inclusiveness and equality. Relevant activities enabling countries to advance climate action, and capture and share relevant successful experiences and lessons learned, relevant to ensuring inclusiveness and equality in the context of climate action under the UNFCCC process have and are taking place under the Marrakech Partnership for climate action, the UNFCCC Momentum for Change initiative, the Talanoa Dialogue, on adaptation, mitigation, means of implementation, gender, empowering youth, the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform, and activities on response measures. Under the UNFCCC process, the Talanoa Dialogue allowed for an international for countries to check progress and seek to increase global ambition to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. The Talanoa Dialogue provided an opportunity for Parties and non-Parties to come together to exchange experiences including stories and good practices on actions to address climate change taken by Parties and non-Parties which have demonstrated success in reducing emissions or increasing resilience and have the potential to be replicated elsewhere. The Dialogue was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference COP23 in November 2017 and ran throughout 2018. The Pacific island concept of 'Talanoa' was introduced by Fiji, which held the Presidency of the COP 23 UN Climate Change Conference. Countries and other stakeholders, including business, investors, cities, regions and civil society, contributed to the Talanoa Dialogue around three central questions: Where are we? Where do we want to go? How do we get there? The Talanoa Dialogue provided transparency and broadened participation to increase global ambition to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, while also ensuring that no-one is left behind. With nearly 100 actions were identified across sectors, levels and regions, with some already successfully undertaken with demonstrated results – providing inspiration for others to apply similar practices, the practices identify are stories of success and inspiration, demonstrating what is working well and what could work elsewhere. Further details and an overview of the good practices identified are available in the Synthesis Report on the Talanoa Dialogue, the 2018 Yearbook of the Marrakech Partnership, and the Global Climate Action 2018 Examples of good practices report. Towards enhancing all aspects of climate action, the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action encourages activities that galvanize immediate climate action in the period between now and 2020 to support the realization and achievement of NDCs under the Paris Agreement and spur new climate actions in areas of untapped mitigation and adaptation potential. 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, with the 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 Partnership focusses on immediate climate actions between now and 2020 to support the success and overachievement of the NDCs, and National Adaptation Plans. Momentum for Change is an initiative spearheaded by the UN Climate Change secretariat to shine a light on the enormous groundswell of activities underway across the globe that are moving the world toward a highly resilient, low-carbon future. Momentum for Change recognizes innovative and transformative solutions that address both climate change and wider economic, social and environmental challenges. These ‘Lighthouse Activities’ are some of the most practical, scalable and replicable examples of what people, businesses, governments and industries are doing to tackle climate change. Momentum for Change has focusses on various areas of action, including Planetary Health: recognizing novel solutions that balance the need for both human health and a healthy planet; Climate Neutral Now: recognizing efforts by individuals, companies and governments that are achieving real results in transitioning to climate neutrality; Women for Results: recognizing the critical leadership and participation of women in addressing climate change; Financing for Climate Friendly Investment: recognizing successful and innovative climate-smart activities; ICT Solutions: recognizing successful climate change activities in the field of information and communication technology; and Urban Poor: recognizing climate action that improves the lives of impoverished people in urban communities. Regional Climate Weeks inspire individuals and organizations to become part of the momentum created by the global climate agreement in Paris. It is a unique collaborative platform where both government and non-Party stakeholders gather to address the gamut of relevant climate issues under one umbrella. Bringing together diverse stakeholders in the public and private sectors around a common goal of addressing climate change, is the main goal of the Regional Climate Weeks. The Weeks comprise a series of events that provide space for a grassroots exchange of knowledge and best practices across the region on: NDC implementation, SDGs, and Global Climate Action. Every year the Regional Climate Weeks are held in the following regions: Africa, Latin-America and Caribbean, and Asia-Pacific. It is a unique initiative that aims to raise awareness and support members of our society in developing countries at the regional level to achieve global climate neutrality by mid-century. This year, the Regional Climate Weeks serve as critical stepping stones to UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit 2019 in September 2019. As a knowledge-for-action-hub for adaptation and resilience, the UNFCCC Nairobi work programme (NWP) has been at the forefront in fostering partnerships with non-state actors in key thematic areas (e.g. vulnerable groups and communities, ecosystems, water resources, human settlements, health) and in sub-regions through the Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative (LAKI) to drive forward activities that produce usable knowledge products and catalyse action in response to identified knowledge needs. More broadly, activities under the UNFCCC process contribute to supporting countries in the development of effective, accountable and transparent institutions, and in ensuring responsive, inclusive participatory and responsive decision-making at all levels, including under the transparency framework, and work of the UNFCCC Adaptation Committee and Least Developed Countries Expert Group. To achieve the objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), several processes have been established to foster transparency and accountability of countries’ actions to address climate change, including the measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) arrangements under the Convention and the enhanced transparency framework under the Paris Agreement. Under these processes, all countries are obliged to communicate information on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and actions to reduce them, as well as on adaptation and means of implementation such as finance, technology transfer and capacity-building. The information prepared and reported by countries forms an essential basis for understanding current emission levels, the ambition of existing efforts, as well as progress on climate actions and support on both the national and international scales. Further, it can create opportunities for governments to demonstrate their accountability to the public and civil society by reporting on and accounting for actions on reducing climate change impacts and GHG emissions, as well as support provided/mobilized or needed/received. The Adaptation Committee, in its mandated role as the main promotor of the implementation of enhanced action on adaptation in a coherent manner under the Convention, has anchored reducing inequalities as a key element in its work. Recent work includes a technical expert meeting held in 2018 which focused on opportunities and options for enhancing adaptation planning in relation to vulnerable ecosystems, communities and groups, with a view to identifying concrete opportunities for strengthening resilience, reducing vulnerability and increasing understanding and implementation of adaptation in the context of enhancing pre-2020 action a resulting technical paper. Looking ahead, the Adaptation Committee is elaborating a plan on how to integrate gender considerations into all its activities. It will also work with others, including the Women and Gender constituency to hold a capacity-building event in 2020 on identifying gaps and solutions related to incorporating gender considerations into adaptation planning and implementation. The Least Developed Countries Expert Group(LEG) ensures support for developing countries to take climate action. At the core of the work of the LEG is to ensure that adequate support is given to least developed countries to adapt to the impacts of climate change which is one of the drivers of inequalities. Established in 2001 as part of the suite of support for LDCs under the UNFCCC, the LEG is mandated to provide technical guidance and support to the LDCs on the process to formulate and implement national adaptation plans (NAPs), the preparation and implementation of the national adaptation programmes of action (NAPAs) and the implementation of the LDC work programme. The LEG also provides technical guidance and advice on accessing funding from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for the process to formulate and implement NAPs, in collaboration with the GCF secretariat. NAPs remain the central vehicle for adaptation planning and implementation under the UNFCCC process and can be seen as a launch pad for harmonized, strategic planning, fostering further adaptation action across sectors, levels and regions. NAPs enable Parties identify their medium to long term adaptation needs and developing and implementing strategies and programmes to address those needs, and are supported by Technical Guidance, which outlines indicative steps in undertaking the process, from laying the groundwork to reporting and monitoring. Further derivatives of the NAP technical guidelines through supplementary materials were also developed and is available in NAP Central. The NAP-SDG iFrame methodology, also developed by the UNFCCC Least Developed Countries Expert Group, has helped harmonize how countries understand their progress in implementing measures on adaptation and sustainable development, and measure contributions to the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda. In 2016, the LEG being cognizant of the wider UN call for leaving no one behind, it developed a vision for 2020 considering providing support to all LDCs produce their first NAP by 2020. The LEG coordinates all support from relevant agencies and organizations and reiterates its call for synergy and collaboration ensuring that they all embrace the vision for 2020. This also includes for a more concerted effort in helping LDCs access the USD 3 million financial support from Green Climate Fund (GCF) on the formulation of NAPs. Other modalities of support by the LEG on NAPs includes: providing training and workshops, producing publications on best practices and lessons learned, developing technical materials and conducting outreach events for South-South cooperation. The LEG has also recently established Open NAPs as a direct support to LDCs that are lagging in terms of embarking on the process, including accessing funding from GCF. Climate change has a greater impact on those sections of the population, in all countries, that are most reliant on natural resources for their livelihoods and/or who have the least capacity to respond to natural hazards, such as droughts, landslides, floods and hurricanes. Women commonly face higher risks and greater burdens from the impacts of climate change in situations of poverty, and the majority of the world’s poor are women. Women’s unequal participation in decision-making processes and labour markets compound inequalities and often prevent women from fully contributing to climate-related planning, policy-making and implementation. Yet, women can (and do) play a critical role in response to climate change due to their local knowledge of and leadership in e.g. sustainable resource management and/or leading sustainable practices at the household and community level. Women’s participation at the political level has resulted in greater responsiveness to citizen’s needs, often increasing cooperation across party and ethnic lines and delivering more sustainable peace. At the local level, women’s inclusion at the leadership level has led to improved outcomes of climate related projects and policies. On the contrary, if policies or projects are implemented without women’s meaningful participation it can increase existing inequalities and decrease effectiveness. Parties to the UNFCCC have recognized the importance of involving women and men equally in UNFCCC processes and in the development and implementation of national climate policies that are gender-responsive by establishing a dedicated agenda item under the Convention addressing issues of gender and climate change and by including overarching text in the Paris Agreement, focusing on improving gender balance and increasing the participation of women in all UNFCCC processes, including in delegations and in bodies constituted under the Convention and its Kyoto Protocol; and increasing awareness and support for the development and effective implementation of gender-responsive climate policy at the regional, national and local levels. The UNFCCC calls on governments to educate, empower and engage all stakeholders and major groups on policies relating to climate change through Article 6 ‘Action for climate empowerment’, – a call that is echoed by the Kyoto Protocol (Article 10(e)) as well as by the Paris Agreement (through Article 12). The UN climate regime fosters action to develop and implement educational and training programmes on climate change. Many governments and IGOs are already working in partnership with civil society to fulfil the above commitments. However, the scale of challenges posed by climate change requires an engagement on outreach activities of a greater magnitude. Improving awareness and understanding of climate change, and creating solutions to facilitate access to information on a changing climate are key to winning public support for climate-related policies. Indigenous peoples are custodians of nearly 22 percent of the Earth’s surface and safeguard an estimated 80 percent of the world’s remaining biodiversity. The Paris Agreement recognizes the important role of indigenous peoples and local communities in building a climate-resilient world, and established the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform at COP21. Parties agreed on the overall purposes, principles and three functions of the Platform (related to knowledge, capacity for engagement, and climate change policies and actions), with continuous input into the negotiations by representative of indigenous peoples. These principles include full and effective participation of indigenous peoples, and equal status of indigenous peoples and Parties, including in leadership roles. At COP24 in Katowice, the COP established a new constituted body, the LCIPP Facilitative Working Group (FWG) to facilitate the implementation of the Platform’s functions. The FWG, which operates on the basis of consensus, is comprised of 14 members, with equal representation of Parties (seven representatives) and indigenous peoples organizations (seven representatives). Equal representation is also present in the leadership of the body. Consideration of additional representatives of local communities and Parties will also take place in the future. The Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform serves as an inclusive, long-term space for exchange of experience with mitigation and adaptation between Parties and local communities and indigenous peoples. The perspectives of frontline communities and understanding of indigenous peoples’ holistic views and in-depth knowledge of the environment can help to scale up and accelerate global efforts to mitigate and adapt to climate change in a holistic and integrated manner. Impacts of implementation of response measures deals with social and economic impacts of actions which are taken to combat the climate change, in particular cross-border impacts on developing countries. The Paris Agreement recognizes that Parties may be affected not only by climate change, but also by the impacts of the measures taken in response to it. Over last three years, Parties have focused on just transition of work force and creation of decent work and quality jobs, and economic diversification and transformation, towards inclusive and low carbon economies and creation of job opportunities, as well as sharing information and experiences related to diversifying the economies. At COP24 in Katowice, the work was extended to two more areas, including assessing and analyzing the impacts of response measures; and facilitating development of tools and methodologies to assess the impacts. In addition to the existing forum and work programme, Parties also established the Katowice Committee of experts on impacts of the implementation of response measures. Parties to the Paris Agreement are expected to prepare, communicate and maintain successive nationally determined contributions (NDCs). NDCs highlight climate-related targets, policies and actions planned in response to climate change. Countries’ NDCs relayed so far reveal linkages across all SDGs. They outline development approaches and actions aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions and building climate resilience. The NDCs show that governments are integrating climate action into socio-economic development strategies, since both are integral to sustainable development. As of 27 February 2019, 182 Parties (181 countries plus the European Commission) had communicated their first NDCs to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat (UNFCCC), one Party has communicated their second NDC. Article 4.3 of the Paris Agreement, requesting all Parties to ensure that their NDCs reflect their highest possible ambition.

4.1 Supporting the intergovernmental body of your organization in contributing to the thematic review of the HLPF:

The UNFCCC secretariat has participated in previous HLPFs and HLPF preparation meetings, including preparation of policy background briefs and contribution to the review of SDG 7. With SDG 13 being reviewed in 2019, we are closely involved in activities on the 2019 HLPFs, as well as linkages with the UN Secretary General’s climate summit.

5. How has your organization cooperated with other UN system organizations to achieve coherence and synergies in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs? In this regard, has your organization launched or intend to launch any joint programmes or projects in collaboration with other UN entities? Are there any results or lessons you would like to highlight that might help improve the design and impact of such efforts? Has your organization participated in any of the following coordination systemwide mechanisms or any other relevant platform - CEB, UNDG, EC-ESA Plus, RCMs, UN-Energy, UN-Water, UN-Ocean, IAEG, IATT? Please specify which and indicate any suggestions you may have about improving collaborations within and across these mechanisms/platforms:

Where relevant to implementation of UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement mandates, the UNFCCC secretariat has participated in participated in various UN system wide mechanisms and platforms including CEB, UNDG, EC-ESA Plus, RCMs, UN-Energy, UN-Water, UN-Ocean, IAEG, IATT. In addition to supporting negotiations and mandated activities of Parties to the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement, the secretariat relies on other international organizations for the provision of relevant expertise, assistance and support to Parties for the effective implementation of the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Recognizing the many interlinkages within the complex UNFCCC process and that expertise and resources – human, financial or other – might also be found in other parts of the United Nations system or in other intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), the COP and the subsidiary bodies have encouraged other organizations to undertake several tasks or activities in support of their work. Conversely, in recognition of the expertise and knowledge that the secretariat has accumulated over the years, many international organizations call upon the secretariat to contribute to climate change related discussions and policy documents. The secretariat is increasingly receiving and responding to requests from UN agencies and fora for advice and collaboration on issues in relation to activities under the UNFCCC process.

The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in which the UNFCCC is recognized as the primary international, intergovernmental forum for negotiating the global response to climate change, has enhanced the need for closer cooperation and coordination within the United Nations system, in particular given that the Agenda and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and targets, including the means of implementation, are universal, indivisible and interlinked. Through closer cooperation with other United Nations entities, the secretariat and other international organizations can ensure that countries are helped to achieve the SDGs in a coherent and collaborative way.

6. How has your organization engaged with stakeholder groups, both in supporting implementation at the country, regional and global levels, and within your own organization? If yes, please provide main highlights, including any lessons learned:

Under the UNFCCC process, the Talanoa Dialogue allowed for an international for countries to check progress and seek to increase global ambition to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. The Talanoa Dialogue provided an opportunity for Parties and non-Parties to come together to exchange experiences including stories and good practices on actions to address climate change taken by Parties and non-Parties which have demonstrated success in reducing emissions or increasing resilience and have the potential to be replicated elsewhere. The Dialogue was launched at the UN Climate Change Conference COP23 in November 2017 and ran throughout 2018. The Pacific island concept of 'Talanoa' was introduced by Fiji, which held the Presidency of the COP 23 UN Climate Change Conference. Countries and other stakeholders, including business, investors, cities, regions and civil society, contributed to the Talanoa Dialogue around three central questions: Where are we? Where do we want to go? How do we get there? The Talanoa Dialogue provided transparency and broadened participation to increase global ambition to meet the goals of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, while also ensuring that no-one is left behind. With nearly 100 actions were identified across sectors, levels and regions, with some already successfully undertaken with demonstrated results – providing inspiration for others to apply similar practices, the practices identify are stories of success and inspiration, demonstrating what is working well and what could work elsewhere. Further details and an overview of the good practices identified are available in the Synthesis Report on the Talanoa Dialogue, the 2018 Yearbook of the Marrakech Partnership, and the Global Climate Action 2018 Examples of good practices report.

Regional Climate Weeks inspire individuals and organizations to become part of the momentum created by the global climate agreement in Paris. It is a unique collaborative platform where both government and non-Party stakeholders gather to address the gamut of relevant climate issues under one umbrella. Bringing together diverse stakeholders in the public and private sectors around a common goal of addressing climate change, is the main goal of the Regional Climate Weeks. The Weeks comprise a series of events that provide space for a grassroots exchange of knowledge and best practices across the region on: NDC implementation, SDGs, and Global Climate Action. Every year the Regional Climate Weeks are held in the following regions: Africa, Latin-America and Caribbean, and Asia-Pacific. It is a unique initiative that aims to raise awareness and support members of our society in developing countries at the regional level to achieve global climate neutrality by mid-century. This year, the Regional Climate Weeks serve as critical stepping stones to UN Secretary-General’s Climate Summit 2019 in September 2019.

Momentum for Change is an initiative spearheaded by the UN Climate Change secretariat to shine a light on the enormous groundswell of activities underway across the globe that are moving the world toward a highly resilient, low-carbon future. Momentum for Change recognizes innovative and transformative solutions that address both climate change and wider economic, social and environmental challenges. These ‘Lighthouse Activities’ are some of the most practical, scalable and replicable examples of what people, businesses, governments and industries are doing to tackle climate change. Momentum for Change has focusses on various areas of action, including

Planetary Health: recognizing novel solutions that balance the need for both human health and a healthy planet;
Climate Neutral Now: recognizing efforts by individuals, companies and governments that are achieving real results in transitioning to climate neutrality;
Women for Results: recognizing the critical leadership and participation of women in addressing climate change;
Financing for Climate Friendly Investment: recognizing successful and innovative climate-smart activities;
ICT Solutions: recognizing successful climate change activities in the field of information and communication technology; and
Urban Poor: recognizing climate action that improves the lives of impoverished people in urban communities.

Towards enhancing all aspects of climate action, the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action encourages activities that galvanize immediate climate action in the period between now and 2020 to support the realization and achievement of NDCs under the Paris Agreement and spur new climate actions in areas of untapped mitigation and adaptation potential. 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, with the 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 Partnership focusses on immediate climate actions between now and 2020 to support the success and overachievement of the NDCs, and National Adaptation Plans.

As a knowledge-for-action-hub for adaptation and resilience, the UNFCCC Nairobi work programme (NWP) has been at the forefront in fostering partnerships with non-state actors in key thematic areas (e.g. vulnerable groups and communities, ecosystems, water resources, human settlements, health) and in sub-regions through the Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative (LAKI) to drive forward activities that produce usable knowledge products and catalyse action in response to identified knowledge needs.

In addition to supporting negotiations and mandated activities of Parties to the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement, the secretariat relies on other international organizations for the provision of relevant expertise, assistance and support to Parties for the effective implementation of the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Recognizing the many interlinkages within the complex UNFCCC process and that expertise and resources – human, financial or other – might also be found in other parts of the United Nations system or in other intergovernmental organizations (IGOs), the COP and the subsidiary bodies have encouraged other organizations to undertake several tasks or activities in support of their work. Conversely, in recognition of the expertise and knowledge that the secretariat has accumulated over the years, many international organizations call upon the secretariat to contribute to climate change related discussions and policy documents. The secretariat is increasingly receiving and responding to requests from UN agencies and fora for advice and collaboration on issues in relation to activities under the UNFCCC process.

7. Has your organization organized any conferences, forums or events designed to facilitate exchange of experience, peer and mutual learning? If yes, please provide a brief summary below and include lessons learned and gaps identified based on the outcomes of these events. Please also include any events you plan to organize in the coming years.

UNFCCC negotiation meetings provide a fora for countries that are Party to the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement to negotiate and advance the global response to climate change and progress in climate action. These meetings also allow for delegates from observer organisations and media to exchange on climate action, including through workshops, meetings, side events, special events, press conferences and other activities. The Katowice climate conference, COP 24, was attended by a total of 22,924 participants, including 11,312 delegates from Parties and observer States; 6,204 observers (including 5,063 from NGOs); 592 Global Climate Action participants and visitors; 1,130 media representatives; and 3,686 staff and volunteers.

The NAP Expo is an annual outreach event organized by the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) under the UNFCCC, in collaboration with various bodies and organizations, to promote exchange of experiences and foster partnerships between a wide range of actors and stakeholders on how to advance National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). The overall objective of the NAP Expo is to raise adaptation ambition by advancing the formulation and implementation of NAPs. Specific objectives include:

To facilitate the interaction between country NAP teams and providers of support, including the GCF, GEF and AF, as well as bilateral agencies and other relevant organizations, to enhance access to financing for NAPs;
To create an interactive global forum on NAPs for countries to share experience, best practices and lessons learned; different organizations and bodies to conduct specialized meetings and workshops; and for Parties and non-Party stakeholders to interact, in advancing the formulation and implementation of NAPs;
To serve as the global platform to advance technical and practical measures towards the production of first NAPs by 2020 and their effective implementation.

The technical expert meetings facilitate the identification of policy options, practices and technologies with high mitigation potential. The meetings bring together experts from national and subnational governments, private sector, financial institutions, leading international organizations and other stakeholders to examine in-depth opportunities to promote the implementation and increase in support for climate action.

The technical examination process explores high-potential mitigation policies, practices and technologies with significant sustainable development co-benefits that could increase the mitigation ambition of pre-2020 climate action.

The technical examination process for mitigation consists of regular in-session thematic technical expert meetings and focused follow up work to be conducted by Parties, international organizations and partnerships throughout the year. Parties to the Convention resolved to start this process in 2014 and to further accelerate it by 2020 in order to implement scalable best practice policies and bridge the ambition gap.

The objective of the TEP-A is to identify concrete opportunities for strengthening resilience, reducing vulnerabilities, and increasing the understanding and implementation of adaptation actions, including through the following four functions of the TEP-A:

Facilitating the sharing of good practices, experiences and lessons learned;
Promoting cooperative action on adaptation;
Identifying actions, including actions that could enhance economic diversification and have mitigation co-benefits;
Identifying opportunities to strengthen enabling environments and enhance the provision of support for adaptation in the context of specific policies, practices and actions.

Meetings of UNFCCC Constituted Bodies also allow for exchange and learning between Parties, as well as observers on climate action.

8. Is there any other information you would like to share, including annual reports of your organization and any impact assessment or evaluation reports? If yes, please use the space below and attach the document(s). Please also use this space to provide any other information, comments or remarks you deem necessary:

10. Please indicate one or two endeavor or initiatives you suggest that the UN system organizations could undertake together to support the implementation of the SDGs between now and 2030:

As mandated by the CEB secretariat, the UNFCCC secretariat has prepared Climate Change; Joint Appeal from the UN system to the Secretary General’s climate summit, which contains key elements that we see would be relevant for a strategic plan.

ECESA Plus Member

UNFCCC

Year of submission: 2019