Youth face some of the most significant challenges when it comes to climate change, but also have the biggest opportunity to make a difference.

As climate leaders convene at the landmark Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco, California on September 12-14, 2018, they are looking for people across government, business, and civil society for the solutions we need to stop climate change. Will young people answer their call to "take ambition to the next level"?

Contribute your solution

If we continue on our current track, youth will inherit the most significant impacts of a warming world through direct impacts on social, economic, cultural, and environmental stability.

As the largest voting block in the United States, unprecedented numbers of young people are rising to meet the climate challenge, but even greater levels of action are required to protect our future.

Credits to Our Climate

The Summit will be a moment to celebrate the extraordinary climate action achievements of states, regions, cities, companies, investors, and citizens. It will also be a launchpad for even more ambitious worldwide climate commitments.

It all begins with young people. What ideas do you have to break through the gridlock that persists around climate change? How can we drive real and meaningful solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions? How can we engage youth to lead this transformative process? Our Climate invites all 18 to 24-year-olds residing in the U.S. to answer these questions by designing a concrete and implementable policy solution, sustainable business, advocacy campaign, land use design, or scientific proposal. 

Contribute your creativity and ingenuity in the #YouthStepUp climate contest. The top winner will receive a $5,000 cash prize, and multiple winners will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to California to help make your visions a reality.

All applications are due by August 3rd, 2018 at 11:59 pm PT.

More on the contest here

Photo Credits to Our Climate

HLPF side event
10 July 2018 1:15-2:30 PM
Conference Room 4

Connect4Climate's Senior Advisor Francis James Dobbs was part of a discussion on what a UN Alliance on Sustainable Fashion could look like and introduced the X-Ray Fashion VR experience as one of the ways that Connect4Climate could contribute to an ongoing coalition working to make the fashion industry more sustainable.

Francis James Dobbs, Senior Advisor, Connect4Climate, Global Engagement and Partnerships, World Bank Group. Photo Credit: Benjamin Steinlechner / Connect4Climate

Fashion is an environmental and social emergency. Nearly 20 percent of global wastewater is produced by the fashion industry, which also emits about ten percent of the global carbon emissions - more than the emissions of all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Cotton farming is responsible for 24 percent of insecticides and 11 percent of pesticides despite using only 3 percent of the world’s arable land. In addition, the textiles industry has been identified in recent years as a major contributor to plastic entering the ocean, which is a growing concern because of the associated negative environmental and health implications. In addition, fast fashion is also linked to dangerous working conditions due to unsafe processes and hazardous substances used in production. High cost and time pressures are often imposed on all parts of the supply chain, leading to workers suffering from long working hours and low pay, with evidence, in some instances, of modern slavery and child labor.

The fashion industry is a $2.5 trillion-dollar industry that employs approximately 60 million people worldwide, most of them women. Fashion is, therefore, a key economic sector, which has an essential role to play in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Photo Credit: Kaia Rose / Connect4Climate

Take a look at the photo album on Flickr

Despite several organizations’ initiatives, there is yet no coherent, coordinated approach taken by the United Nations to address issues related to the fashion industry. In order to change this, stakeholders from different UN organizations, civil society, and industry gathered at the panel event “Fashion and the SDGs: what role for the UN?,”which was organized in the context of the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development in the UNECE region. Stakeholders discussed how the UN could reach a more comprehensive approach toward the development of a sustainable fashion industry in order to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. Since most high-consuming countries are located in the UNECE region, the forum was considered as a good starting point for further action. The event was successful in establishing a clear link between the fashion industry and the SDGs, which will be brought to the attention of the UN High-Level Political Forum, in particular through SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation, SDG 12 on sustainable consumption and production and SDG 15 on life on land.

Photo Credit: Kaia Rose / Connect4Climate

Recommendations discussed prior and during the event revealed the importance of exploring the establishment of a UN Partnership on Sustainable Fashion. Indeed, it is recognized by SDG 17 that the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will require different actors working together. In order to achieve this, distinguished panelists from different UN organizations were invited to this side event to explore the elements of what a UN Partnership on Sustainable Fashion could look like.

During this side event, it was announced that UN Environment would be taking on hosting responsibilities for the first year of the Alliance. Also, the ITC has agreed to host the event in the following year.

Co-hosting UN organisations:

           UN Economic Commission for Europe
           UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs
           International Trade Centre
           UN Environment
           International Labour Organization
           UN Global Compact
           UN Framework Convention on Climate Change
           Connect4Climate - World Bank Group
           UN Office for Partnerships
           UN Conference on Trade and Development

Photo Credit: Kaia Rose / Connect4Climate

Program

  July 10, 2018 - 1:15-2:30 PM (EDT) - Opening Remarks - Side event at High Level Political Forum, Conference Room 4

           H.E. Marie Chatardová, President of ECOSOC

           Ms. Olga Algayerova, Executive-Secretary, UNECE

  Keynote speeches

           Mr. Paolo Naldini, Director, Cittadellarte, Fashion B.E.S.T.

           Ms. Laura Choi, President, Fashion for Conservation

           Ms. Ava J. Holmes, Co-Founder, Fashion for Conservation

  Discussion: Elements for a UN Partnership on Sustainable Fashion and how your organization can contribute

           Ms. Birgit Lia Altmann, Assistant Economic Affairs Officer, UNECE
           Ms. Amber Barth, Senior Program Officer, ILO Office for the United Nations in New York
           Ms. Chloé Mukai, Project and Communications Manager, Ethical Fashion Initiative, ITC
           Ms. Elisa Tonda, Head, Consumption and Production Unit, UN Environment
           Ms. Lindita Xhaferi-Salihu, Global Climate Action Outreach Office, UNFCCC
           Ms. Lilian Liu, Manager of Partnerships, UN Global Compact
           Mr. Ola Goransson, Partnerships Coordinator, Divisions for Sustainable Development Goals, UNDESA
           Mr. Francis James Dobbs, Senior Advisor, Connect4Climate, Global Engagement and Partnerships, World Bank Group
           Ms. Karen Newman, Expert, United Nations
           Ms. Teresa Moreira, Head of Competition and Consumer Policies Branch, UNCTAD (presented by Ms. Leonie Meier, UNECE)

  Conclusions and next steps

          Ms. Monika Linn, Principal Advisor and Chief, Sustainable Development and Gender Unit, UNECE

The 2018 SDG Index and Dashboards report presents a revised and updated assessment of countries’ distance to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It includes detailed SDG Dashboards to help identify implementation priorities for the SDGs. The report also provides a ranking of countries by the aggregate SDG Index of overall performance.

Download the report

This year’s report includes several improvements and additions in comparison to previous versions. It incorporates trend data for the first time. New indicators have been added to cover more accurately the SDGs and associated targets with a special focus on “leave no one behind” for OECD member states. We present data for all 193 UN member states and estimate absolute SDG achievement gaps to complement per capita estimates. Building on the 2017 report, we expand the analysis of international SDG spillovers and present an overall SDG spillover index.

This year, three Nordic countries, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, top the global SDG Index ranking, yet all three still face major challenges in achieving the SDGs. Due to several changes in indicators and some adjustments in the methodology, the results from the 2018 SDG Index and Dashboard are not comparable to the 2017 results. In particular, changes in country scores or rankings cannot be interpreted as SDG progress or regress since last year.

2018 SDG Index and Dashboards Report generates six additional findings:

Most G20 countries have started SDGs implementation, but important gaps remain

Results from the novel survey on national SDG implementation mechanisms conducted by the SDSN and the Bertelsmann Stiftung show large variations among G20 countries in how the SDGs are embraced by the political leadership and translated into institutional mechanisms. Some countries have established dedicated coordination units, strategies and action plans, and accountability systems, while others lag behind on some or all of these dimensions. More data and analyses are needed to gauge the level of ambition and effectiveness of SDG strategies, tools, and processes.

No country is on track towards achieving all SDGs

For the first time, we are able to show that no country is on track to achieve all the goals by 2030. For example, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland top the 2018 SDG Index, but they need to significantly accelerate progress towards achieving some goals, including Goal 12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production) and Goal 13 (Climate Action).

Conflicts are leading to reversals in SDG progress

Most developing countries have experienced significant progress towards ending extreme poverty in all its forms, including income poverty, undernourishment, access to health and education services, and access to basic infrastructure. Achievement gaps are greatest towards universal completion of secondary education. Countries experiencing conflict have experienced some of the sharpest reversals, particularly towards achieving Goal 1 (No Poverty) and Goal 2 (No Hunger).

Progress towards sustainable consumption and production patterns is too slow

High-income countries obtain their lowest scores on Goal 12 (Sustainable Consumption and Production) and Goal 14 (Life Below Water). While no trend data are available for Goal 12, the data for Goal 14 suggest that most of high-income countries have made no progress in recent years towards achieving the Goal. Trends on Goal 15 (Life on Land) are also insufficient. They show that further efforts are needed to protect the biodiversity and support sustainable production and consumption.

High-income countries generate negative SDG spillover effects

High-income countries generate significant environmental, economic, and security spillover effects that undermine other countries’ efforts to achieve the SDGs. Yet, there is high variation in spillovers among countries with a similar per capita income. This suggests that countries can reduce their negative spillover effects without reducing their per capita incomes.

Inequalities in economic and social outcomes require better data

Newly added indicators for OECD countries focusing on inequalities in economic, health, and education outcomes lower the SDG Index scores for some countries. This suggests significant shortfalls in ensuring that no one is left behind, which are hidden by aggregate data. Such disaggregated data are unavailable for most non-OECD countries, so greater investments are needed to fill these data gaps.

The 2018 SDG Index and Dashboard report presents regional dashboards of SDG achievement and trends towards the goals. Country-level data on SDG implementation is consolidated in two-page country profiles for every UN member states, available in the “Country Profiles” section. Data profiles for each SDG Indicator are presented online on www.sdgindex.org.

The inaugural Transition Monaco Forum, an action-oriented global platform dedicated to accelerating and accompanying the ecological and energy transition, concluded on June 27th with a clear message: we must act today to move toward a zero-carbon economy and preserve our planet for future generations.

Next edition slated for June 2019

“The environmental transition is now, and we are at a particularly important moment in history—we are in a battle against global warming which we cannot afford to lose. We’ve succeeded in forming a community of key stakeholders from diverse industries, sectors, and countries dedicated to accelerating the environmental transition. The ultimate success of this Forum will depend on the concrete actions that evolve — in financing, new products, and new technologies — from the dialogue and collaborations initiated at this Forum. We invite everyone to come back to Monaco in June 2019 and report back on their progress over the coming year.”

Lionel le Maux, President of Aqua Asset Management and Co-founder of Transition Monaco Forum

Watch the Monaco Transition Forum videos on YouTube

Take a look at the Workshops takeaways

Nearly 500 participants and over 100 speakers from 43 countries — including government and business leaders, investors, entrepreneurs, top experts, and members of civil society — gathered on June 26 and 27 in Monaco to debate the theme “reinventing business models” to combine economic viability and sustainability.

Highlights from the Transition Monaco Forum

 H.S.H. the Sovereign Prince Albert II, Prince of Monaco and Chair of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Sustainability and Legacy Commission and Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris and C40 Cities Chair, announced a unique global partnership between the IOC and C40 to organize sustainable Olympic Games.

Credits to Transition Monaco Forum

 Richard Attias, Executive Chairman of Richard Attias & Associates, which organized the Forum, committed to making events organized by his company more sustainable: “We commit to reinforcing practical and technical solutions to reduce the ecological footprint of our events. In addition, we have decided to compensate the carbon emissions financially in partnership with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation,” said Attias.

 Speakers agreed that educating future generations is critical. 3.8 billion people around the world are below the age of 35. We need to show them positive examples of solutions that work and empower them to take ownership of their future.“We must inspire children to make lasting change,” said Gunter Pauli, businessman and renowned author of the Blue Economy. “We need to work with what the Earth is already producing—we cannot expect the Earth to produce more,” he added.

 Financing is one of the biggest roadblocks to scaling innovation. But, investors and top experts agreed that investing in the green economy is profitable.

“Green is profitable. Every year, the world invests $300 billion in renewable energies, because there are proven returns.”

Alzbeta Klein, Director and Global Head of Climate Business for IFC, the third largest issuer of green bonds in the world

“Companies with a lower carbon footprint are generating better returns, and that is the most interesting for our investors,” said Pedro Antonio Arias, Global Head of Real and Alternative Assets at Amundi Asset Management.

  In discussing new stakeholder behaviors, panelists agreed that the private sector has a vital role to play in leading a successful transition because the cost to adapt to climate change cannot be covered by governments alone. More than ever, we need a multi-stakeholder approach and innovative local and global collaboration between large companies, small companies, regulators, and investors to speed up the transition to a clean future.

 While discussing regulations and how to incentivize businesses to “go clean,” delegates agreed that policies need to enable the transition rather than inhibit it. “When we talk about the clean energy transition we are talking about an overhaul of the energy system to a decentralized system that relies on individuals,” said Rob van Reit, Director of Climate and Energy, World Future Council.

 Innovation is at the heart of the transition, and the Forum highlighted a number of innovative and sustainable initiatives, many coming from small companies— from the solar kiosks in Africa to plastic-waste and hydrogen-powered vessels, to disruptive agricultural technologies and sustainable engineering solutions. 

              “Technical and innovative solutions exist—the problem is how to finance them. The financial needs are huge, and that is one of the biggest problems of developing countries,” said Bernard Fautrier, Vice President of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.

              While Olivier Biancarelli, CEO of Tractebel-Engie, reminded participants that: “Innovation is great and necessary, but with the urgency of the situation we are facing with climate change, we have to act and react right now. Solutions exist. We do not have to wait for the next great innovation.”

 With 75% of humanity predicted to live in cities by 2050, Cities and Territories have a crucial role to play in the clean economy and are taking local level action without waiting for national initiatives. Panelists from both private and public sectors were asked to propose ideas to scale up innovative solutions which address the social, economic and environmental challenges deriving from fast-paced urbanization. Referring to successful initiatives in Africa, France, Israel, the US and around the world, their key recommendations included:
              More multi-lateral partnerships between the key stakeholders in the ecosystem: between the public and private sector, between small, medium and large companies, and between regions, companies, and experts;
              Engaging and empowering people in local communities, particularly women and younger generations;
              Increased financing for small and medium-sized companies with proven, sustainable and profitable business models; and
              Integrated planning and the need to modify legal frameworks in order to increase the efficiency of innovative projects.

Watch the "Transition Monaco Forum Highlights" video

Eight sector-specific workshops challenged delegates to identify viable ways for businesses and industries to collaborate and transform their business models in the face of climate change, a growing population and depletion of resources. Some of the key outcomes included:

        Water workshop participants suggested blended finance collaborations and concluded that standardization is needed to be able to classify assets, projects, and companies within a globally-recognized set of criteria. Impact Measurement is also key to allow the comparison of investments against each other.

        On Mobility and Supply Chain, delegates agreed that companies must tackle the environmental impact across their operations, products and services and their entire value chain. They identified game-changing opportunities for impact finance and patient capital to enable environmental efficiency and social impact at scale in sectors like mining and proposed that new technologies such as blockchain can recreate trust and ensure traceability.

        Textiles and Circular Economy workshop participants examined the role cities can play in activating circular behavior with fashion consumers. They recommended introducing pilot programs in cities and providing regulatory and financial incentives.

         Plastic vs. Ocean workshop participants discussed new business models that could significantly reduce plastic pollution from coastal cities to the ocean. Their key recommendations included the need to have shared governance involving public actors, mobilizing big brands to help, combining public and private finance, and developing a “prime mover” pilot project to increase the competition between territories on this issue.

        Key takeaways from the Waste workshop, which focused on anaerobic digestion as a sustainable solution that turns organic waste into resources, included: the need to increase the valorization of waste through regulation, financial incentives, and promoting the positive effects of projects, such as job creation, energy access and transition, and food security. 

Transition Monaco Forum thanks the following partners for their support: Amundi, Aqua Asset Management, Aurum Monaco, Engie, Evergaz, EY, Famae, Gold Truffle Engineering, The Mission for Energy Transition (Principality of Monaco), Monacotech, Optivadarna, SLB Group, and SMEG.

Media partners included: African Business, Challenges, CleanTechnica, Connect4Climate, Forbes, France Médias Monde, Hub Culture, the New York Times and Spark News.

Are you 18-30 and taking part in activities to fight climate change? Send a 3-minute video for a chance to be a youth reporter at the UN Climate Change Conference in Poland in December. The deadline is on August 31, 2018.

Entry Form

Before participate, please take a look at the following requirements:

 

  Video up to 3 minutes long

 

​  Aged between 18 and 30

 

​  Spoken or subtitled English

 

​  Enter from any country

 

​  Submit by August 31, 2018

 

One winner in each of the two categories

Category One: Responsible production & consumption

How we make and use the products and goods we use in everyday life plays an important role in tackling climate change. Taking raw materials from the ground, manufacturing products and then throwing away our used products and waste materials can all add to greenhouse gas emissions. But there are low-carbon ways to design, produce, supply and recycle products.We can live more climate friendly lifestyles if we manage our natural resources sustainably, and be more energy and resource efficient during the entire life-cycle of the goods we consume.

 

 

 

Submit videos that showcase your activities that contribute to responsible production and consumption. Examples of submissions:

 

      ​  Carrying out climate friendly solutions/ideas on how to promote sustainable production or consumption

      ​  Campaigns to promote behavioural change

      ​  Initiatives to reduce emissions during the lifecycle of goods, in areas such as:

             ​  unnecessary consumption

             ​  sustainable fashion

             ​  sharing economy

             ​  reusing goods and materials

             ​  transporting goods

             ​  locally focused economy

             ​  reducing waste

Category Two: Green and climate friendly jobs

New job opportunities are opening up in a range of environmentally-friendly sectors such as renewable energy, sustainable design, recycling, energy efficiency, electric vehicles or sustainable agriculture. Green jobs can improve energy efficiency, limit greenhouse gas emissions, and help people adapt to the effects of climate change.New business ideas, green industrialization, and education can all add to the creation of safe and meaningful work in a low-carbon economy.

 

 

 

Submit videos that showcase your activities that contribute to creation of climate friendly jobs. Examples of submissions:

 

      ​  Work or new businesses that improve the economy and addresses climate change

      ​  Green jobs and careers related to:

             ​  Renewable energy

             ​  Food waste

             ​  Construction and infrastructure

             ​  Transportation

             ​  Green design

      ​  Technical and job-based training for green jobs

      ​  Educational campaigns promoting sustainable employment

      ​  Research to develop a low-carbon economy