5th International Symposium on Sustainability | How to Engage Society and Deploy Decarbonization

Timezone:

Venice International University and Alcantara are organizing the symposium "Climate 'How': How to Engage Society and Deploy Decarbonization," which will explore the question of how best to generate engagement with climate change issues across different levels of society. The symposium is supported by the World Bank Group’s Connect4Climate global partnership program.

Participate Now in Greenpeace’s 2019 Online Film Festival

This Monday marks the start of week two of Greenpeace’s second annual online film festival, which aims to raise awareness of a wide range of climate and sustainability issues by providing the 15 documentary films under consideration free to watch online and enlisting everyday netizens as judges

Indigenous and Rural Women Are Agents for Change

Highlights:

Indigenous and rural women make up more than half of the up to 2.5 billion people who use and rely on the world's collectively held lands.
Indigenous and rural women are advocates, leaders, and experts on issues like food security and climate change. Recognizing their rights is not only a matter of justice but also critical to achieving global climate and development goals.
Yet for too long, global development agendas have overlooked their specific needs and contributions, or chose to view them only as victims.
In a new video, advocates from around the world speak out on why land rights hold particular significance for indigenous and rural women.

“The earth is what gives life. It is that which gives food; It is the dispensation of traditional medicines. And for people who depend on forests in their territory, it is very important because without it there is no health, there is no education, there is no collective life for Indigenous Peoples, and above all for women.”

— Fany Kuiru, indigenous Uitoto leader (pictured above)

As the global development community calls for greater collaboration to address shared goals, it is becoming increasingly well known that land rights matter for sustainable development. Secure tenure rights fight extreme poverty and hunger, combat climate change, and promote gender equality. For women in particular, the recognition of their land and resource rights often underpins personal agency and empowerment. These rights to productive assets increase women’s economic security and decision-making power—and help them shield themselves and their families from injustices such as poverty and domestic violence.

Less well recognized are the specific needs and contributions of the world’s indigenous and rural women, who make up more than half of the up to 2.5 billion people who use and rely on collectively held lands.

In this context—where lands are held and managed by communities rather than by individuals—indigenous and rural women are largely responsible for food production and developing sustainable rural economies. They have unique knowledge of natural resources and are on the front lines of preventing deforestation, revitalizing food systems, and stewarding the ecosystems that they and the rest of the planet rely on. And their leadership is only growing as a result of demographic shifts.

Despite these important contributions as household and forest managers, women are too often left out of decision-making processes that affect them, and remain constrained by unjust laws and practices. According to a 2017 study of over 400 laws from countries across Latin America, Asia, and Africa, none of the 30 countries analyzed adequately respect indigenous and rural women’s rights to community forests. The analysis also demonstrates a particularly pressing need for legal reforms regarding women’s inheritance and governance rights.

But this is changing. As women speak up to share their experiences and knowledge, they are calling for a new narrative—one that views them not as victims, but as leaders and agents of change. And as more women share their stories, they are provoking crucial conversations about power and effecting concrete change on the ground.

“ I can really state, openly and loudly, that where women have security to land, there is positive impact. They have more access to decision-making mechanisms within the community because of the economic power they have gained through ownership of the land.”

— Cécile Ndjebet, President of REFACOF (pictured above)

Together, they are developing a new strategy for collaborative action across five key areas identified at the convening:

“Normally your parents should care for you and give you your own piece of inheritance, but because you are a girl, they don't consider that you will be developing the family,” explains Cécile Ndjebet, President of the African Women’s Network for Community Management of Forests (REFACOF).

“These are the practices we need to work on, and try to work on with the traditional chiefs. Because today you cannot say that it is only the girl or the boy who has economic importance in the family—and I can really state, openly and loudly, that where women have security to land, there is positive impact. They have more access to decision-making mechanisms within the community because of the economic power they have gained through ownership of the land.”

Ndjebet is one of 21 women and men from 14 countries who came together in May in Washington, DC to discuss this critical issue, share lessons learned, and chart a path forward for increased collaboration to scale up recognition of women’s land and resource rights.

Women’s leadership and participation in decision-making and forest governance
Prevention of criminalization of land defenders
Indigenous and rural women’s economic empowerment in the context of community-held lands and forests
The creation of a global narrative on the importance of women’s community land rights and leadership
(Continue) supporting indigenous and rural women's participation in national reform processes and policy formulations

Aminatu Gambo, a young leader from the International Indigenous Women’s Forum, noted that, “It is very important for women to take part in decision-making processes, not people taking decision on their behalf.”

Learn more about why land matters from participants in this emerging partnership to deliver for indigenous and rural women and girls—in their own words:

[video:https://vimeo.com/299267523]

New Era of Global Climate Action to Begin Under Just-Ratified Guidelines

Governments have adopted a robust set of guidelines for implementing the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement.

The implementation of the agreement will benefit people from all walks of life, especially the most vulnerable.

The agreed ‘Katowice Climate Package’ is designed to operationalize the climate change regime contained in the Paris Agreement. Under the auspices of the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat, it will promote international cooperation and encourage greater ambition.

The guidelines will promote trust among nations that all countries are playing their part in addressing the challenge of climate change.

"All nations have worked tirelessly. All nations showed their commitment. All nations can leave Katowice with a sense of pride, knowing that their efforts have paid off. The guidelines contained in the Katowice Climate Package provide the basis for implementing the agreement as of 2020."

The President of COP24, Mr. Michal Kurtyka of Poland

The President of COP24, Mr. Michal Kurtyka

The Katowice package includes guidelines that will operationalize the transparency framework.

It sets out how countries will provide information about their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that describe their domestic climate actions. This information includes mitigation and adaptation measures as well as details of financial support for climate action in developing countries.

The package also includes guidelines that relate to:

The process for establishing new targets on finance from 2025 onwards to follow-on from the current target of mobilizing USD 100 billion per year from 2020 to support developing countries

How to conduct the Global Stocktake of the effectiveness of climate action in 2023

How to assess progress on the development and transfer of technology

"This is an excellent achievement! The multilateral system has delivered a solid result. This is a roadmap for the international community to decisively address climate change. The guidelines that delegations have been working on day and night are balanced and clearly reflect how responsibilities are distributed amongst the world’s nations. They incorporate the fact that countries have different capabilities and economic and social realities at home while providing the foundation for ever increasing ambition."

The UN’s Climate Chief, Ms. Patricia Espinosa

The UN’s Climate Chief, Ms. Patricia Espinosa

The agreed guidelines mean that countries can now establish the national systems that are needed for implementing the Paris Agreement as of 2020. The same will be done at the international level.

Functioning together, these systems will ensure that nations can act in an atmosphere of trust and assess the progress of their climate actions.

“While some details will need to be finalized and improved over time, the system is to the largest part place,” Ms. Espinosa said.

Photo Credits: Kaia Rose / Connect4Climate

The main issues still to be resolved concern the use of cooperative approaches, as well as the sustainable development mechanism, as contained in the Paris Agreement’s article 6. These would allow countries to meet a part of their domestic mitigation goals through the use of so-called “market mechanisms.”

Market mechanisms provide flexible instruments for reducing the costs of cutting emissions, such as carbon markets.

Here, the Paris Agreement recognizes the need for global rules to safeguard the integrity of all countries’ efforts.

These global rules are important to ensure that each tonne of emissions released into the atmosphere is accounted for.

In this way, progress towards the emission limitation goals of the Paris Agreement can be accurately measured.

Photo Credits: Kaia Rose / Connect4Climate

“From the beginning of the COP, it very quickly became clear that this was one area that still required much work and that the details to operationalize this part of the Paris Agreement had not yet been sufficiently explored,” explained Ms. Espinosa.

“After many rich exchanges and constructive discussions, the greatest majority of countries were willing to agree and include the guidelines to operationalize the market mechanisms in the overall package,” she said.

“Unfortunately, in the end, the differences could not be overcome.”

Because of this, countries have agreed to finalize the details for market mechanisms in the coming year in view of adopting them at the next UN Climate Change Conference (COP25).

Talanoa Dialogue and Action Before 2020

The Fiji-led Talanoa Dialogue, a year-long inclusive dialogue around ambition as it relates to the Paris Agreement, concluded at COP24, with the Global warming of 1.5C report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a major input.

“As the decision adopted indicates, there is a clear recognition of the IPCC’s role in providing scientific input to inform countries in strengthening their response to the threat of climate change,” Ms. Espinosa underlined.

“I thank all experts for their hard work and important contribution to the IPCC’s work,” she added.

The final High-Level session in Katowice resulted in the Talanoa Call for Action, which calls upon all countries and stakeholders to act with urgency.

Countries are encouraged to factor the outcome of the dialogue into efforts to increase their ambition and to update their nationally determined contributions, which detail nations’ climate actions, in 2020.

A High-Level stock-taking of actions taken before 2020 gave countries the opportunity to assess their current level of ambition. Another stock-taking is planned for 2019.

“While there are clearly gaps that remain, the stock-take of actions taken before 2020 and the Talanoa Dialogue have clearly shown that the world has built a strong foundation for climate action under the Paris Agreement”, said Ms. Espinosa.

Photo Credits: Kaia Rose / Connect4Climate

Major Announcements

Many developed countries pledged financial support to enable developing countries to act. This is especially important for the replenishment of the Green Climate Fund.

Countries have sent significant positive signals towards GCF’s first formal replenishment, with Germany and Norway announcing that they would double their contributions.

The Adaptation Fund received a total of USD 129 million.

The engagement of multilateral development banks (MDBs), international organizations, businesses, investors and civil society at COP24 helped to build the political will towards the outcome in Katowice.

Many made key announcements that were critical to building momentum. These include:

The World Bank’s pledge of $200 billion in climate action funding for the period 2021-2025;

The MDBs announcement to align their activities with the goals of the Paris Agreement;

The commitment of fifteen international organizations to make their operations climate neutral;

The announcement by the C40 Cities coalition, which includes cities across the globe, to work with the IPCC to identify how the Global Warming of 1.5C report can apply to cities’ climate actions.

The next United Nations Climate Change Conference will take place in Chile and consultations will provide clarity on the city and the exact date of the conference in due course.

Banner photo credits to Kaia Rose / Connect4Climate. Thumbnail photo credits to UNFCCC

Join the Talanoa Call for Action

Today, at the closing of the Talanoa Dialogue, the Presidencies of this and last years’ UN Climate Change Conferences (COP24 and COP23) issued the Talanoa Call for Action. This statement calls for the urgent and rapid mobilization of all societal actors to step up their efforts intending to meeting the global climate goals agreed in Paris in 2015. The calls to action were delivered by youth champions Timoci Naulusala from Fiji and Hanna Wojdowska from Poland.

The closing session concluded 21 ministerial roundtables – convened on the previous day at COP24, which runs to the end of the week here in Katowice, Poland. The roundtables brought together nearly 100 ministers and over 40 non-Party stakeholders to chart a way forward for global climate action.

“It is with great joy and commitment that the Polish Presidency co-leads with Fiji the Talanoa Dialogue. The exchange of experiences and good practices, which is guided by the idea of Dialogue, is particularly important at this stage – the Dialogue’s discussion will focus on the question: how do we want to achieve the goal? A similar question constitutes the main issue of COP24, that is, the establishment of the Katowice Rules mapping out the viable paths that each country will follow in their efforts at intensifying actions for climate protection. The Talanoa Dialogue is therefore closely interwoven with the main task of COP24 – developing specific methods of combating climate change that is optimal for each Party.”

Michał Kurtyka, COP24

COP 24 President Michał Kurtyka

Afterward, the Prime Minister of Fiji, H.E. Frank Bainimarama, President of COP23, said that the time for talking and listening – as important as that has been and will continue to be in the Talanoa process – must now also give way to action.

“The Talanoa Dialogue now must give way to the Talanoa Call for Action. Together, we must recognize the gravity of the challenge we face – the need to increase our collective nationally determined contributions fivefold – five times more ambition, five times more action – if we are to achieve the 1.5-degree target. Together, we must unreservedly accept the science and the advice that our present NDCs have us on target for warming of at least 3 degrees by century’s end. Together, we must commit to continuing exchanging ideas and best practices to raise our NDCs and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Together, we can overcome the greatest threat humanity has ever faced – with the entire global community eventually emerging more prosperous and more resilient."

Prime Minister of Fiji, H.E. Frank Bainimarama, President of COP23

Prime Minister of Fiji, H.E. Frank Bainimarama, President of COP23

Overall, today’s “call for action” represents the outcome of a year-long process that has, for the first time in UN Climate Change’s history, brought together governments and thousands of actors from across the world in informal discussions on international climate policy that have seen virtually all segments of society have their say.

The call is issued against the backdrop of stark warnings in several recent UN reports – including the IPCC’s Special Report on 1.5 and UNEP’s Emissions Gap Report – which show that greenhouse gas emissions continue to grow and only rapid and far-reaching action on an unprecedented scale, together with adequate resources and technology, can prevent the worst climate impacts, and help transition economies to a just, clean future.

It, therefore, sends a critical political signal to governments as they embark on updating their national climate pledges and preparing long-term climate strategies, due by 2020.

Frank Bainimarama and Michał Kurtyka

Prime Minister of Fiji Frank Bainimarama and COP 24 President Michał Kurtyka. Photo Credits: Kaia Rose / Connect4Climate

In the spirit of the Talanoa Dialogue – which was inclusive of the inputs of all actors throughout 2018 – the statement captures a series of “calls” directed at governments, international agencies, non-Party stakeholders, civil society, spiritual leaders and youth, as a means of fostering stronger political will and action. The Presidencies now invite all stakeholders – including the general public – to join the Talanoa Call for Action to amplify the message and spread support.

The Talanoa Dialogue – borrowing from the traditional Fijian way of holding conversations to tackle collective issues – was convened as part of the UN climate talks and gathered views on three guiding questions concerning the climate crisis: Where we are? Where do we want to go? How do we get there?

Its purpose was to take stock of global efforts since the Paris Agreement was adopted and inform the preparation of nationally determined contributions. The response has been overwhelming, showing unprecedented levels of climate action by governments, businesses, civil society, citizens, and many others. Under the third question, the process identified myriad solutions and ways forward to meet the Paris goals.

It is noteworthy that in many cases the views gathered from non-Party stakeholders are those of coalitions of actors spanning many different countries and representing a sizeable share of the world population and world economy.

Virtually all contributions show alarm at the gap between current levels of ambition and action and what is required to achieve Paris Agreement goal and call for an enhanced determination from all to create an enabling environment and remove barriers to unleash untapped potential.

Banner and thumbnail photo credits to Kaia Rose / Connect4Climate

Sports industry launches Climate Action Framework at COP24

The sports sector and UN Climate Change have officially launched the Sports for Climate Action Framework to rally sports organizations, teams, athletes, and fans in a concerted effort to raise climate awareness and inspire action to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Climate Action Now: Summary for Policymakers 2018

This Summary for Policymakers is mandated by the Paris Agreement to provide Parties with information on specific policies, practices and actions representing best practices and with the potential to be scalable and replicable.

Yearbook of Global Climate Action 2018 - Marrakech Partnership

The urgency for all levels of government, the private sector and civil society to take immediate action to limit global warming and avoid the worst effects of climate change has been reinforced this year by the messages in the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5°C. The vital role that non-Party stakeholders (cities, regions, businesses, civil society) can play in driving ambition and delivering action was recognized by the IPCC report and by the Paris Agreement.

Milestone Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action launched

The global fashion industry made a significant push toward addressing climate change today by launching the Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action.

Rapid action urged as key UN Climate Change Conference opens

Following a year of devastating climate disasters around the globe, from California to Kerala, and Tonga to Japan, the annual UN Climate Change Conference (COP24) opens today with the goal of finalising the implementation guidelines for the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

The guidelines will provide clarity on how to implement the landmark agreement fairly and transparently for all.

Specifically, they will strengthen international cooperation by ensuring that national contributions to the global effort are transparent, responsibility is shared fairly and progress on reducing emissions and building resilience can be accurately measured.

“This year is likely to be one of the four hottest years on record. Greenhouses gas concentrations in the atmosphere are at record levels and emissions continue to rise. Climate change impacts have never been worse. This reality is telling us that we need to do much more – COP24 needs to make that happen”.

Patricia Espinosa, the UN’s Climate Chief

Patricia Espinosa, UN’s Climate Chief

A finalized set of implementation guidelines will unleash practical climate actions with respect to all the targets and goals of the Paris Agreement, including adapting to climate change impacts, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing financial and other support to developing countries.

Six months after the 2015 Paris Summit, the negotiations on the implementation guidelines were launched and COP24 was set as the deadline. While governments are committed to finalizing the guidelines in order to unleash the full potential of the agreement, a great deal of work still remains to be completed in Katowice.

“The 2015 Paris Agreement entered into force faster than any other agreement of its kind. I now call on all countries to come together, to build upon this success and to make the agreement fully functional. We are ready to work with all nations to ensure that we leave Katowice with a full set of implementation guidelines and with the knowledge that we have served the world and its people."

COP President, Mr. Michal Kurtyka

Ms. Espinosa noted that countries have strong backing for rapid climate action, given that public awareness and demand for solutions have increased due to clear evidence that our climate is changing.

“We simply cannot tell millions of people around the globe who are already suffering from the effects of climate change that we did not deliver”, she said.

Talanoa Dialogue

The conference is being held hot on the heels of the Global Warming of 1.5C report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, as well as a cascade of UN and other reports on increasing greenhouse gas concentrations and emissions and on health and other serious impacts.

“All of these findings confirm the need to maintain the strongest commitment to the Paris Agreement’s aims of limiting global warming to well below 2ºC and pursuing efforts towards 1.5ºC”, Ms. Espinosa stressed.

“All our focus should be on reaching this aim and on building up ambition towards it”, she added.

COP24 will also conclude the year-long, Fiji-led Talanoa Dialogue, the first-ever international conversation of its kind to assess progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, including the goal of limiting global temperature increases.

One of the dialogue’s aims is to find practical and local solutions for how countries can increase their ambition in the next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which describe their individual efforts to reduce national emissions.

During the high-level event that will conclude the Talanoa Dialogue, Ministers will consider the IPCC’s 1.5ºC report and its relevance in the context of future actions.

“It is my hope that this will give Ministers the opportunity to provide a political signal for enhanced ambition”, Ms. Espinosa said.

COP highlights

Following a procedural opening on Sunday, 2 December, to enable work to begin quickly, Monday will be the grand opening ceremony graced by the presence of some 40 Heads of State and Heads of Government.

Photo Credits: Kaia Rose / Connect4Climate

In a world-first, and supported by the in-coming Polish COP presidency, the UN has launched the “People’s Seat” initiative. During Monday’s opening ceremony, the initiative will open a new window for people to express their views through social media and digital technology.

It will also aim to engage people from all walks of life around the globe in the growing momentum to take climate action in their personal lives.

Climate action before 2020

At the COP, Ministers will have the opportunity to engage in several high-level events, which all highlight the key elements of current climate change efforts.

These high-level events will address some critical aspects of climate action before the year 2020, including:

The Pre-2020 Stocktake will assess climate actions to be taken before 2020

The High-level Ministerial Dialogue on Climate Finance will consider the state of global climate finance flows as captured by the third Biennial Assessment.

The High-level Global Climate Action Event will offer a unique vision of how the world is affected by climate change and how different sectors are tackling the issue.

Together, all events provide Ministers with a space to have frank and open discussions on progress made to date.

Capacity-building for climate action, a critically important element for developing countries now and in the future, will receive a significant boost at COP24.

At a specially created capacity-building hub, some 35 events will cover topics such as implementing NDCs, integrating gender into climate action and utilizing the knowledge of indigenous peoples.

The Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action

The growing momentum for climate action by non-Party stakeholders such as cities, regions, businesses and investors will be showcased throughout the COP.

This momentum already represents USD 36 trillion in economic activity and is growing steadily.

Showcasing these events at the COP is leading to a new form of inclusive multilateralism that is vital to achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Well over 100 events will highlight action in transport, water, land-use, energy, the fashion industry, to name a few, representing the spectrum of climate action. They will include CEOs, Mayors, Governors and other leaders from civil society at large.

About the UNFCCC

With 197 Parties, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has near universal membership and is the parent treaty of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement. The main aim of the Paris Agreement is to keep a global average temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The UNFCCC is also the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The ultimate objective of all agreements under the UNFCCC is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system, in a time frame which allows ecosystems to adapt naturally and enables sustainable development.

Banner and thumbnail photo credits to Kaia Rose / Connect4Climate