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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

World Bank Group Announces $200 Billion Over Five Years for Climate Action

The World Bank Group today announced a new set of climate targets for 2021-2025, doubling its current 5-year investments to around $200 billion so as to better enable countries to take meaningful climate action. The new plan significantly boosts support for adaptation and resilience, recognizing mounting climate change impacts on lives and livelihoods, especially in the world’s poorest countries. It also represents renewed ambition from the World Bank Group, and serves as a vital message to the wider global community: the time to act is now.

“Climate change is an existential threat to the world’s poorest and most vulnerable. These new targets demonstrate how seriously we are taking this issue, investing and mobilizing $200 billion over five years to combat climate change. We are pushing ourselves to do more and to go faster on climate and we call on the global community to do the same. This is about putting countries and communities in charge of building a safer, more climate-resilient future.”

World Bank Group President, Jim Yong Kim

The $200 billion total is composed of approximately $100 billion in direct finance from the World Bank (IBRD/IDA) and approximately $100 billion of combined direct finance from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) plus private capital mobilized by the World Bank Group.

A key priority is boosting support for climate adaptation, in recognition of the fact that millions of people across the world are already facing the severe consequences of extreme weather. By ramping up direct adaptation finance to around $50 billion over FY21-25, the World Bank will, for the first time, stress adaptation investments and reduction investments equally.

“People are losing their lives and livelihoods because of the disastrous effects of climate change. We must fight the causes, but also adapt to the consequences that are often most dramatic for the world’s poorest people. This is why we at the World Bank commit to step up climate finance to $100 billion, half of which will go to build better adapted homes, schools and infrastructure, and invest in climate smart agriculture, sustainable water management and responsive social safety nets.”

World Bank Chief Executive Officer, Kristalina Georgieva

The new financing will ensure that adaptation is undertaken in a systematic fashion, and the World Bank will develop a new rating system to track and incentivize global progress. Actions will include supporting higher-quality forecasts, early warning systems and climate information services to better prepare 250 million people in 30 developing countries for climate risks. In addition, the expected investments will build more climate-responsive social protection systems in 40 countries, and finance climate-smart agriculture investments in 20 countries.

“There are literally trillions of dollars of opportunities for the private sector to invest in projects that will help save the planet. Our job is to go out and proactively find those opportunities, use our de-risking tools, and crowd in private sector investment. We will do much more in helping finance renewable energy, green buildings, climate-smart agribusiness, urban transportation, water, and urban waste management.”

Philippe Le Houérou, IFC Chief Executive Officer

IFC CEO Philippe Le Houérou

The new targets build on the World Bank Group’s 2016 Climate Change Action Plan. In 2018, the World Bank Group provided a record-breaking $20.5 billion in finance for climate action, doubling delivery from the year before the Paris Agreement and meeting its 2020 target two years ahead of schedule.

The World Bank Group will continue to integrate climate considerations into its work. It will screen projects for climate risks, build in appropriate risk mitigation measures, disclose both gross and net greenhouse gas emissions, and apply a shadow carbon price for all material investments.

To increase system-wide impact, the World Bank Group will support the integration of climate considerations in policy planning, investment design, implementation and evaluation. It will also help at least 20 countries implement and update Nationally Determined Contributions and increase engagement with Ministries of Finance in the design and implementation of transformative low-carbon policies.

Objectives will vary by sector.

In Energy: Support the generation and integration of 36 GW of renewable energy and 1.5 million GWh equivalent of energy savings through efficiency improvement;

In Cities: Help 100 cities achieve low-carbon emissions cycles, resilient urban planning, and transit-oriented development;

In Food and Land-Use: Increase integrated landscape management in up to 50 countries, covering up to 120 million hectares of forests.

World Bank Youth Summit 2018: Unleashing the Power of Human Capital

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Established in 2013, the Youth Summit is an annual event held by the World Bank Group (WBG) to engage with youth globally on the most pressing topics facing their generation.

Watch the event LIVE

Talanoa Talks on Climate Change

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The Talanoa Dialogue's purpose is to share stories, build empathy, and help leaders make wise decisions for the collective good. Join The Fijian Prime Minister - President of the COP23 Talks - for a London edition of the “Talanoa Talks”. On 29 November, on the eve of the world convening for major climate talks in Poland - COP24 - extraordinary speakers from all over the world will share their stories and discuss the way forward at the most pivotal time yet.

Bill Nye, Jaden Smith, and Jonathan Scott are spreading the word about 24 Hours of Reality

Every year, we’re lucky to be joined by a long list of thought leaders, policymakers, business innovators, TV, film and music stars, scientists, and on-the-ground climate activists for our annual global broadcast of 24 Hours of Reality.

This year’s show will be no different. We’re still confirming many of the guests who will join former US Vice President Al Gore during the 24 straight hours we’re broadcasting live from Los Angeles, from 6 PM PST on December 3 through 6 PM PST on December 4. But we’re excited to announce that some of our absolute favorites are set to join us for 24 Hours of Reality: Protect Our Planet, Protect Ourselves – and they’re jumping in the ring to help us make sure you join in too!

Read on to see who’s going the extra mile – and be sure to share their exciting messages of support on Facebook by simply clicking the share button below each video.

Bill Nye

Bill Nye “the Science Guy” and Climate Reality go way back. Like, way, way back.

More than seven long years ago, Nye was kind enough to narrate an informative short film for us on the basics of climate change, and he’s joined Climate Reality Founder and Chairman Al Gore for previous iterations of our signature broadcast. The popular mechanical engineer-turned-science communicator and television star will return once again for this year’s 24 Hours of Reality: Protect Our Planet, Protect Ourselves.

Nye has been particularly outspoken on the climate crisis – and its solutions. He’s even dedicated entire episodes of his hit science-centered Netflix show, Bill Nye Saves the World, to the topic, earning an Emmy nomination along the way for a season-one episode titled “Earth Is a Hot Mess.”

Jaden Smith

Getting young people engaged in the fight against climate change is vital. After all, they’re the ones who will be on the front lines as this crisis evolves. And rapper and actor Jaden Smith knows it.

The 20-year-old socially conscious superstar is also an outspoken climate activist. He has called Vice President Gore his “inspiration,” and makes smart use of his millions (and millions and millions) of social media connections to inform young people about our warming world – as well as the solutions with which we can fight back.

Jonathan Scott

Jonathan Scott long has been one of Climate Reality’s most vocal supporters. Despite being one of the busiest guys we know – what with his multiple popular HGTV shows, books, and branded products – he always makes time to talk about climate solutions. And given his famed background in contracting, as well as his experience fighting anti-solar legislation in his now-home state of Nevada, who better to hear from.

Scott has joined us for 24 Hours of Reality in the past, and even hosted several hours of previous broadcasts. Why? We’ll let him explain:

“I love the fact that we’re showcasing that this is not just a US problem, this is not just a Canadian problem or a Chinese problem or an Indian problem – this is a global problem. And it’s also something that will have a global solution. You know, there’s going to always be infighting between governments, and there’s going to be disputes over approaches to these solutions. But at the end of the day, I would like to think that as human beings we all have one goal, and it would be that we have a safe future for the generations to come. I would like to think that’s a goal we all have in common.”

>> Don’t Miss Climate’s Big Day <<

Nations must triple efforts to reach 2°C target, concludes annual review of global emissions, climate action

It is still possible to keep global warming below 2°C, but the technical feasibility of bridging the 1.5°C gap is dwindling.

Global CO2 emissions increased in 2017, after three years of stabilization.

If the emissions gap is not closed by 2030, it is extremely unlikely that the 2°C temperature goal will remain in reach.

Global emissions are on the rise as national commitments to combat climate change come up short. But surging momentum from the private sector and untapped potential from innovation and green financing offer means of bridging the "emissions gap" between current projections of 2030 emission levels and levels consistent with a 2°C / 1.5°C warming target. Those findings, along with a sweeping review of climate action and the latest measurements of global emissions, were presented by authors of UN Environment's 2018 Emissions Gap Report during a recent launch event.

488 companies from 38 countries adopted emission reduction pathways in line with the Paris Agreement.

The findings presented offer the latest accounting of national mitigation efforts and the ambitions countries have presented in their Nationally Determined Contributions, which form the foundation of the Paris Agreement.

This evidence, outlined just days before the start of the 24th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24), reveals that global emissions have reached historic levels of 53.5 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e), with no peak in sight. Authors assessed that only 57 countries (representing 60 percent of global emissions) are on track for 2030.

That analysis and a review of progress against national commitments under the Paris Agreement makes clear that the current pace of national action is insufficient to meet the Paris targets. Increased emissions and lagging action mean the gap number in this year’s report is larger than ever. The authors conclude nations must raise their ambition by 3x to meet the 2°C target and 5x to meet the 1.5°C target.

“If the IPCC report represented a global fire alarm, this report is the arson investigation,” said UN Environment Deputy Executive Director Joyce Msuya. “The science is clear. For all the ambitious climate action we’ve seen, governments need to move faster and with greater urgency. We’re feeding this fire while the means to extinguish it are within reach.”

A continuation of current trends will likely result in global warming of around 3°C by the end of the century, with continued temperature rises after that, according to the report.

While the authors highlight that there is still a possibility for bridging the emissions gap and keeping global warming below 2°C, the assessment issues a clear warning: The kind of drastic, large-scale action we urgently need has yet to been seen, and time is running out.

To fill this void, the 2018 Emissions Gap Report offers new insight into what meaningful climate action will look like. Through new analysis of global emissions in the context of fiscal policymaking and the current pace of innovation, as well as an exhaustive review of climate action from the private sector and subnational level, authors offered a roadmap for implementing the type of transformative action required to harness the potential in each of these sectors.

Ranging from city, state and regional governments to companies, investors, higher education institutions and civil society organizations, non-state actors are increasingly committing to bold climate action. These institutions will be invaluable contributors in the push to reach global emissions goals. Although estimates on the emission reduction potential vary widely, some mention 19 GtCO2e by 2030. This is enough to close the 2°C gap.

If complemented by carefully designed national fiscal policy, the work of these actors could pack an even greater punch.

“When governments embrace fiscal policy measures to subsidize low-emission alternatives and tax fossil fuels, they can stimulate the right investments in the energy sector and significantly reduce carbon emissions,” said Jian Liu, UN Environment’s Chief Scientist. “Thankfully, the potential of using fiscal policy as an incentive is increasingly recognized, with 51 carbon pricing initiatives now in place or scheduled, covering roughly 15 percent of global emissions. If all fossil fuel subsidies were phased out, global carbon emissions could be reduced by up to 10 percent by 2030. Setting the right carbon price is also essential. At the US $70 per ton of CO2, emission reductions of up to 40 percent are possible in some countries.”

These established strategies become even more effective when policymakers embrace innovative solutions. Authors outlined five key principles that should be considered to accelerate low-carbon innovation: risk acceptance, commercial scalability, holistic economic alignment, mission-oriented approaches, and a long-term horizon to increase financial uptake.

The ninth Emissions Gap Report was prepared by an international team of leading scientists, assessing all available information, including that published in the context of the IPCC Special Report as well as in other recent scientific studies.

Gruppo Jobel unveils SmarTalk project

SmarTalk Project is a branded campaign launched in 2018 by the international cultural company Gruppo Jobel, headquartered in Rome. It promotes a range of creative activities aimed at raising awareness, engagement, and commitment across civil society in line with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) laid out in the United Nations' Agenda 2030.

We recognize that the current development model is no longer sustainable for the planet and humanity. Through this Agenda, we are committed to building a new worldwide sustainable system, one which will allow us to: end poverty and hunger; ensure dignity end equality; protect our planet’s natural resources; fight climate change; provide prosperous, fulfilling lives in harmony with nature; and cultivate peaceful, fair, and inclusive societies for the good of present and future generations.

To achieve this lofty goal, we must implement the Agenda through a comprehensive global partnership encompassing every aspect of civil society (as the UN suggests in Goal 17). One of the most challenging points will be involving local communities in the SDGs program.

The SmarTalk Project aspires to merge high-quality expert knowledge with the communication skills of artists and performers to produce a distinct cultural force capable of impacting as many everyday people as possible. Its prime objective is the fulfillment of the Agenda 2030 strategy by means of creative and artistic languages.

The project strives to produce several independent events in collaboration with local and international partners—events tailor-made for different cities all around the world—to foster a sustainable cultural network to promote knowledge surrounding the SDGs within a few years.

In 2019, we will be delighted to launch the first three platforms: SmarTalk Rome (Italy, Europe), SmarTalk Bangkok (Thailand, Asia) and SmarTalkMontreal (Canada, North America).

The Marshall Islands and Other Climate-Vulnerable Nations Rally for Concerted Action

Women leaders take center stage in a sweeping virtual conference

For many countries around the world, the benchmarks put in place in the Paris Agreement—intended to keep net global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and certainly below 2 degrees—have fallen by the wayside in the years since, kicked under the rug amid the continual thrum of politics and bureaucracy. For the Marshall Islands and other low-lying nations, however, sidelining the Paris commitments is simply not an option: achieving them could be the difference between life and death.

Watch LIVE: www.virtualclimatesummit.org

The people and government of the Marshall Islands have become known for their unflinching 1.5 to Stay Alive climate campaign, which stresses that if temperature change surpasses 1.5 degrees, let alone 2, rising sea levels would submerge much of their ancestral and current homeland and render their beautiful nation uninhabitable. Given the Marshalls’ cultural emphasis on home, legacy, and the bounties of nature, this loss would be especially dire.

The Marshall Islands sit at the helm of a group of similarly threatened countries known collectively as the Climate Vulnerable Forum, or CVF, which aims to unite disparate voices from smaller countries and amplify their concerns for the rest of the world to hear. The group is proactive its own right too, intent on leading by example on the world stage through pioneering sustainability campaigns. Today and tomorrow, the CVF is conducting an ambitious web-based conference called the Virtual Climate Summit in a push to raise awareness of the severity of warming trends and brainstorm next steps in the ongoing battle against climate change.

H.E. President Hilda Heine of the Marshall Islands - Connect4Climate Quote

Participants in the discussion will include other imperiled island nations such as Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Timor-Leste, Sri Lanka, and Papua New Guinea as well as mainland countries confronting deadly changes in weather patterns, e.g., Nepal, Vietnam, Sudan, Senegal, and Yemen. Under the leadership of president Hilda Heine, the Marshall Islands have taken special care to include female voices in this dialogue, which will be catalyzed by a volunteer panel of all-female Summit Champions.

This collective of climate change Champions comprises European Climate Foundation CEO Laurence Tubiana, Sustainable Energy for All CEO Rachel Kyte, World Bank Sustainable Development VP Laura Tuck, Global Environment Facility CEO Naoko Ishii, former Irish president Mary Robinson, current Philippine senator Loren Legarda, Oxfam International director Winnie Byanyima, and Greenpeace director Jennifer Morgan. Hailing from all corners of the world, the members of the team will aim to ensure women’s perspective on climate change is at the heart of the conference deliberations—where it belongs.

The threats of global warming weigh heaviest on the minds of women, who make up 70% of the world’s poor—a group disproportionately threatened by unchecked climate change. Yet women in many countries also have a unique power to make a positive impact, being as they are invaluable contributors to the cultivation and preparation of food and frequent providers of shelter, warmth, water, and clothes within their families.

The Summit hopes to rekindle a sense of urgency around global warming and to empower the world’s women to defy recent torpor on the world stage and harness their unsuppressed voices to make a real difference.