Event Summary: Partnering for Climate Impact

2023 marks an important year for climate urgency and steps being taken to adhere to the Paris Agreement. In the next seven years, we are expected to bring down global CO2 emissions by 50% to ultimately ensure we reach the target of net zero by 2050. Tackling these challenges is a defining issue of our time and one that needs even more innovation and determination as we approach the mid-year mark.?

To reflect on the next steps forward, EBRD’s Civil Society Engagement Team hosted an event titled Partnering for Climate Impact in early March 2023. The aim of the panel was 1) to discuss the role and reach of civil society and bottom-up approaches in tackling the adverse impacts experienced by climate change, and 2) to discover ideas to promote climate action from an economic, environmental, and social perspective.?

In the fruitful and dynamic conversation, Aleema Shivji (Chief Impact Officer at Oxfam GB) highlighted that solidarity, humanity and equality is at the basis of what is needed and what works when dealing with the adverse impacts experienced from climate change. “The best solutions come from the people closest to the issues and thus, grassroots organisations and movements are best equipped to foster climate action.”

Moreover, “civil societies are learning and unlearning faster than others” said Saba Almubaslat (Director of Middle East and North Africa at Ford Foundation). “They are catalysts between decision makers and the individuals directly impacted by climate change. We need to ensure that a healthy, vibrant relationship between high level actors and grassroots actors exists and is financed to achieve real change and impact.”

Russell Bishop (Head of Sustainable Finance Policy at EBRD) highlighted that EBRD is doing a number of things to adhere to the Paris Agreement. Our key areas of work in the sector include channelling finance into green investment, ensuring all our activities are aligned with the Paris Agreement, and working at the policy level to ensure cities are built green moving forward.

“CSOs have been instrumental partners in designing and defining the Agreement”, Russell confirmed. “From the scientific to the economic community, CSOs have leveraged the space to shift the narrative and promote climate action into a mainstream and urgent issue.” Thus, ensuring that local CSOs and partners are more empowered and receiving the necessary financial and technical support to build a resilient civil society is key in fighting climate change.

To support this agenda and promote climate action, Saba argued that “philanthropies need to be more engaged in on-going discussions and critical thinking with other stakeholders including governments and civil societies.” Philanthropies must ensure that priority areas are not decided in isolation, and that tactful and strategic financing is supported from the philanthropic angle.

Giving everyone a seat at the table is also important!

Women, young people and people with disabilities are often the ones struggling with the direct and immediate impacts of climate change. We need to ensure that such groups are engaged in conversations and solutions so they are better prepared for what is to come.

Finally, as our youth speaker, Mariam Khmiadashvili, highlighted education is a great leveller in any fight. CSOs, governments and the private sector need to work together to build more awareness on what the problem is, how it impacts us, and what can be done to mitigate the challenges.

EBRD’s Civil Society Engagement (CSE) and Private Sector Partnerships (PSP) teams champion the benefits of multi-dimensional, stakeholder partnerships to fight such challenges via the our economic models and practices. We work with local and international NGOs like Save the Children and Oxfam GB, as well as private sector foundations and philanthropies like JP Morgan Philanthropies and Ford Foundation, to bring grassroots voices to multi-nationals, governments and multi-laterals to promote holistic change in our countries of operations.

For more info on the work of the CSE and PSP teams, please visit our website or follow us on social media.?