Newsletter 77: UN Climate Change High-Level Champions

Middle East & North Africa are Ripe for Transformation - MENA Climate Week Preview

Leaders are arriving in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the latest Regional Climate Week , which will focus on delivering a holistic, system-wide transformation of the Middle East & North Africa (MENA) region, to drive climate resilient growth to 2030. It will provide a platform for policymakers, practitioners, businesses and civil society to exchange on climate solutions, barriers to overcome and opportunities and contribute to the Global Stocktake process, concluding at COP 28, by bringing focus to specific, region-relevant, forward-looking actions to accelerate progress towards a resilient 1.5 C trajectory.

The MENA region is suffering from severe impacts from climate change, such as extreme heat, water scarcity, desertification or floods. Extreme heat waves reached over 50 degrees Celsius in 2021 in Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE , for example. If this trend continues, many cities in the Middle East may become uninhabitable before the end of the century. On the other hand, countries from other MENA sub-regions suffer from unprecedented flooding as experienced by Libya this year, plus Levant states — such as Palestine, Jordan, and Syria — are deeply afflicted by water scarcity.

As a third of the world’s oil supply is currently produced in the Gulf, the IEA’s forecast that demand for oil will peak by the end of this decade is resonating across the region. Even if we stop building fossil fuel assets today, USD 3.6 trillion of global investment is already committed to building out fossil fuel infrastructure above the requirements of net zero. The global transition to clean energy is accelerating - the age of opportunity and sustainable transition is here. It is crucial that the transition to a climate resilient and low-carbon economy is just and equitable. Non-State actors’ strategies to tackle the growing threat of climate change should incorporate the full range of environmental, social, economic and governance dimensions and to address transitional challenges encountered by vulnerable communities.?

With these dual dynamics at play, the MENA region is ripe for scaling up their transformation even further. The rapid growth in clean energy recently provides a narrow corridor to 1.5 degrees C . There is now a major opportunity to foster climate ambition in the MENA region, and through building capacity - accelerate emissions reductions and boost adaptation.?

The UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP 28, Her Excellency Razan Al Mubarak , will actively participate in the MENA Climate Week, spearheading a comprehensive, shared roadmap for ambitious climate action by 2030. Priority actions for MENA include raising investment in renewables, promoting water conservation, and implementing climate-resilient infrastructure.?

The key aims for the week include:

• Building momentum around the Just Energy Transition Collaboration (JET-Co) framework, especially highlighting the vital role of business, cities, states and regions in fostering just energy transitions in local communities.
• Highlight the role of Buildings as a climate solution. E.g. the ‘ Forging Pathways for Sustainable and Resilient Buildings in the MENA region ’ session where the Buildings Breakthrough will be featured among other initiatives and opportunities to reflect on the latest Breakthrough Agenda report , including the recommendation that roadmaps to near-zero emission and resilient buildings by 2030 should be developed and coordinated by all national and sub-national authorities.
• Accelerate the implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) and ecosystem-based approaches in MENA, plus promote collaboration to advance the pipeline of shovel-ready NbS projects and on-the-ground delivery.?
• Recognize the role of of cities and subnational governments as vehicles to support the implementation of national country plans (Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCS) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPS)) in the of delivery of the Paris Agreement, as they already have plans and projects in place taking climate action as a matter of urgency.?
• Enhance resilience in the transportation infrastructure sector and identify impactful initiatives that can be elevated at COP 28 on High-Level Champions and Marrakech Partnership platforms and through the Sharm Adaptation Agenda (SAA).?

Taking place less than two months ahead of COP 28 in Dubai, it provides an important milestone to accelerate climate action from non-State actors, to embed real economy solutions at the core of climate action, and ensure a strong response to the first Global Stocktake.

The high-level segment, which will include ministerials on the just energy transition, finance, adaptation and the Global Stocktake and all main track sessions and events with webcast links can be found off the main MENACW website and interactive programme .

2023 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund

Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin , the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP27 will participate in the 2023 Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund from October 9 - 15 in Marrakech, Morocco.

The meetings bring together central bankers, ministers and representatives from the private sector and civil society among others to discuss issues of global concern including climate change.

Dr. Mohieldin’s participation will include attending the 10th Ministerial Meeting of the Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action to discuss greening the financial system. For the first time ministers will present a Climate Action Statement (CAS) representing the Coalition’s collective drive towards climate action. Finance Ministers will also share insights on effective approaches to engaging with the finance community and highlight challenges that need to be addressed to drive ambitious climate ambition.

In addition, Dr. Mohieldin will attend a dialogue with Finance Ministers from the Vulnerable Twenty Group (V20) countries to underline the need to reform the global financial system to facilitate equitable access for the climate vulnerable and address debt sustainability.

Dr. Mohieldin will also participate in a closed-door roundtable together with representatives from the IMF, World Bank and Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) to discuss how more effective public and private sector collaboration can contribute to supporting? country platforms, such as the Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs). Country platforms can play a crucial role in helping emerging markets and developing economies accelerate their climate ambitions and attract necessary climate investments.

Coral Reef Breakthrough spawns recovery of the world’s most threatened ecosystems

The Champions have partnered with the International Coral Reef Initiative (ICRI), a network including 45 countries who represent over 75% of the world’s coral reefs, plus the Global Fund for Coral Reefs (GFCR), to launch the Coral Reef Breakthrough .?

The Coral Reef Breakthrough aims to secure the future of at least 125,000 km2 of shallow-water tropical coral reefs with investments of at least US$12 billion. Around 500 million people, including vulnerable coastal communities, earn their livelihoods from the fishing stocks and tourism opportunities that coral reefs provide. Reefs also buffer shorelines from the effects of increasing hurricanes in regions ranging from the United States and the Caribbean to the Philippines.

The Breakthrough is geared to boosting the resilience of coastal communities by restoring coral reefs; supporting more than half a billion people globally by 2030, while accelerating broad-based climate action.?

Key Coral Reef Breakthrough actions include:

1. Stopping drivers of loss: Mitigating local drivers of loss including land-based sources of pollution, destructive coastal development, and overfishing.
2. Doubling the area of coral reefs under effective protection: Bolstering resilience-based coral reef conservation efforts by aligning with and transcending global coastal protection targets including ‘30by30 .’
3. Accelerating Restoration: Assisting the development and implementation of innovative solutions at scale and climate smart designs that support coral adaptation to impact 30% of degraded reefs by 2030.
4. Securing investments of at least USD 12 billion by 2030: from public and private sources to conserve and restore these crucial ecosystems.

Commenting on the Breakthrough, H.E Ms. Al Mubarak said:?

“Coral reefs are more than just beautiful; they are our lifelines. They are essential to the security and resilience of many nations, especially those in low-lying island states. These are nations staring down the barrel of climate change. The Coral Reef Breakthrough is an initiative for the world, for the hundreds of millions who depend on these coastal communities.”

COP 28 Presidency Amplifies Voice of Indigenous Peoples at COP 28

H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak has announced a series of measures to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples and the visibility of Indigenous People-led solutions at the crucial COP 28 climate summit.

The range of measures has been designed to ensure that Indigenous Peoples play an active role at the climate summit, including:

• Financial support for Indigenous elders, including those from each of the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues socio-cultural regions, will receive support to attend COP 28.
• Subsidized accommodations for Indigenous Peoples during COP 28.
• Interpretation services for the 10th Meeting of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP) Facilitative Working Group to attend COP 28.

Among the announced initiatives was a Global Data Study on Indigenous Peoples. It will seek to understand opportunities in investing in Indigenous Peoples’ funds and organizations. The study has the potential to address a key challenge faced by Indigenous peoples organizations: limited direct access to finance.

Speaking at an event co-hosted by the COP28 Presidency and the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change, H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak highlighted that even though Indigenous Peoples are observers of the UNFCCC “...their valuable perspectives remain underrepresented in multilateral climate processes, and they receive a very small share of the international funding for climate action.”

H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak added:

“This is far more than a moral imperative. We simply won’t be able to solve the climate crisis without authentically incorporating the leadership of Indigenous Peoples and other traditionally underrepresented groups such as women and youth.”

Spanning 90 countries, there are an estimated 476 million Indigenous Peoples, primarily residing in Asia, who offer a wealth of ecological and traditional knowledge, particularly within Indigenous Peoples' forestlands where deforestation rates are significantly lower compared to other regions. Indigenous Peoples' long-recognized practices play a crucial role in addressing climate and biodiversity challenges.?

Hindou Oumarou Ibrahim, the Coordinator of the Association of Indigenous Women and Peoples of Chad (AFPAT), and the Co-Chair of the International Indigenous Peoples Forum on Climate Change (IIPFCC), said:

“The initiatives represent progress towards the inclusion and recognition of the rights and knowledge of indigenous communities, especially for COP 28. Indigenous peoples can bring concrete solutions for climate adaptation and mitigation, and their voice needs to be heard. I hope that COP 28 will lead to concrete results for climate action and support to those who are on the front line of climate change.”

Climate Week NYC 2023: Mobilising action on adaptation, decarbonisation, nature and climate finance

Climate Week New York recently united business leaders, political change makers and civil society representatives - showcasing progress and calling for stronger climate commitments to place the planet on a science-based 1.5 C, resilient path.??

The Champions’ programme covered a range of critical themes - from decarbonisation to adaptation, from resilience to loss and damage, as well as the urgent need to accelerate climate and nature finance and the central role of nature, youth and indigenous peoples in tackling climate change.?

Key highlights of the week included:?

• The High-Level Champions presented a finance blueprint to narrow the climate & nature funding gap in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs). Two important papers provided key recommendations to help to secure the USD 1 trillion in annual finance that developing countries need by 2030 to take effective climate action and restore nature, as shown in the Sharm-El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda (SAA) , and the 2030 Breakthroughs .
• The UN Secretary-General’s Climate Ambition Summit showcased “first movers and doers” responding to the call for accelerated climate action. The entirety of the business, finance, city and subnational government trailblazers that spoke at the event are members of Race to Zero partner initiatives.
• H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak participated in the SDG 2023 Summit: ‘Challenges & Progress of Environmental Philanthropy for Achievement of the SDGs.’ She raised the potential for philanthropic organisations to leverage resources strategically; collaborate and form alliances, and invest in solutions and change makers - in areas ranging from biodiversity conservation to sustainable agriculture.
• During the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals Action Weekend, Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin convened a side event on the outcomes of the Regional Platforms for Climate Projects which mobilises funds for climate projects?
• Dr. Mohieldin also spoke at an event on mobilising private climate finance in emerging markets and developing countries, where he explained his vision for an impactful climate finance marketplace.

• Delhi became the 84th city to join the Race to Resilience (details below)
• Following April’s UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), H.E. Al Mubarak met with forum members to discuss the progress on meaningful inclusion and engagement of Indigenous values and knowledge systems at COP 28.

• Dr. Mohieldin addressed the Net Zero Banking Alliance (NZBA), as well as GFANZ and UNEP FI representatives at an event where he envisioned the role for banks in transitioning towards green economies by investing in climate projects.

• H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak spoke at an event titled ‘The Future of COPs’ attended by the President and Youth Climate Champion for COP 28. At the event, H.E. Ms Al Mubarak raised her vision for action, inclusivity and opportunity at the upcoming COP, including engaging the private sector to protect nature and biodiversity.
• Major developments were announced for the Mangrove Breakthrough with support from the UAE and Salesforce (details below)
• Dr Mohieldin chaired a session on ‘Transformative L&D Financing Facility for V20 Small Island Developing States (SIDS)’. Mohieldin called for fair and efficient financial support for SIDS to enable them to adapt to climate change and deal with the losses and damages resulting from it.
• H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak opened the World Biodiversity Summit, highlighting that biodiversity loss is already costing the global economy 10% of its output each year, and nature-based Solutions currently only receive 8% of public climate finance and 17% of private finance.
• At the ‘Sustainable Ocean Economy’ High Level Event H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak urged all coastal countries to present ocean-related goals for COP 28, including accelerating the implementation of the Ocean Breakthrough goals.

During the official opening ceremony organized by the Climate Group, H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak, highlighted the significance of COP 28 in Dubai - in the context of the first Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement:?

“Although we are far off target, we know of solutions that will rapidly help close the gaps. With partnership and science we have identified the key levers of change, and nature will play a central role given it also supports the most vulnerable of populations.”

For more news from Climate Week NYC, please click here .

Inspiring ‘fence sitters’ to become climate leaders

Guest Q&A - Feike Sijbesma, Honorary Chairman (former CEO) of DSM; Co-chair, CEO-Climate-Alliance, and Climate Champions Global Ambassador

At Climate Week, the UN Secretary-General's Climate Ambition Summit provided a platform for the "first movers and doers" that are responding to the call for accelerated climate action.

To understand how to shape a transformation mindset, we spoke with Climate Champions Global Ambassador, Feike Sijbesma. Feike led the metamorphosis of Royal DSM from a bulk-chemical company into a purpose driven science-based company, focused on nutrition, health and sustainable living. He also co-chairs the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA).

What’s the current state of play of corporate climate action?

“Climate change is one of the major challenges faced by mankind - and as the engines of our economies, companies have a vital role to play in driving the transition to a net zero, nature positive world. Increasingly, I’m seeing that companies are stepping up to this responsibility, shown through the increased commitments to curb emissions to net zero by 2050, plus to halve emissions by 2030.?

There’s much work to be done to strengthen existing targets. But, overall, corporate disclosure is rising, with both mandatory and voluntary standards, such as TCFD and ISSB, respectively, increasing accountability.”

What approaches are companies taking to reduce their impact on the planet?

“Collaboration between companies is opening up numerous innovative ways to decarbonise global value chains.?

For example, the CEO Climate Leaders Alliance is a group of 125 major global companies which, through stimulating and inspiring each other, SBTi linked target-setting and? knowledge-sharing are uncovering myriad new ways of turning their climate promises into reality.?

Of course companies reduce their own emissions by cleaner processes, but also look for greener alternative energy sources for their operations. On top: energy savings are important as well.

Next to this, circularity is a massive area of opportunity. It’s an approach to (re-)designing, producing, and consuming goods to minimise waste, maximise reuse and recycling - therefore reducing the strain on resources. In essence, it’s good for business and the planet.?

Companies can only make their businesses more circular through collaboration with other companies in their value chain. For example, sometimes a company must redesign the way that raw materials enter the beginning of the value chain to be able to increase recycling at the other end. So, companies need to work transparently with their suppliers, as well as with fellow industry players, to develop new technologies, and approaches. Of course, companies need to be careful to avoid infringing on anti-trust laws, but in most cases new approaches are implemented in tandem with legal teams, so this is not a risk.

It is important that companies also anchor sustainability and reducing emissions in their businesses: that would make sustainability more sustainable.”

Have you got any examples of these business models in action?

“The company I led in the past, DSM, has many examples of this. One is Bovaer , or ‘Clean Cow’ in the past - a new feed supplement that safely suppresses the enzyme that combines hydrogen and carbon to produce methane, to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of cows, one of the biggest emitters of greenhouse gases.?

DSM is collaborating on this across the value chain to introduce this. For example, DSM is working? with food producers, such as dairy companies, to encourage its adoption in farms around the world to reduce their emissions.”?

How can we expand the ‘first movers and doers’ in the climate space?

“Leadership is an important topic. As with any development in the world - whether in business or government, there is always a relatively small group of leaders. And there’s a group of laggards. And there’s a large group of people who sit still a bit on the fence in between.?

The major conferences, like New York Climate Week, and COP and Davos, are important moments for business and governments to come together to shape the conditions for new leaders to step up. It’s vital that the leaders of today stay focused on bringing the larger group of ‘not so fast movers, or a bit of fence sitters’ with them by sharing results with industry peers. There are many actions companies can take. For example, new governance systems can be embedded into boards, such as aligning financial and remuneration targets with climate action. Most important: anchor it in your business and don’t see it as CSR, only.

In this way, the fence sitters come to understand that embedding sustainability is not a cost or an ‘add-on’, but it’s actually a genuine route to future proofing a company. Once potential leaders have witnessed the evidence, then it’s a question of encouraging them to take the first step towards climate leadership.”

How can leaders foster a culture of transformation?

“To make organisations more sustainable, the leaders need to set the direction, shape the vision and steer action. Leaders must ensure that internally the vision is well understood and connected across the business, so that people understand their role. It’s essential for leaders to take their people with them on the journey.??

Leaders should also ensure that sustainability is anchored at the heart of the business. It should not only exist at the extreme ends of the company. Sustainability shouldn’t just exist in the annual sustainability report, on the edges, or for the top of the organisation for the CEO to present on stage. It should be anchored at the core, anchored with core competencies of companies.?

Sustainability should also be central to the way that companies make money. Leaders should integrate financial economic success with doing good for the world. By doing so, companies futureproof themselves. So, leaders need to align the vision with the organisation, explain it, and bring the whole organisation alone. It takes a lot of effort, but once it is set it is long lasting. In other words: doing well (financially/economically) by doing good (for the world).”

How would you summarise the climate challenge ahead?

“Climate is a huge challenge for mankind - it will influence people today and generations to come. We all have a responsibility - as governments, as companies, as civil society to step up. I am confident with the rate of advancement of innovation, coupled with a collaborative mindset, we can curtail and adapt to climate change.

It’s vital that we go in this direction together. The argument for inaction usually comes from a place of uncertainty about whether the transition will cost money and jobs, especially for poor or even middle income people. But by the same token, many regions, such as Africa and South Asia, are already facing the effects of climate change, and can’t provide their own food supply anymore - and so, there is a major impetus to accelerate action in emerging and developing economies.?

Overall, it’s clear that the burden of climate change should be distributed amongst the strongest shoulders - otherwise we will only face resistance. So we need a fair and inclusive approach, also regarding the bill of all of this. Lastly, shareholders need to also take responsibility, by stimulating change in the companies that they have invested in.?

If we can work together with different stakeholders, across industries to meet different interests then I’m sure we can succeed. We have no choice, since: No one can be successful in a world that fails.”?

The full article and a video of Feike Sijbesma can be found here .

Responding to the Breakthrough Ambition Report 2023

The events at Climate Week NYC also provided a key opportunity for stakeholders to respond to the recently launched Breakthrough Agenda report , which calls for strong and targeted international collaboration in high emissions sectors, such as power, transport, industry, buildings and agriculture, to deliver faster, smoother and cheaper transitions for all.?

The latest report’s recommendations span financial assistance, research and development, demand-creation, infrastructure, standards and trade, to accelerate the transition in key hard-to-abate sectors. Coordinated action in each of the sectors will help to mobilise investment, and create the economies of scale required to bring down the price of crucial technologies and sustainable agriculture solutions.

Key highlights in the 2023 report included:

• Membership of the Breakthrough Agenda increased to 48 countries, now totalling over 80% of global GDP.?
• Two new sectors – Buildings and Cement were added in 2023, taking the footprint to over 60% of global emissions. (Breakthroughs for these sectors are planned to be launched at COP 28).
• Notable progress in international cooperation across sectors was found in research and innovation, where countries have committed USD 94 billion to clean energy demonstration projects.

However, only modest progress has been made in strengthening international collaboration in the last year, for example in expanding financial assistance to developing countries, and in joint research and development initiatives. However, much more progress is needed in ‘harder’? areas, such as aligning standards and policies to create demand for clean technologies, and to establish crucial dialogue on trade in sectors.?

The report launch event can be watched back here .

Race to Zero latest developments:

• Race to Zero membership has almost doubled from 7,760 to 12,566 over the past 18 months and continues to grow, against a challenging landscape.?
• At Climate Week NYC, Race to Zero and Oxford Net Zero ran the ‘Road to Regulation’ event, where 30+ attendees shared insights on the benefits of using the Global Stocktake this year to translate ambitious voluntary action into net zero-aligned policy and regulation.?
• Read the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions’ perspective on how we need to help turn net zero promises into policy.?
• Race to Zero partner, Pledge to Net Zero hit a major milestone, as it announced that its members from across the global environmental industry have collectively cut their emissions by around 600,000 tonnes across Scopes 1 – 3, against their baselines.?
• Not-for-profit organisation for senior business leaders and Race to Zero partner, Business Declares hosted a ‘Queue for Climate & Nature’ for UK professionals. Learn more about the campaign here .
• At Solutions House during New York Climate Week, Race to Zero Accelerator Environmental Defense Fund’s + Business team launched the Net Zero Action Accelerator (NZAA), a new climate action hub to help businesses fast track climate progress, reach their sustainability goals and galvanise leadership across supply chains. Learn more about the NZAA here .
• At the ‘Impact of the Health Sector on Climate Change: Carbon Footprint in Health Centres Meeting’ that took place within the agenda of the Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, Race to Zero Accelerator Comunidad Sanidad #PorElClima , an initiative of Por El Clima, presented the results from the calculation of the carbon footprint of Spanish health centres. Por El Clima is collaborating with the Ministry of Health to develop the first Carbon Footprint Reduction Plan in the Spanish healthcare sector.
• The COP 28 UAE Presidency and SME Climate Hub launched the COP 28 & SME Climate Hub for MENA . The major initiative will provide small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in MENA with access to the Race to Zero campaign, and free tools and resources to implement emissions reductions strategies across their business and report on progress annually. The SME Climate Hub platform, available globally in English and Spanish, has now been translated to Arabic for accessibility and is a first of its kind in the MENA region.

Race to Resilience latest developments:

Delhi joins Race to Resilience, vows to achieve 25% green coverage

India’s capital city has joined the Race to Resilience, unveiling a set of commitments at Climate Week NYC to both bolster climate resilience and promote sustainable development.

As part of the campaign, the Delhi government has also committed to increase the city’s green space and tree planting, aiming to boost the city’s green cover from 23% to 25% over the next five years.

Delhi is now one of India’s hottest cities and it is particularly vulnerable to heat waves due to its large population and a significant concentration of lower-income groups. The tree planting commitment is one of a range of sustainable cooling and heat resilience strategies. Other commitments announced by Delhi include investments in circular economy practices to reduce and repurpose waste, as well as renewable projects, such as meeting 10% of Delhi’s annual energy demand through rooftop solar plants.

H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak, praised Delhi’s ambitions and pragmatic approach, highlighting their use of clean energy through residential rooftop solar plants and advancements in local air pollution monitoring technology.

Dr Mohieldin also commended Delhi for joining the campaign and aligning with the Sharm El-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda, emphasising that Delhi’s actions exemplify holistic, inclusive, and affordable climate solutions for investors and the community.??

H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak, said:

“Communities must build resilience to climate change, and Delhi’s ambitions are exemplary. We can learn from the pragmatic, realistic and just solutions-oriented approach that the City of Delhi is providing. For example, boosting clean energy using rooftop solar plants in residential areas, or advancing the technology used for monitoring local air pollution. I look forward to supporting these plans and offering a blueprint for other cities in India, Asia, and further across the world. Further information is available here .

Salesforce announces support for Mangrove Breakthrough

During Climate Week NYC , Race to Zero member, Salesforce, in partnership with the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), announced its support for the Mangrove Breakthrough as part of a USD 8.3 million grant towards climate justice and nature-based solutions.

Part of the Marrakech Partnership Adaptation and Resilience Breakthroughs , the Breakthrough initiative aims to conserve and restore 15 million hectares of mangrove ecosystems globally by 2030. With coastal communities already facing the impacts of a changing climate, there is an urgent need to invest in mangroves as effective nature-based solutions.

The support for the Mangrove Breakthrough is a keystone in Salesforce’s climate finance strategy. While still early in its journey, Salesforce’s climate finance strategy also includes a mix of climate finance instruments, including commitments to invest USD 100 million in Carbon Dioxide Removal , purchase 280,000 MWh in renewable energy certificates from small, distributed energy projects, and a USD 100 million Ecosystem Restoration & Climate Justice Fund .

Natalia Alekseeva, Coordinator of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration at UNEP, said:?

“Salesforce is the first private sector entity announcing their support to the UN World Restoration Flagships – the most ambitious initiatives connecting people and nature. We welcome this commitment and urge more companies to step up in our race to restore Earth.”

Launch of the Global Climate Action Awards

The UN Global Climate Action Awards, spearheaded by UN Climate Change since 2011, aim to recognize the world’s most innovative efforts to tackle climate change and to inspire global action among non-party stakeholders.

This year, the Awards seek to highlight the climate action that young people around the world are undertaking to ensure their communities are more sustainable, resilient, and equitable places to live. Two youth award categories were announced at the launch of the 2023 UN Global Climate Action Awards?on 18 September in Bonn:

??1. Youth leading the energy transition:?Recognizing the efforts of youth (under 35 years of age) in driving renewable energy and/or energy efficiency activities that are locally led and/or community focused.

?2. Youth supporting nature and ecosystems-based climate action:?Recognizing innovative work by an individual or group of young people in indigenous and/or local communities to restore, maintain, or enhance nature’s resilience or its contributions to people, through nature-based solutions and/or ecosystem-based approaches. ??

? Nominations for the 2023 Award will be accepted until midnight 15 October 2023 (CEST) through here . The winners will be celebrated at COP28. Further information on award categories and benefits are available here .

?The 2023 Awards are implemented in partnership with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Permanent Representative of the United Arab Emirates to IRENA.

Keeping up with the Champions:

• Dr. Mohieldin participates in a pre G20 Summit press briefing on developing MDB’s and IFI’s Performance for Financing Development and Climate Action

The event, entitled “G20 SUMMIT: How to fix the world's broken financial system and fund a fairer future ” was organized by ONE Campaign, and also attended by representatives from the Gates Foundation, Costa Rica, and ONE Campaign.

• H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak joins Food Day Event at the UN General Assembly (UNGA)

At the event, attended by the Rockefeller Foundation, WWF and the Global Alliance for the Future of Food, H.E. Ms. Al Mubarak announced that the Champions are producing a Food Systems Call to Action for Non-Party Actors, to go alongside the state-level Declaration on Resilient Food Systems, Sustainable Agriculture & Climate Action.

• Dr. Mohieldin highlights concerns that EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) fails to account for climate and development action in developing countries?

Speaking at an event entitled ‘Implications of CBAM on Egypt’ Mohieldin highlighted the impact of this tax on the activity of companies operating in hard-to-abate sectors such as fertilizers, cement, iron, steel and hydrogen, and thus on the economies of developing countries as a whole.??

• Dr Mohieldin shares vision for Africa with GFANZ Network

The GFANZ Africa Network held its Advisory Board meeting on the sidelines of the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi, where the GFANZ Africa Network also announced a partnership with the Africa Development Bank. Here, Mohieldin shared an update on what’s next for the Network and the role the continent plays on the road to net zero.

• Dr. Mohieldin attends meeting at the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva

Mohieldin highlighted that enjoying a clean and healthy environment is integral to human rights, as it helps to maintain the right to life, health, water, food, housing and a decent standard of living.?

• Mohieldin participated in an event to discuss the role of advanced technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in addressing climate change

In his remarks at the event, entitled "Harnessing the potential of AI for urban climate action" organized by The New School, Google.org , the Centre for Public Impact and the World Resource Institute, Mohieldin said AI can play a key role in reducing carbon emissions if included in de-carbonization efforts. https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/508878.aspx

In case you missed it:

• At its High-level Pledging Conference on 5 October, twenty-five countries pledged support to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) with USD 9.3 billion over the next four years (2024-2027). The conference brought together government ministers and top climate experts to drive the Fund’s second replenishment cycle or GCF-2. More information is available here .
• The UNFCCC secretariat, under the guidance of the chairs of the subsidiary bodies, published a synthesis report on 4 October on the submissions on views on the elements for the consideration of outputs (or ‘political’) component of the first global stocktake. Parties and non-Party stakeholders were invited to submit their views to serve as input to the Intersessional October Workshop . The report is available here .
• The High-Level Champions’ submission on the above highlighted, among others, the Breakthrough Agenda and 2030 Breakthroughs for providing an overarching vision and framework for continually strengthening collective action across sectors, to support Parties to make transitions faster, less difficult, and lower cost. The HLCs also emphasized their mobilization of NPS around specific adaptation and resilience outcome targets through the Race to Resilience and Sharm el-Sheikh Adaptation Agenda. They also referred to their efforts of advancing a global pipeline of implementable, financeable and investable projects for emerging markets and developing economies, covering all areas of adaptation, resilience and mitigation.
• A new report released on 22 September summarizes the challenges and opportunities identified during the first global dialogue under the Sharm el-Sheikh mitigation ambition and implementation work programme , with a focus on “accelerating the just energy transition”. The dialogue took place in conjunction with SB 58 in June and brought together Parties and non-Party stakeholders to discuss best practices, challenges and opportunities. The report by the co-chairs of the work programme is accessible here .

Mark Your Calendars:

• Middle East and North Africa Climate Week (MENACW 2023) : Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), 8-12 October
• 8th World Investment Forum 2023 : Abu Dhabi (UAE),16-20 October
• Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week (LACCW 2023): Panama City (Panama), 23-27 October
• Asia-Pacific Climate Week (APCW 2023) : Johor (Malaysia), 13-17 November
• Net Zero Festival : London (UK), 31 October - 1 November
• COP 28 : Dubai (UAE), 30 November - 12 December