High-Level Climate Champions

We're gathering in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire tomorrow, 31 August, during the 12th UNECA Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA) event, to discuss how the 2030 Climate Solutions can drive transformative climate action across Africa. This hybrid session, convened by Global Climate Action UNFCCC and the Regional Collaboration Centers, and organized by the UNFCCC Secretariat and the Climate Champions Team, will spotlight how non-state actors, governments, and civil society can collaborate to enhance Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) through practical, forward-looking solutions. Key takeaways include strategies for aligning regional initiatives with national climate plans, shared best practices, and successful case studies. Together, we're laying the groundwork for a net-zero, climate-resilient, and nature-positive Africa by 2030. Join us in-person and online as we activate radical collaboration and build a sustainable future for all. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eDFJDrai

UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for #COP29 Azerbaijan Nigar Arpadarai and Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton met in Geneva to initiate a partnership focused on involving #SmallBusiness in global climate action efforts. Yes, #TradeCanHelp. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dytkNgYU

This week, as World Water Week kicks off, we're spotlighting Buenos Aires' water utility, AySA, which is transforming the city’s resilience to climate change. Backed by Race to Resilience partner Sanitation and Water for All - a UNICEF-hosted global partnership, AySA’s strategies are securing water for over 14 million people. Did you know? 🌧️ Climate change is altering rainfall patterns, leading to more intense floods and prolonged droughts, threatening global water security (IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, 2022) 🌡️ Rising temperatures increase water demand while reducing water availability, exacerbating stress on already vulnerable water systems. (World Health Organization Fact Sheet on Climate Change and Water, 2018) 💧 Warmer waters contribute to harmful algal blooms, which degrade water quality and threaten public health. (EPA Climate Indicators, 2021) 🏔️Glacier melt due to climate change is reducing long-term water supplies for millions who rely on seasonal runoff. (IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere, 2019) The Race to ensure water security in the face of climate change is on… Read the article now: https://lnkd.in/gj6uEpKs

We're delighted to announce that Business for Nature has officially joined #RaceToZero! 🌱 Led by High-Level Climate Champions, Race to Zero is a campaign rallying non-state actors to take immediate action to contribute to halving global emissions by 2030. As one of its more than 30 accelerators, we'll be: 🌎 Helping raise awareness of the campaign 🌎 Helping build the capacity of non-state actors to deliver ambitious #NetZero action 🌎 Continuing to drive credible business action and policy ambition on nature, including through the 'It's #NowForNature' campaign 🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eTyHFeJE

In the war-torn North African state of Libya, local CSOs have been fighting a very different and difficult war: safeguarding the country’s greenest region from desertification and human-induced land degradation. Discover how the New Libya Association for Environment and Natural Resources, one of many Non-State Actors to endorse the UN Climate Change High-Level Climate Champions’ Food Systems Call to Action, has been leading reforestation efforts in a bid to safeguard this critical forest cover. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gsBVGYiX

Great to connect with Peter Bakker at WBCSD – World Business Council for Sustainable Development today. We discussed how WBCSD’s initiatives can drive meaningful business engagement at #COP29. It is inspiring to see leadership of organizations in climate action. Together, we’re building momentum for real, impactful change.

As part of an ongoing series to support the Climate Champions’ Ocean Breakthroughs, the Edges of Earth expedition team met with a woman whose family has been at the centre of Cabo Pulmo for generations —Judith Castro. During their conversation, Judith talked about how she has grown up alongside Cabo Pulmo, sharing the losses and the wins — and how she and her family transformed the oldest coral reef on the west coast of North America. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gQiF6VVY

Smith College (Massachusetts, U.S.), Strathmore University (Nairobi, Kenya), Tecnológico de Monterrey (Monterrey, Mexico) and Western Sydney University (Sydney, Australia) are universities from across the globe with one thing in common – a commitment to decarbonize and innovate in the race to zero emissions. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gXGDgKDr #RaceToZero

UN High-Level Climate Champion Nigar Arpadarai shared details about the seamless collaboration taking place between key parties involved in the COP process. #COP29 #COP29Azerbaijan

Our latest newsletter has arrived! In this edition, we're excited to bring you: 🔹 A special feature on World Mangrove Day with the launch of the 'State of the World’s Mangroves' report, highlighting major advances and ongoing challenges in mangrove conservation. 🔹 Details on the new leadership role of Ambition Loop as the Secretariat host for the Mangrove Breakthrough initiative. 🔹 Insights into Azerbaijan’s commitment to sustainable building, featuring leading developers and their climate action pledges. 🔹 An exclusive interview with Jit Bhattacharya of BasiGo, discussing transformative public transport solutions in Africa with electric buses. 🔹 Updates on the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience campaigns, including the appointment of new global ambassadors. 🔹 Exciting opportunities for clean energy firms in Europe with a spotlight on an upcoming finance forum.