7 November 2017: On Tuesday, 7 November, COP 23 side events addressed topics including: sustainable forest management (SFM) and climate change; a Global Platform for the New York Declaration on Forests and the Bonn Challenge, and their linkages with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement on climate change; building capacity to tackle regional climate and sustainable challenges; human rights and gender equality in climate action; and interlinkages between climate action, job promotion and social inclusion.

A side event titled, ‘The Global Platform for the New York Declaration on Forests and the Bonn Challenge: From Commitments to Action,’ saw the launch of the Global Platform and discussed: how to make progress on global forest goals; how to support multi-stakeholder cooperation; and linkages between the New York Declaration, the Bonn Challenge, the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. Jochen Flasbarth, Secretary of State, Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, highlighted Germany’s support in setting up a Secretariat for the Global Platform. Panelists highlighted: the importance of forests for achieving the SDGs and Paris Agreement goals; forests as the most cost-effective climate solution; WeForest’s efforts to help companies plant trees; and the Global Platform’s ability to facilitate action, and foster transparency and exchange between its endorsers. The event was organized by the German Pavilion, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

Jochen Flasbarth, Secretary of State, Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, highlighted his country’s support in setting up a Secretariat for the Global Platform for the New York Declaration on Forests.

A side event titled, ‘Building Capacity of Tackling Regional Climate and Sustainable Challenges,’ highlighted multi-stakeholder approaches to implement climate action, looking at case studies from India, Taiwan and Belize on best practices, risks and lessons learned. Speakers highlighted: the importance of supporting farmers, particularly women and rural youth, to build climate-smart agriculture (CSA); implementation of SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) in Taiwan and Belize, noting their similarities and potential areas for improvement; a planning and decision matrix to improve water quality in a coastal region in Gujarat, India, by developing local resources; and a climate-smart farming technique used in India called ‘zero-till,’ which does not require tillage, flooding or transplantation. This event was presented by the Government of Belize, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from Taiwan and India.

A side event titled, ‘SFM and Climate Change: What Are the Issues? What Actions?’, focused on the role of SFM in climate change, including tradeoffs between carbon stocks in forest and wood products, and strategies to increase communication among stakeholders. Speakers addressed: management strategies that mimic natural forests to address climate change; using wood in forests rather than safeguarding it, as the former would positively contribute to risk reduction; and the importance of forest management to reach Paris Agreement targets. The event was organized by the French Ministry of Agriculture, Agrifood and Forestry.

A side event titled, ‘Guaranteeing Rights and Gender Equality in All Climate Action: Prerequisite for Sustainable and Fair Action,’ explored how to accelerate action on climate change in the context of gender and human rights. Speakers and participants highlighted: the importance of integrating human rights, women and gender, indigenous rights, and a just transition in the Paris Agreement implementation guidelines; the need to link implementation with other international instruments containing human rights and gender obligations; the need for a step-change in implementing gender-responsive climate policy; and an Adaptation Fund project in Ghana that empowers women through livelihood interventions and access to finance. This event was organized by CARE International, the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO).

Other events explored, inter alia: the relationship between carbon capture and storage (CCS) and small island developing States (SIDS); local-level climate adaptation strategies based on a monitoring programme that records climatic changes in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany; country experiences and expert views on achieving enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) using various tools and methods; measuring progress on climate adaptation and resilience; and experiences on fostering a just workforce transition, especially in the Pacific region. [ENBOTS Coverage 7 November] [IISD RS Coverage of Selected Side Events] [IISD RS Coverage of COP 23]

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IISD Reporting Services is producing ‘ENB on the side’ (ENBOTS), providing coverage of selected side events, special days and other events held at the UN Climate Change Conference. This Daily Update brings you the highlights.