31 January 2019
High-Level Champions Seek Input on Pre-2020 Climate Action and Beyond
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The UNFCCC High-Level Champions of Global Climate Action are seeking input from Parties and stakeholders on the ways in which the Marrakech Partnership can most effectively support pre- and post-2020 climate action.

Tomasz Chruszczow, Special Envoy for Climate Change, Poland, is the current High-Level Champion, and a representative from Chile, host of COP 25, will be chosen as the second Champion in due course.

29 January 2019: The UNFCCC High-Level Champions of Global Climate Action have issued and invitation to Parties and stakeholders to provide feedback on the ways in which the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action can most effectively support pre-2020 action and what its future could be after 2020.

Parties agreed to appoint two High-Level Champions for the first time at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the UNFCCC to better connect the work of governments with the voluntary and collaborative actions taken by cities, regions, businesses and investors. The Champions support the Marrakesh Partnership by advocating for action within the multilateral process to unlock further ambition, engaging with interested Parties and non-Party stakeholders and providing guidance to the Secretariat. The letter highlights the need to review the work of the High-Level Champions, and take stock of “where we have come from, where we need to be beyond 2020 and how we can facilitate even greater action in the coming years,” to stay as close as possible to the 1.5°C temperature goal.

During COP 24 in Katowice, Poland, Parties agreed to respond to questions and provide advice and views on the Marrakech Partnership. The Marrakech Partnership aims to strengthen collaboration between Parties and non-Party stakeholders to enable implementation of greater climate action in the pre-2020 period and beyond, guided by the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change and undertaken in the context of the SDGs. The High-Level Champions have focused on bridging the gap between Parties and non-Party stakeholders and mobilizing stakeholders at all levels of government and across sectors to bring forward concrete solutions.

It is time to take stock of where we have come from, where we need to be beyond 2020 and how we can facilitate even greater action in the coming years.

The letter underscores that 2019 is expected to be a year of climate action with, in particular, the UN 2019 Climate Summit in September. The High-Level Champions, the Marrakech Partnership and others have committed to proactively engage in and contribute to the Summit’s success.

The letter includes three annexes. Annex I summarizes achievements and outcomes in 2018, including: regional climate weeks; the Talanoa Dialogue; the Yearbook of Climate Action 2018; the revamped Non-State Actors Zone for Climate Action (NAZCA) portal; the Technical Examination Process (TEP); and communications and collaboration tools.

Annex II lays out an indicative work programme of the Marrakech Partnership for 2019, based on consultations with Parties and non-Party stakeholders in the lead-up to and during COP 24. The letter explains that the work programme is a living document and may be adjusted based on reflections on and analysis of COP 24, advice from Parties, outcomes of strategy sessions and other meetings planned for 2019, and the views of the incoming High-Level Champion from Chile, whose nomination is pending.

Specific questions Parties are invited to respond to are elaborated in Annex III and relate to: priorities and focus areas; thematic and cross-cutting areas; operational approach; TEP on mitigation and adaptation; tracking and reporting voluntary action; Marrakech Partnership activities at COPs; the UN 2019 Climate Summit in September 2019; and post-2020 outlook.

Parties and observer organizations are invited to submit their views to the UNFCCC Secretariat by 4 March 2019 via the UNFCCC submission portal, while other non-Party stakeholders may submit views via email: globalclimateaction@unfccc.int. The Secretariat will post views received on the UNFCCC website.

Tomasz Chruszczow, Special Envoy for Climate Change, Poland, is the current High-Level Champion, and a representative from Chile, host of COP 25, will be chosen as the second Champion in due course. [Invitation to Provide Feedback to the High-Level Champions on Global Climate Action] [Letter from High-Level Champions to Parties] [Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action Website] [High-Level Champion Website]


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