Commitments made on the five GCAS challenge areas, namely healthy energy systems, inclusive economic growth, land and ocean stewardship, sustainable communities and transformative investments, will be uploaded on the portal, which will serve as “the legacy tool for the Summit”.
The intent is to have all the GCAS commitments uploaded in time for Climate Week NYC that is taking place from 26-30 September.
The hope is that this will encourage governments to raise ambition in preparing for the Katowice Climate Change Conference in Poland in December 2018 and for the next round of NDCs in 2020.
14 September 2018: The UNFCCC has launched a revamped version of its Climate Action Portal, which details actions being taken by cities, regions, companies and investors to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement on climate change. The new website was presented during the Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS).
Commitments made on the five GCAS challenge areas, namely healthy energy systems, inclusive economic growth, land and ocean stewardship, sustainable communities and transformative investments, will be uploaded on the portal, which will serve as “the legacy tool for the Summit.” The intent is to have all the GCAS commitments uploaded in time for Climate Week NYC, which convenes in New York, US from 26-30 September 2018. The GCAS convened in San Francisco, US, from 12-14 September.
The Climate Action Portal is enshrined in the Paris Agreement as the official portal to showcase contributions of non-Party stakeholders.
The website’s new design and improved usability center around an interactive map that provides visualization of data and enhanced aggregation of climate action based on constituencies and sectors. The update represents a collaborative effort between the UNFCCC and non-Party stakeholders, including the Climate Bonds Initiative, UN Environment Programme (UNEP, or UN Environment) Climate Initiatives Platform, the Global Covenant of Mayors, Investors on Climate Change, The Climate Group and the UN Global Compact.
Recent studies have suggested that by 2030, global emissions could be reduced by as much as 1.5 to 2.2 gigatons (Gt) carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) each year if commitments from nearly 6,000 cities, states, regions and over 2,000 companies are fully realized. The portal intends to capture such actions and commitments, and gradually incorporate new data over the coming months from more than 12,000 stakeholders, as well as new commitments going forward. Presenting such actions and commitments aims to encourage governments to raise ambition in preparation for the Katowice Climate Change Conference in Poland in December 2018 and for the next round of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) in 2020.
The website was originally called the ‘NAZCA Portal,’ named after the ancient lines in Peru and launched during the Lima Climate Change Conference in 2014. It was then enshrined in the Paris Agreement as the official portal to showcase contributions of non-Party stakeholders. [UNFCCC Press Release] [Climate Action Portal]