Subnational government leadership in driving climate action, harmonizing environmental data, and reducing methane emissions were the topics of side events covered by the Earth Negotiations Bulletin (ENB) on 6 December during the UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

One side event focused on the leadership role that cities, states, and regions have had in advancing implementation of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It underscored that a multilevel governance approach to support NAPs and NDCs will contribute to governments meeting their international commitments. It also sought to elevate the voices of local and regional governments and states, as well as highlight the need for dedicated financial mechanisms and support systems to scale implementation at the regional and local levels.

Mauricio Luna-Rodríguez, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), provided an overview of the new NAP Global Network’s synthesis report titled, ‘Progress on Vertical Integration in National Adaptation Plan Processes: Analysis of Strategic Linkages Between National and Sub-national Levels.’ He spoke about specific entry points and enabling factors that can help support vertical integration throughout the planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and learning phases of the NAP process. 

Carmen Vogt, German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), mentioned the launch by the COP 28 Presidency of the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP), endorsed by 63 national governments, to foster collaboration at the subnational level. She stressed the need to integrate subnational contributions to NDCs and the need to link NDC and NAP discussions to achieve vertical integration and a multilevel governance approach. 

A roundtable discussion showcased what different regional governments are doing to support NAPs and NDCs, including in Kenya, Brazil, Greece, and Catalonia. For example, the 2010 Kenyan Constitution specifically outlines support for multilevel governance, and the County Climate Change Fund framework was created to support the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation and mitigation into local budgets. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, efforts are being taken to restore the Atlantic Forest and reduce methane emissions through innovative sewage solutions, while the Government of Catalonia is partnering with the Spanish government to achieve NDCs through integrated energy and climate plans, along with local efforts to reduce emissions from public transport and waste.

The event was organized by Regions4, the European Committee of the Regions, and the Under2 Coalition in partnership with the Scottish Government, GIZ, and the NAP Global Network.

Another event focused on how collaborations across sectors can deliver the financing, policies, and innovative technologies needed to make significant methane emission reductions by 2030 and approach net-zero emissions by 2050. The event was organized by the International Gas Union (IGU), whose President, Li Yalan, said the industry’s innovations can detect and reduce methane emissions, such as through the increasing deployment of drones, sensors, robots, and methane oxidation catalysts to capture methane emissions.

Speakers referred to the Global Methane Pledge, launched at COP 26, and the new Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter (OGDC), launched at COP 28, which was signed by 50 countries and aims to, among others, zero out methane emissions and eliminate routine flaring by 2030. Speakers also noted that the oil and gas industry is working on operational improvements, new technologies which are evolving quickly, and improving the reporting and measurement of methane. One speaker mentioned the Inflation Reduction Act in the US, which imposes a tax on methane but also removes that tax if certain conditions are met.

Digital Day was celebrated at the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Pavilion on 6 December, with one side event focusing harmonizing environmental data. It explored: the rationale and requirements for developing the UNEP-led Global Environmental Data Strategy (GEDS); elements relating to technology use and equitable sharing of Big Data products and services; and developments related to the Data for the Environment Alliance (DEAL).

Katrin Saarsalu-Layachi, Ambassador for Climate and Energy Policy, Estonia, described DEAL, which takes a multistakeholder approach to knowledge exchange on data insights and seeks to build a strong network to improve the collective capacity to assess the status of the global environment and climate.

Other speakers highlighted that: harmonized datasets would allow users with different needs to build scenarios; artificial intelligence (AI) can facilitate building environmental data dashboards and scenarios on demand; and Indigenous Peoples play a key role in climate data through Indigenous and local knowledge. They aslo stressed:

• the need to raise awareness regarding the potential of space science as an important pillar of climate action;
• the Google Flood Hub, constructed through AI modelling of weather and river data, to provide information, including SMS alerts, on flooding incidents; and
• the International Sustainability Standards Board’s work on data standardization to ensure reliable climate-related financial disclosures.

The event also underlined that the linking of satellite mapping and remote sensing to climate data has improved the accuracy of emissions tracing compared to conventional carbon calculation methods. 

The event was organized by the UN Science-Policy-Business Forum (UN-SPBF).