The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) hosted several events on 14 November during the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 29) that focused on: a decade of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Global Network; research and engagement strategies for a just transition in the Global South; and increased ambition in nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and transitioning away from fossil fuels.
The event on the NAP Global Network underscored the Network’s contribution to countries’ progress in planning and implementing their NAPs, through mobilizing resources, providing technical assistance, and facilitating peer-to-peer learning. It showcased NAP Global Network’s work over the past decade to strengthen the NAP process. Patricia Fuller, IISD President and CEO, highlighted the Network’s progress in supporting developing countries, including in Maldives, Ghana, and Liberia, with adaptation planning and implementation. Speakers noted that NAPs have evolved to include gender responsiveness, inclusivity, sub-national implementation, and implementation evaluation. Ghana, Liberia, and Saint Kitts and Nevis then shared their countries’ experiences working with the NAP Global Network.
During the event on just transition strategies in the Global South, participants provided concrete examples of engaging with workers and their communities to empower them and ensure their needs are central in the transition to cleaner economies. Panelists shared on-the-ground experiences engaging with people to achieve just transition. One speaker emphasized coalition building in Colombia involving engagement with community organizations, academic researchers, and workers to build a roadmap centered on the needs of workers and marginalized populations. Another lamented that intergovernmental processes, such as COP 29, tend to be disconnected from what is happening at the local level. A project in Indonesia’s coal mining region, which aims to building trust between local communities and experts, was highlighted, as was research involving social simulation games in Indonesia and Colombia where people “step into each other’s shoes” as they engage in dialogue. Panelists also considered how a just transition can work for youth who may be looking for opportunities in new job sectors.
Another IISD event discussed what countries are doing to ensure a just transition away from fossil fuels and barriers they are facing as they embark on the next phase of NDCs, which will set targets through 2035 and are due for submission in February 2025. Patricia Fuller, IISD, called for strengthened NDCs that commit to no new fossil fuel exploration and set explicit, ambitious target dates for reducing production.
Speakers also highlighted:
- The UK’s status as the first Group of 7 (G7) country to exit coal generation and its creation of a clean energy jobs office;
- The UN Development Programme (UNDP)-led Climate Promise, which focuses on ambition, acceleration, and inclusivity;
- The World Bank’s and the African Development Bank’s (AfDB) Mission 300 initiative to provide electricity access to 300 million people in Africa; and
- The NDC Partnership, which supports 180 countries in preparing their NDCs.
Panelists discussed barriers to advance the transition away from fossil fuels, challenges and opportunities to meet deadlines, and ambitions for the transition at the country level.
Another 14 November event explored how to achieve maximum gains for the climate by exploiting advances in energy-efficient cooling technologies, and stressed the need for collaboration to accelerate the uptake of these technologies. More specifically, the event highlighted the potential climate benefits by phasing down hydroflourocarbons (HFCs) and that the transition to lower global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants must be combined with energy efficiency gains. Speakers presented data showing the rising demand for cooling, which will continue to increase as energy-intensive technologies, such as electric vehicles (EVs), data centers, and artificial intelligence (AI), are adopted. Representatives from Indonesia, Kuwait, and Ghana shared their efforts to achieve gains in energy efficiency. Other speakers underscored the need to increase the uptake of energy efficient technologies by consumers, which could be accelerated by removing barriers to using these technologies through changes in building codes and laws. The event was organized by the Montreal Protocol.
A 13 November event discussed trends on climate finance flows and sought to provide a space for parties and observers to learn about the key findings of the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF). The event was structured around presentations of findings from reports on the:
- Sixth Biennial Assessment and Overview of Climate Finance Flows;
- Second report on determining the needs of developing countries related to implementing the Convention and the Paris Agreement on climate change;
- Second report on progress towards achieving the goal of mobilizing jointly USD 100 billion per year;
- Report on common practices regarding climate finance definitions, and reporting and accounting methods; and
- Summary report on the SCF Forum on accelerating climate action and resilience through gender-responsive financing.
The event was organized by the UNFCCC Secretariat.
