Thirty years after the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the world remains far off track from meeting its ultimate objective of limiting global warming caused by human activity. The world’s leading scientific authority, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), warns that around half of the global population is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Those living in highly vulnerable regions are already 15 times more likely to die due to floods, droughts and storms compared to those in less vulnerable regions.
However, greenhouse gas emissions are still on the rise, exacerbated by a growing energy crisis and unsustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The IPCC has made it clear: we are now in an extraordinarily dangerous territory. With every small delay in taking action, we move closer to irredeemable damage to the climate system and its ability to sustain the human population.
From 6 to 18 November 2022, Heads of State, ministers, negotiators, climate activists, mayors, representatives of civil society and CEOs will meet in the Egyptian coastal city of Sharm el-Sheikh for the largest annual gathering on climate action, this year known as COP27.
COP27 will seek renewed solidarity between countries and strengthened multilateralism to deliver on the landmark Paris Agreement, and to avert a global catastrophe.
The key UNIDO message for COP27 is that fully implementing the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement will not be possible without the transformation of industry – from the major polluter to a leading provider of innovative climate solutions.
Under the motto ‘Progress by Innovation: Solutions for People and Planet’, UNIDO will debate in roundtables, shed light on its initiatives at side events and fora, and forge new partnerships and alliances with a multitude of stakeholders.
Green hydrogen holds the promise of delivering an abundance of carbon-neutral energy and becoming an unrivalled source to replace fossil fuels in those industrial sectors that are most difficult to decarbonize.
UNIDO's Director General will join Heads of State and Government, principals of United Nations entities and intergovernmental organizations at the high-level roundtable, “Investing in the Future of Energy: Green Hydrogen”, at the Sharm el-Sheikh Climate Implementation Summit to deliberate on the green hydrogen transition in developing countries.
A special evening event, co-hosted by the Government of Egypt and UNIDO, will offer moderated talks, inspirational videos and interviews on the future of green hydrogen and the opportunities it creates for industry on the African continent.
Jointly with UNICEF, UNIDO will convene a side event “Green Hydrogen for People and Planet: Amplifying voice of youth to drive inclusive energy transition in the African Continent” to emphasize the paramount importance of skills and competency development for a sustainable energy future. UNIDO will also share highlights of its green hydrogen-related activities at events of partner organizations.
The ultimate objective of the UNFCCC can no longer be achieved through piecemeal projects and initiatives. Economy-wide transformational approaches are imperative if we are to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and foster climate resilience. The circular economy is gaining traction as a paradigm shift required to address multiple global challenges and reverse the climate emergency trends.
Inspired by the findings of the consultations on circular economy, which have been convened since 2020, UNIDO will collaborate with the Partnership for Action on Green Economy on the United Nations System event, “Accelerating circularity as a holistic response to the triple planetary crisis: The Economic Case”. The UNIDO Director General and his counterparts will discuss the strategies to advance the global shift towards a circular economy in the context of mounting debt levels and a food and energy breakdown that threatens to derail progress towards sustainable development, particularly for developing countries which may be left behind.
Concrete action on the ground will be showcased at the two UNIDO-led side events: “Eco-Industrial Parks in Egypt for climate-resilient and sustainable industrial development", and “Meeting climate targets through bio-based solutions for plastics, chemicals, energy, and agriculture”.
Climate action needs industry leaders. The energy transition is one of the most complex challenges facing industries today, requiring widespread technological and social changes over several decades. International industries cooperation is key to making this transition just and inclusive.
Speaking at the opening session of the Decarbonization Day, UNIDO Director General will set the tone for the ensuing discussions on the decarbonization challenges of energy-intensive industries such as steel, cement and fertilizers, and related needs in African countries.
Together with SEforALL, WTO, WEF and other partners, UNIDO will announce new initiatives and identify key actions needed between COP27 and COP28 to advance industrial decarbonization at various events focusing on harmonized standards for embodied carbon in steel and cement, procurement commitments to create markets for low-emission steel and cement, and cost-effective technology options for decarbonization.
The Council of Engineers for the Energy Transition, co-chaired by UNIDO Director General, Gerd Muller, and President of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Jeffrey Sachs, will hold its first in-person meeting to agree on its work plan and deliverables for the coming year, followed by a launch event.
Following a webinar series, “Empowering youth for COP27 - inspiring climate action”, UNIDO and the SDG7 Youth constituency will contemplate how shortages of qualified workforce impede the sustainable and just energy transition at the joint side event, “Skills for climate action: Youth and clean energy transition”. Furthermore, UNIDO partnered with UN Women, FAO, WFP, GWNET, Energia, REN21, IRENA and ILO to advocate for the critical need to upgrade skills of women and young people to facilitate their inclusion in energy and climate action, and promote climate justice, gender equality and women's empowerment, through a range of dedicated events.
Just a few days before the start of COP27, the Climate Parliament and UNIDO will gather a hundred members of parliament, many of them from Africa countries, funding agencies and business leaders in Luxor to deliberate on energy access, large-scale renewables, continental green grids, and clean cooking. Find out more about the Luxor Forum here.
Considering the scale of transformation required to limit dangerous global warming, innovation - in institutions, economic understanding, technology, finance and leadership – is essential.
The Global Cleantech Innovation Programme, hosted by UNIDO and funded by the Global Environment Facility, accelerates innovative cleantech start-ups and SMEs to market, and facilitates early-stage financing and private sector partnerships. The programme that started eight years ago is now being implemented or developed in 14 emerging and developing economies. The side event, “Advancing cleantech innovation and entrepreneurship for climate action and sustainable development”, will highlight the key to success for climate solution providers: a vibrant and functioning cleantech innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
The side event, “Closing the Financing Gap for Climate Adaptation SMEs”, hosted by the Private Financing Advisory Network, will hear elevator pitches from innovative climate adaptation businesses from Southern Africa and learn about their challenges and needs.
ClimaTech Run, a global competition for tech start-ups and digital artists addressing the most pressing climate challenges on the road to COP27, is being launched by the Government of Egypt and supported by UNIDO and other partners. The ClimaTech Run 2022 Pitching Event and Winners’ Announcement will demonstrate that young people across the world have an unprecedented power to use technology and their force of creativity to spark climate solutions.
UNIDO events at COP27