The climate emergency is a direct consequence of carbon-heavy land-use and agriculture, transport, buildings and industrial processes and polluting energy sources. Without profound changes to these sectors and a drastic cut to carbon footprints, there is little hope of protecting the planet from the devastating effects of a warmer world.
Below are climate-related news and events from the United Nations and partners.
Following the Buildings Breakthrough launched at COP28 UAE, and the Declaration de Chaillot, unveiled at the Buildings and Climate Global Forum in Paris, Kenya through its Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing, and Urban Development is continuing the momentum of #ClimateAction in the Building and Construction Sector.
The buildings and construction sector plays a crucial role in the Kenya's economic and social development and in the wake of the devastating floods and torrential rain, the sector offers strong opportunities to strengthen the resilience of homes and public buildings and for effective climate action, delivering many social and economic benefits.
UNEP together with the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, are committed to support the Government of Kenya and all the stakeholders present today in their efforts to accelerate climate action in the buildings and construction sector.
Today, nearly four in five people in Africa cook their meals over open fires and traditional stoves. Using wood, charcoal, and other polluting fuels has dire impacts on health, gender equality and the environment.
Cooking with biomass also contributes as much as 2 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions, while the reliance on wood for cooking leads to extensive deforestation.
A new report from UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre and the World Food Programme points to opportunities for solar electric cooking (e-cooking) and scaling these solutions to help close the emissions gap and deliver a range of co-benefits in support of numerous Sustainable Development Goals.
The report was launched today during the Summit on Clean Cooking in Africa convened by the International Energy Agency to make 2024 a turning point for progress on ensuring clean cooking access for all.
The recent G7 Ministerial Meeting on Climate, Energy, and Environment in Turin concluded with the adoption of a joint communiqué, highlighting the ongoing endorsement to the #GlobalCoolingPledge.
This milestone reaffirms a steadfast commitment from global leaders to slash cooling-related emissions by at least 68% globally by 2050.
View the list of countries that have pledged to the Global Cooling Pledge.
Colombia has been a Climate and Clean Air Coalition partner since 2012 and has undertaken some of the most consistent and ambitious short-lived climate pollutant (SLCP) mitigation planning and commitments across several phases of development.
With a focus on reducing methane, hydrofluorocarbon (HFC), and black carbon emissions, Colombia stands out as a model for effective climate action. Methane and HFC mitigation contribute approximately 9% of Colombia's greenhouse gas reduction commitment, and the country has set a separate of reducing black carbon emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 2014 levels.
Learn about Colombia's approach to integrating SLCP targets into its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), highlighting the significance of transparent processes and realistic goals.
Over 500 people attended the Global Methane Forum in-person and online, representing more than 50 countries. Participants shared replicable successes to catalyse methane emission reductions in line with the 157-country Global Methane Pledge (GMP), which aims to reduce global methane emissions at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.
Following the Forum, the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, in partnership with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) hosted a Methane Roadmap Action Programme (M-RAP) workshop, convening new GMP participants and countries engaging in the development of their national methane action plan.
Participants at the M-RAP workshop discussed their efforts to enhance inclusion of methane in their 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and upcoming Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs). Inclusion of methane into NDCs and national climate policy frameworks enables tracking of progress under the GMP, and is key to addressing climate change and mobilising necessary climate finance.
In response to the pressing need for critical energy transition minerals in renewable energy technologies, Secretary-General António Guterres has launched a groundbreaking initiative through the United Nations. The establishment of a UN-convened Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals underscores the global commitment to address equity, sustainability, and human rights across the value chains of these vital resources. Co-chaired by Ambassador Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko of South Africa and Director-General for Energy Ditte Juul Jørgensen of the European Commission, this panel brings together diverse stakeholders to develop global guiding principles aimed at safeguarding environmental and social standards while promoting justice in the energy transition.
With the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the demand for critical energy transition minerals such as copper, lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements has never been more crucial. These minerals are essential components of clean energy technologies, from wind turbines and solar panels to electric vehicles and battery storage. The panel's work aligns with international agreements like the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, seeking to ensure that the extraction, processing, trade, and use of these minerals contribute to sustainable development, respect human rights, and foster transparency and accountability on a global scale.
Maroš Šefčovič, European Commission Executive Vice President for the European Green Deal, visited UNEP’s Paris office to discuss the International Methane Emissions Observatory's (IMEO) to accelerate data-driven solutions to reduce methane pollution.
Methane emissions drive roughly a third of current warming, but reducing these emissions is one of the fastest, most cost-effective ways to immediately slow climate change.
With data from scientific research, satellites, companies and governments, UNEP’s IMEO is providing the open, reliable, and actionable insights needed to accelerate concrete climate action.
