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.
Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) is a strategy for adapting to climate change that harnesses nature-based solutions and ecosystem services. Over the past decade, the UN Environment Programme has embraced the practice as a cost-effective and holistic adaptation approach, now supporting more than 50 EbA projects across the world.
Combined, these projects have enhanced long-term adaptive capacity in communities, improved livelihoods, reduced climate risks and improved the health of a diverse range of ecosystems. This policy brief summarizes the key lessons from UNEP’s experiences across multiple countries and ecosystems over the past ten years.
Today, ILO will launch its new report Ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate which reveals alarming new data on the impact of climate change on workers’ safety and health.
This report will be launched in the context of the commemoration of the World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2024.
As climate change intensifies, workers around the globe find themselves at an increased risk of exposure to hazards such as excessive heat, ultraviolet radiation, extreme weather events, air pollution, vector-borne diseases and agrochemicals.
A new report released jointly by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Copernicus Climate Change Service confirmed fears that 2023 was the joint warmest or second warmest year on record in Europe.
The findings in the WMO's 2023 European State of the Climate (ESOTC) report reflect increasing wider climate change shocks globally, but they are particularly significant because the continent is the fastest-warming, WMO said.
“The climate crisis is the biggest challenge of our generation,” said Celeste Saulo, WMO Secretary-General. “The cost of climate action may seem high but the cost of inaction is much higher. As this report shows, we need to leverage science to provide solutions for the good of society.”
The report provides descriptions and analysis of climate conditions and variations from across the Earth system, key events and their impacts, and a discussion of climate policy and action with a focus on human health. The ESOTC report also includes updates on the long-term evolution of key Climate Indicators.
The National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Expo 2024 will be held from 22-25 April in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
The event will promote the exchange of experience and fostering of partnerships between a wide range of Party and non-Party actors and stakeholders on how to advance national adaptation plans.
The Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) today marks 10 years of technology and innovation for adaptation, mitigation, and resilience – in that time, thanks to donor governments and partners, the CTCN has funded over 300 technical assistance projects across 112 developing countries to help them meet their sustainable development commitments under the Paris Agreement.
As part of events to mark the anniversary taking place in Copenhagen, CTCN today releases a report highlighting its work to foster climate resilience and innovation over the past decade. It describes projects ranging from developing green building standards in Zimbabwe to drought risk modelling in Saint Kitts and Nevis, industrial energy efficiency in Pakistan, developing a policy on e-mobility in the Solomon Islands, as well as designs for flood management in Burundi to protect crops from the effects of increasing climate catastrophes.
“My Sustainable Living Challenge,” by UNEP and United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC), takes learners on a six-week immersive journey that turns learning into practice through real-life actions.
Register for the course to learn about sustainability, system change, and the impact of your lifestyle across the domains of food, housing, mobility, consumption and leisure by participating in engaging weekly challenges.
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme is developing a series of research papers to provide concrete evidence on the contribution of volunteering to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The first research paper in the series, titled the contribution of volunteering to climate action and community resilience, was published in March 2024. It demonstrates how volunteers all over the world are engaging in actions that help communities adapt to, as well as build resilience against the impact of climate change.
It looks at different forms and scales of volunteering, with a focus on community-based or local volunteering and identifies four key areas where the contribution of volunteers to climate action is most visible: knowledge and capacity building, disaster preparedness and response, mitigation and adaptation measures, and climate governance.
Its findings and recommendations aim to support ongoing efforts at different levels to integrate volunteers and volunteerism into development and climate action plans of United Nations entities and Member States.
Following the Local Leaders Roundtable at the Buildings and Climate Global Forum in Paris, France on March 7, 2024, the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) convened a vital workshop on April 11th 2024 in Bonn, Germany. This gathering united key stakeholders in multilevel governance within the buildings and construction sector.
The workshop served as a platform to enhance the involvement of subnational stakeholders in the GlobalABC's initiatives. These extend to the activities of its Subnational Stakeholder Engagement Action Group.
Participants engaged in dynamic discussions, leveraging diverse perspectives and expertise to outline strategies for robust collaboration at the local and subnational levels. By fostering stronger engagement, the GlobalABC aims to drive meaningful progress toward sustainable, resilient, and inclusive built environments.
