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Climate Diplomacy Events at COP 22

7 November 2016 - 18 November 2016
Marrakech, Morocco

From 7-18 November 2016, adelphi’s experts on climate diplomacy, climate resilience, local climate action, and more, were in Marrakech for the COP22 discussions and key side-events.

In cooperation with the EU, the German Federal Foreign Office, NEPAD and other partners, adelphi convened and was involved in several side-events on climate diplomacy:

  1. Scaling up best practices; creating a conducive policy environment for resilient communities – official UNFCCC Side Event on 7 November, 16:45-18:15h (Room Austral 300)
  2. Towards Implementation: EU and India climate activities one year after Paris – Side Event on 10 November, 18:30-20:00h (Blue Zone, EU Pavilion)
  3. Climate Security and Climate Resilience – What role for Diplomacy?– Side Event on 14 November, 10:30-12:00h (Blue Zone, EU Pavilion)
  4. Managing land and water and addressing climate-fragility risks for resilient development and food security – Side event on 15 November, 16:00-17:30h (Blue Zone, Africa Pavilion - Room 2)
  5. From Climate Finance Readiness to formulation of bankable projects: supporting the MENA Region through an online Help Desk Platform - Side Event on 15 November, 19:00-20:30h (Green Zone, Room 6 - Moulouya). The event was organized by GIZ.

 

1. Scaling up best practices; creating a conducive policy environment for resilient communities

– Official UNFCCC Side Event on 7 November, 16:45-18:15h

Organized by World Vision International (WVI), adelphi, Cornell University, Watershed Organisation Trust (WOTR), the side event featured good practices from around the world that are strengthening livelihoods of those most vulnerable to climate change and increasing community and agro-ecological resilience. What are lessons learned from participatory approaches? How do policies need to change?

The speakers were representatives from: World Vision International, Cornell University, Watershed Organisation Trust, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Center, World Food Programme, Food and Agriculture Organisation, Climate Caretakers, UNDP, CIRAD.

The event was moderated by adelphi.

 

2. Towards Implementation: EU and India climate activities one year after Paris

– Side Event in the EU Pavilion on 10 November, 18:30-20:00h

Alongside other programmes, the EU-India Climate Change Dialogue and Partnership aims to facilitate and foster cooperation in addressing the climate-change-related challenges that India faces with participation of  EU member states and businesses.

adelphi and DG CLIMA co-organised a side event focusing on how to bring in experiences on technology and policy innovation in India and the EU to support the implementation of the NDCs. Linking NDC implementation to the key technology needs of both partners, as well as with the relevant policy frameworks to enable the diffusion of innovations is considered a key pillar of successfully implementing the Paris Agreement.

Based on input statements by experts on innovative approaches in the EU-India context in different climate sectors, discussions with decision makers helped to shape a proactive agenda for the next years.

The speakers were:

  • Ms. Elina Bardram, Head of EU Delegation
  • Mr. Sanjay Seth, Senior Director of the Sustainable Habitat Division, The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI)
  • B. Kalyan Chakravarthy, IAS Director General, Environmental Protection Training and Research Institute (ERTRI)
  • Representatives from the Indian Government (tbc)
  • Representatives from the German Federal Foreign Office (tbc)

The event was moderated by adelphi-expert, Mr. Dennis Tänzler.

 

3. Climate Security and Climate Resilience – What role for Diplomacy? [Event summary here]

– Side Event in the EU Pavilion on 14 November, 10:30-12:00h

How can we deal with the impact of climate change on peace and stability? What are key climate-fragility risks and how may integrated policy responses be designed? Initiatives such as the G7 Working Group on Climate and Fragility or the Planetary Security Initiative (PSI) have been starting to focus on this nexus. In addition, there are numerous initiatives at the regional level that are aiming at building resilience under challenging environmental, political and social conditions. This also includes the strategic level - the EU level, for example, acknowledges the role of climate security and resilience in the EU Global Strategy.

This side event brought together a selected group of policy-makers and experts to discuss relevant programmes and policies to strengthen resilience related to climate change and security. The panelists also reported on the state of play of their initiatives and on how adaptation, humanitarian aid and peacebuilding could be linked in order to integrate approaches to resilience building.

The speakers were:

  • Mr. Peter Fischer, Deputy Director General for Globalisation, Energy and Climate Policy, German Federal Foreign Office
  • Mr. Mamadou Diakhité, Team Leader Sustainable Land and Water Management (SLWM) Program, New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)
  • Ms. Alexander Verbeek, Strategic Policy Advisor on Global Issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the NetherlandsStrategic Policy Advisor on Global Issues at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands

The panel discussion was moderated by adelphi-expert Mr. Dennis Tänzler.

 

4. Managing land and water and addressing climate-fragility risks for resilient development and food security

– Side event in the Africa Pavilion on 15 November, 16:00-17:30h

This side-event is a workshop with a selected group of high-level officials and experts. The participants discussed relevant programmes and policies of African Regional Economic Communitiesin land and water management to identify lessons learned and to develop a deeper understanding of the potential to address and to integrate climate-fragility risks. The aim was to identify possible ways forward along the following guiding questions:

What are the most pressing regional climate-fragility risks to development? How are they addressed and where are gaps? How can  climate risks be integrated into regional land and water management programmes?

To this end, what can be the role of early warning centres of the Regional Economic Communities and Regional Mechanisms for Conflict Prevention, Management and Resolution (RECs/RMs) in building national early warning capacities on potential climate change-related conflicts?

How can financial and economic instruments such as the African Risk Capacity’s agricultural insurance scheme help build local resilience to climate-fragility risks by improving food security and managing disaster risks?

The panelists were:

  • Mr. Peter Fischer, Deputy Director General for Globalisation, Energy and Climate Policy, German Federal Foreign Office
  • Mr. Remy Mukongo, Focal Point on Sustainable Land and Water Management and Forests Issues, Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS)
  • Ms. Ekhosuehi Iyahen, Director a.i. Policy & Technical Services African Risk Capacity (ARC)
  • Mr. Dennis Tänzler, adelphi

The event was moderated by Mr. Mamadou Diakhité (NEPAD).

 

5. From Climate Finance Readiness to formulation of bankable projects: supporting the MENA Region through an online Help Desk Platform

– Side event in the Green Zone (Room 6 - Moulouya) on 15 November, 19:00-20:30h

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is the most water scarce region of the world. The region is home to 6.3 % of the world’s population but has access to less than 1.4 % of the world’s renewable fresh water.

Several factors combined are rapidly increasing the pressure on water resources: population growth, climate change, increasing demand and genuine supply risks. Water scarcity exacerbated by climate change poses a serious threat to the sustainable development of arid countries of this region. MENA countries are preparing adaptation policies and measures to combat climate change. However, implementation of these policies and measures require international support in terms of funding, capacity building and technological transfer.

The GIZ through its Regional Program ACCWaM intends to initiate an online interactive platform to provide reliable and customized information to government and non-government stakeholders (NGOs, academia, private sector) on climate finance opportunities and procedures.

The event is organized in cooperation with the League for Arab States. It was be an opportuninty to exchange knowledge on the follwing key topics: Adaptation issues and solutions in the MENA region; overview of the international climate finance architecture; lessons learnt from MENA countries with respect to international climate finance; presentation of the MENA climate finance help desk plateform: content, registration and available technical assistance.

The speakers included:

  • Representatives of the GIZ: Dr. Hammou Laamrani (Senior Advisor, ACCWaM Program Egypt), Dr. Matthias Bartels (ACCWaM Program Egypt), Dr. Laura Wuertenberger (GIZ, Germany)
  • Dr. Djameleddine Djaballah, Minister Plenipotiary, Director of Environment, Housing, Water & Sustainable Development at the League of Arab States
  • Dr. Mounir Temmam, EnviroConsulting
  • Mr. Dennis Tänzler, adelphi (Director International Climate Policy)
  • Dr. Ayman Shasly, Chair Arab Climate Negotiators Group
  • Dr. Mohamed El Azizi, African Development Bank
  • President of the Arab Water Ministerial Council (tbc)