The programme participated in the session dedicated to the Americas and the Caribbean, providing visions and recommendations for the implementation of the
ACE agenda in the region from the dimension of international cooperation.
On Wednesday, September 23rd, the session dedicated to the Americas and the Caribbean of the 8th Regional Dialogue on Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE), organised by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) took place. These dialogues, held annually, aim to provide a forum for countries linked to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC Parties) and other interested actors, to advance the agenda for the implementation of Climate Empowerment Action, in line with Article 12 of the Paris Agreement.
This session, dedicated to the Americas and the Caribbean region, focused on fostering inter-sectoral collaboration on ACE, promoting regional knowledge sharing and highlighting best practices for monitoring and reviewing the implementation of the Doha work programme on ACE and the six dimensions that comprise it (education, training, participation, public awareness, access to information and international cooperation), and providing recommendations and views on future work to improve ACE implementation towards 2030.
The meeting involved ACE focal points, ACE negotiators, UNFCCC focal points, staff responsible for updating NDCs at the national level, ministries of education, implementing agencies, social organisations and civil society in general as stakeholders involved in ACE issues. Among them, Johanna Arriagada from the Climate Change Office at the Ministry of Environment of Chile, Gabriela Pignataro, ACE focal point to the UNFCCC for Uruguay, Ana Belén Marín, Member of the National Assembly of Ecuador and President of the ParlAmericasParliamentary Network on Climate Change, or Martha Delgado, Vice-Minister for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico.
The EUROCLIMA+ programme was represented by Cecilia Castillo, Director of Climate Governance in the programme from FIIAPP, who provided the visions and recommendations for the implementation of the ACE agenda in the region from the dimension of international cooperation, and from the experiences that the programme is currently accompanying in the countries. Cecilia highlighted the importance of piloting actions in ACE, providing concrete examples of what the EUROCLIMA+ programme can contribute to boost the implementation of this agenda. She also highlighted some recommendations from the recent study "Action for Climate Empowerment and its transformational potential in Latin America," which analyses the state of the art in the design and implementation of climate plans and policies aimed at complying with article 12 of the Paris Agreement in seven Latin American and Caribbean countries: Chile, Uruguay, Ecuador, Peru, Costa Rica, Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Currently, and through FIIAPP, the EUROCLIMA+ programme is working on supporting the design or reform of strategies, plans or measures for the incorporation of Action for Climate Empowerment in formal, non-formal and informal education processes; the inclusion of the ACE elements (education, training, public awareness, public participation, and access to information) in processes for NDC design and implementation, national adaptation plans and long-term low-emission development strategies; developing or strengthening the design or implementation of national Action for Climate Empowerment strategies under the framework of guidelines provided by the UNFCCC and taking into account national circumstances; and promoting communication and awareness on climate change.
With regard to the recommendations for promoting the ACE agenda, Cecilia Castillo highlighted the need to incorporate ACE into climate policy instruments, but noted that it is necessary to go further, the importance of influencing the socialisation of the ACE agenda, the urgency of connecting with key actors (young people, those most vulnerable to climate change, children, women, teachers), and making progress on metrics that allow us to visualise how progress is being made in the different dimensions of ACE, which will certainly contribute to attracting funding for this agenda.
The Dialogue made it possible to Delve deeper into the need to promote and disseminate the ACE agenda in the region, where the development of national processes, the piloting of transformative actions incorporating different actors, and the exchange and networking among countries are key elements on which the EUROCLIMA+ programme works jointly with Latin American institutions.
About EUROCLIMA+
EUROCLIMA+ is a programme financed by the European Union to promote environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient development in 18 Latin American countries, particular for the benefit of the most vulnerable populations. The Programme is implemented under the synergistic work of seven agencies: the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), the French Development Agency (AFD), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), Expertise France (EF), the International and the Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), and UN Environment.
Contact
Daniel Fernández: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.