With virtual certainty, 2024 will be the warmest year on record and the first calendar year in which the world is 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This does not mean that the Paris Agreement goal has been permanently missed, but it is evident that the climate crisis continues to define our world. From the UN Secretary-General calling for urgent action on extreme heat to the desperate need for climate action voiced by Island States and others at COP29, events this year have again illustrated the enormity of the challenges we face.
The challenges call for urgent and transformational solutions and can bring new opportunities. UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre is working with a large number of national, regional, and municipal partners across the globe to translate science into solutions. Supporting the implementation and updating of the NDCs, driving transformative climate finance opportunities under Article 6, addressing adaptation challenges, and much more.
Notable milestones this year include the implementation of practical solutions, such as energy-efficient lighting in Kenya, solar e-cooking in Uganda, and climate-resilient housing in Bangladesh. In doing so we are helping to deliver measurable impacts for both people and planet.
Along with on-the-ground action, we have continued to build the frameworks for scaling solutions and increasing ambition. This includes our support for Pakistan’s Carbon Market Policy Guidelines, paving the way for transformative climate finance opportunities and global knowledge sharing, and the launch of the fifth round of Technology Needs Assessments, bringing 17 countries into the effort to identify urgently needed climate technologies.
We continue to lead the preparation and scientific editing of both the 2024 UNEP Emissions Gap and Adaptation Gap Reports, reinforcing the science-based case for accelerating emissions reductions and scaling adaptation finance.
Similarly, the 2024 Climate Technology Progress Report highlighted the urgency of tripling renewable energy by 2030 to meet the Paris Agreement goals.
The Global Transparency Forum was organized in Japan in collaboration with the GEF, while we, in parallel, expanded our ICAT work to nine new countries, supporting them in the preparation of their first Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs).
Looking ahead, countries are required to submit new NDCs during 2025. The Centre will support this process in a number of countries while keeping the focus on implementing the current NDCs — turning plans into meaningful action and fostering green growth and resilience.
Best wishes for the holiday season and the year ahead.
– John Christensen, Director UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre