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.
Energy is indispensable to our lives. Currently, a lot of the world’s energy comes from fossil fuels. To tackle the climate crisis, we must transition our entire energy system to renewable energy and increase energy efficiency.
In this episode of Climate Action Explained, come with us on a journey to Zimbabwe, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Uruguay to understand how the energy transition is happening around the world, helping increase access to healthcare, education and public transportation.
The 60th Sessions of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Subsidiary Bodies (also called the 2024 Bonn Climate Change Conference) will build on the many mandates that emerged at COP28 in Dubai, and aim to drive forward progress on key issues and prepare decisions for adoption at the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, in November of 2024.
See UNEP led/supported events and UNFCCC's full agenda. Watch this feed for highlights.
Today on World Bicycle Day, we celebrate the numerous benefits of cycling as a simple, affordable, and eco-friendly mode of sustainable transport.
The transport sector is responsible for a quarter of global emissions, but studies suggest that increasing walking and cycling could quickly reduce these emissions by 50%. The urgency of reducing emissions from the transport sector is also a health concern. According to World Health Organization (WHO) outdoor air pollution resulted in 4.2 million premature deaths in 2019.
In Africa, over one billion people rely on walking and cycling daily to access essential services, yet it remains one of the least safe regions for pedestrians and cyclists.
To address this, UNEP and partners lead the Pan-African Action Plan for Active Mobility (PAAPAM). This comprehensive framework aims to guide governments and stakeholders over the next decade to prioritize healthy, safe, equitable, and sustainable transport for all.
To solve the climate crisis, we need all actors on board, including non-state actors. Industry, financial institutions, cities, and regions all have the potential to significantly impact climate action.
But how?
Find out in this webinar organized by UNEP on 30 May 2024 from 4 - 5 PM EAT.
Happening on 30 May from 10:50 - 12:45 GMT at the Grand Théâtre National de Dakar, the session titled Sustainable Construction and Climate: Perspectives from West Africa Session aims at showcasing policy actions and initiatives led by countries in the region to achieve a low-carbon, high efficient and climate resilient buildings and construction sector as well as challenges faced by the sector to adapt and be more resilient to climate change.
This session is part of the Forum on Innovative Materials and Sustainable Construction in West Africa, taking place between 28-31 May 2024 in Dakar, Senegal.
Join REN21 on Thursday, 30 May, at 11:00 CET for an in-depth look at the Energy Demand Module of the Renewables 2024 Global Status Report.
The module highlights the dismal increase in renewable energy uptake in the energy-consuming sectors.
Tune in to hear from the experts behind this second Module and discover the latest trends in global renewable energy consumption, with highlights on industry, buildings, transport and agriculture sectors.
It may be built out of recyclable cardboard boxes, but when world leaders officially open the Fourth International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS4) on 27 May, one of the manifestations of young people’s hopes for a better future that will greet them is a solid “wall of commitment” imploring them to take more action against the ravages of climate change.
The Global Transparency Forum which happened from 20-21 May in Tokyo concluded with a call to action, urging participants to apply the insights gained and continue working towards submitting their BTRs and preparing their next Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
The forum highlighted the importance of national ownership and leveraging each country's unique strengths to build effective Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems.
Additionally, the forum stressed:
