The Programme participated in a number of events during LACCW 2021, a week aimed at accelerating collaboration and integrating climate action into the recovery from the global pandemic.
17 May. Brussels, Belgium. The Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week (LACCW) 2021 , hosted by the Government of the Dominican Republic from 11-14 May 2021, was structured around virtual thematic sessions that reflected on climate action in the region in terms of challenges and opportunities for climate action and solutions.
Over four days, 500 speakers from 42 countries participated in more than 100 hours of conferences and 83 events that made up a programme attended by more than 5000 participants.
LACCW 2021 shared innovative climate actions and the progress, achievements and challenges of the countries of the region in meeting their international climate commitments.
The virtual sessions were organised based on three main topics
- Approaches for integrating ambitious actions into national planning to support sustainable recovery
- Integrated climate risk-based approaches for adaptation and resilience building
- Seizing opportunities for transformation: exploring innovative solutions for resilient, low-emission development
In this scenario, EUROCLIMA+, a European Union programme, was actively involved in different events, some of them were presentations within events organised by different partners and other events were organised entirely by the Programme.
Events organised by EUROCLIMA+
On the first day of the sessions, the event “Impact of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) measures and/or technologies on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)” was held, where, after an introduction by Joseluis Samaniego, Director of the Sustainable Development and Human Settlements Division of ECLAC, the findings of this study were presented and followed by a session of comments from the EUROCLIMA+ Programme Focal Points and special guests.
On the second day, the programme organised the event “EUROCLIMA+: Achievements, perspectives and update in the new context of the European Green Pact, where the main results of the Programme were presented by Ms. Maria Jarvio from the Directorate General of International Partnerships, a summary of EUROCLIMA+ results.
The EU Green Pact and information on the continuation of regional cooperation with the region were also addressed by Mr. Felice Zaccheo, Head of Unit for Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and Regional Operations 2, Directorate General of International Partnerships of the European Union. Finally, Mr. Luca Perez, Deputy Head of Unit for bilateral and regional environmental cooperation, Directorate General of International Partnerships of the European Union, concluded with a presentation on the EU Biodiversity Strategy, EU and the Convention on Biological Diversity and on biodiversity in regional cooperation with Latin America and the Caribbean
This EUROCLIMA+ event also sought to receive input from participants on what should be the focus of future EU-LAC cooperation on environment, biodiversity and climate change.
During the same workday on 12 May, within the framework of the EUROCLIMA+ programme, the event “Support from the European Union through its EUROCLIMA+ programme to Chile in its role as Presidency of COP 25, to promote climate action, both in Chile and in Latin America and the Caribbean” took place. The meeting was introduced by Ewout Sandker, head of the cooperation section of the European Union Delegation in Chile and Andrés Landerretche, special envoy of the COP 25 Presidency.
In addition to the leadership of the COP25 Presidency, the organisation of this event counted on the collaboration of the EU, EUROCLIMA+, ECLAC and UNEP and sought to highlight the impact of EUROCLIMA+ support in increasing ambition in the region, through the integration of the processes of updating the NDCs and the development of the LTCSs. The session also aimed to encourage the region's participation in the projects by presenting their state of progress on those corresponding to the thematic areas of science, agriculture and electric mobility and to generate a dialogue between the participating institutions on how the projects are supporting the implementation of NDC commitments and integrating a long-term perspective in climate action.
Finally, and also led by the COP25 Presidency in the framework of EUROCLIMA+, the session “Multilevel governance: Effective integration of NDC implementation in subnational planning and action” was organised, also supported by the LEDS LAC Platform, World Bank, ECLAC, EU, EUROCLIMA+. The meeting was attended by Minister Carolina Schmidt, President COP25 (in a delayed version via video) and Felice Zaccheo, Head of Unit for Mexico, Central America, Caribbean and Regional Operations of Regional 2, Directorate General for International Partnerships of the European Union, with welcoming remarks.
On this occasion, the aim was to share experiences and strengthen the discussion of multi-level governance for ambitious climate action and to identify lessons learned and best practices for effective integration of NDC implementation with sub-national planning, through the demonstration of concrete climate actions by stakeholder groups.
Events with the participation of EUROCLIMA+
The United Nations Environment Programme, with the support of experts participating in the EUROCLIMA+ framework, coordinated the session “Seizing opportunities for transformation” to explore innovative solutions around climate action. In this space, solutions to put the region on a low-emission and highly resilient development path were discussed, with a focus on key sectors of the economy in need of profound transformation.
The experiences of this session identified three key elements to turn the borrowing and spending of post-COVID recovery into an investment that ensures development and quality of life:
Urban Settings: LAC has a huge potential for climate action by cities and local governments: 80% of LAC citizens live in urban areas. Mechanisms that can be replicated such as building codes, land value capture, bonds, fiscal incentives, voluntary payment schemes, mortgages, among others, have been successfully implemented in the region.
Transport and mobility
The Urban Mobility sector actively participated in the thematic sessions on Transport and Mobility, which took place on Wednesday 12 May. Advisors and counterparts came as panellists to present experiences and best practices from Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico and Uruguay.
The session "Imagining 2050" showcased the vision of sustainable, low-carbon and accessible transport systems for Latin America and the Caribbean towards 2050. The panel "Transformative projects and approaches" featured Antonella Tambasco, advisor to the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mining of Uruguay. The governmental counterpart presented the importance of national approaches to urban mobility planning, based on the experience of the project “Promotion of Electric Urban Mobility in Uruguay”.
The panel "Regional support to enable transformation" featured Ana Alcántara, GIZ technical advisor for the EUROCLIMA+ programme, who was invited to join the Sustainable Urban Mobility Platform in Latin America. She explained how this community of practice contributes to disseminate technical competence and knowledge management in the region.
The session "Policies for behavioural change and technological development" provided an overview of the strategies that regional leaders, cities and countries have implemented for sustainable and low-emission transport. In this event, Ana Lucia Gonzalez, Vice Mayor of Montes de Oca, Costa Rica, shared the progress of the municipality to switch to more efficient modes of transport, based on the EUROCLIMA+ project “Promotion and development of urban cycling”. Below is a video of her participation.
The session "Policies for behavioural change and technological development" provided an overview of the strategies that regional leaders, cities and countries have implemented for sustainable and low-emission transport. In this event, Ana Lucia Gonzalez, Vice Mayor of Montes de Oca, Costa Rica, shared the progress of the municipality to switch to more efficient modes of transport, based on the EUROCLIMA+ project “Promotion and development of urban cycling”. Below is a video of her participation.
The last session of the Transport and Mobility theme focused on “Finance”. It described financing opportunities in the region to decarbonise transport and contribute to the green recovery of cities. One way to achieve this is with the support of National Urban Mobility Policies (NUMP) to prepare projects ready to be implemented at the local level. Hugo Pizarro, government counterpart of the Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan of Antofagasta, presented this approach based on the work being done in Chile with the support of EUROCLIMA+.
Energy supply: the energy transition has the potential to create more than 35 million jobs by 2050. The change in the electricity grid can be the engine the region needs to create jobs, generate growth, not be left out of the fourth industrial revolution, and live in harmony with nature. During the pandemic, a growth of the renewable energy sector (solar and wind) was observed in countries such as the Dominican Republic, host of the Climate Weeks. As a means of energy security, renewable sources are an abundant element when fossil fuel imports are not assured. Governments in the region, however, continue to pursue policies that ignore decarbonisation.
Public spending on fossil fuels, such as fossil gas, is increasing in some countries. An exercise that creates a lock-in effect, slows the penetration of non-conventional renewables and moves away from compliance with the Paris Agreement. If current trends continue, the energy sector will overtake Agriculture, Forestry and Land Use Change as the largest GHG emitter by 2050.
During this NDC LAC regional event, an online platform on the progress of Latin American climate action was part of the Action Hubs, a space where the tool was presented, aiming to present what it is for and how to use it (we invite you to watch the video below). NDC LAC is a joint initiative of EUROCLIMA+, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), the Avina Foundation and the LEDS LAC Regional Platform.
Finally, during the Climate Weeks it was highlighted that energy transition and infrastructure development require an immense economic effort, such that the involvement of innovative partnerships and the private sector are crucial. A regulatory framework is needed to encourage investment and facilitate the creation of financing models.
The outcomes of the various LACCW 2021 sessions, including those organised by or involving the EUROCLIMA+ programme, will feed into the Ministerial Sessions at the end of the year. This is an opportunity to hear from all stakeholders in the region so that they can contribute to COP26.
About EUROCLIMA+
EUROCLIMA+ is a programme funded by the European Union and co-financed by the German Federal Government through the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), as well as by the governments of France and Spain. Its objective is to reduce the impact of climate change and its effects in 18 Latin American and Caribbean countries by promoting climate change mitigation and adaptation, resilience and investment. 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), Expertise France (EF), the International and Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policy (FIIAPP), the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), and the UN Environment Programme.