The resilience of forests and ecosystems to achieve Latin America's NDCs were the topics of the #EUROCLIMA+ side event during #COP23.

Representatives of Latin American governments, civil society organisations and European agencies have discussed public policies as a tool to achieve sustainable low-carbon growth.

EUROCLIMA+ organised a side event at COP23, in the EU Pavilion in the Bonn area. The session focused on the relevance of climate-resilient forests, ecosystems and local communities in the context of NDC implementation in Latin America, and on possible steps the international community could take to support such resilience.
The event brought together interventions from different speakers, representing the EUROCLIMA+ donor and implementer community, Latin American institutions, partner countries and grassroots organisations living in the forest areas of Latin America.

The discussion reinforced the widely known notion of the role of Latin America's forests in securing CO2 fixation and how their vulnerability to human destruction is a threat to global climate change patterns and sustainable development. It also confirmed how the coordinated effort of governments, local authorities and communities is much needed to prevent further destruction and support the recovery of the region's forests.

Orlando Garner, Honduras; Nicolas Chenet, Expertise France; Martin Kipping, BMZ; Jolita Butkeviciene, European Commission; María Victoria Chiriboga, Ecuador; and Andrés Ixim Pop, representing an indigenous organization from Petén, Guatemala

The meeting also confirmed that the EU-funded EUROCLIMA+ programme is adopting a relevant and appropriate approach in its attempt to assist Latin American governments in fulfilling their commitments towards more climate resilient forests, as reflected in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Jolita Butkeviciene, Director of Coordination and Development for Latin America and the Caribbean in the European Commission's Directorate for International Cooperation and Development highlighted that, so far, €80 million have been made available to EUROCLIMA+. She explained how the programme is designed to assist 18 Latin American governments in implementing their commitments under the Paris Agreement. She also recalled how the implementation of EUROCLIMA+ is mainly done through 5 EU Member State agencies to ensure that European expertise is made available to Latin America in a synergistic and coordinated manner, without excluding the contribution of specialised UN agencies such as ECLAC and UN Environment.

With information from Euroclima

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(Photo: Jorge Alvarez)

Courtesy of: ConexionCOP