UNECE Support for countries’ climate action, September 2024

Through its norms, standards, conventions and policy assistance, UNECE provides practical tools to support count ries ’ climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts, to leverage financing, and to strengthen collaboration.

Critical Energy Transition Minerals

Over 3 billion tonnes of minerals and metals are needed for the energy transition. UNECE tools to support sustainable management of Critical Energy Transition Minerals include the UNECOSOC-endorsed UN Framework Classification for Resources (UNFC) and UN Resource Management System (UNRMS); work on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards; and supporting value chain traceability. Multilateral Environmental Agreements also help address risks.

Transition Finance

Investments of $1.6 to $3.8 trillion per year are needed until 2050 to meet Paris Agreement objectives, according to UNFCCC. UNECE facilitates the showcasing of energy transition projects to investors at COP29 and fosters the development of transition finance instruments.

Water Cooperation

The UN Water Convention provides a global legal and intergovernmental framework for cooperation between countries on climate change adaptation in shared basins – home to more than 40% of the world’s population. This makes adaptation more efficient, strengthens resilience to floods and droughts, and helps access climate finance for adaptation efforts.

Decarbonizing Transport & Supporting Adaptation

The UNECE Inland Transport Committee (ITC) Strategy, adopted Feb. 2024, can help countries decarbonize road, rail and inland waterway transport, which together account for 72% of the transport sector’s overall carbon footprint. As the UN platform for these transport modes, the ITC performs a role equivalent to that of ICAO for civil aviation or IMO for maritime transport.

UNECE also provides tools to evaluate the resilience of transport systems, guide policy making on emission reductions and adaptation, and supports the Transport Data Commons.

Upholding the Public’s Rights

The Aarhus Convention supports the public’s role in climate change negotiations and in shaping climate action policies. Under the Convention, a Special Rapporteur, Michel Forst, has been elected to protect environmental defenders, who are increasingly under threat in many countries.

Resilient Energy Systems in a Just Transition

UNECE’s Carbon Neutrality Toolkit can help countries build resilient, carbon neutral energy systems by 2050, harnessing all low-carbon technologies and policy options. Support for just transition approaches helps integrate social, environmental and economic dimensions.

Action on Methane

Human-caused emissions of methane - with a warming effect over 80 times greater than CO 2 over 20 years - must be reduced by 40-45% by 2030 to meet 1.5°C target. Available measures – of which half are in the fossil fuels sector can cut 2030 emissions by 30% if fully implemented. UNECE tools can support improved methane management now in the oil, gas and coal sectors.

Public-Private Partnerships

Infrastructure is responsible for 79% of all GHG emissions. The Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and Infrastructure Evaluation and Rating System (PIERS methodology) integrates climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in assessing PPPs and infrastructure projects for their contributions to the SDGs.

Urban Action

Cities globally generate 70% of GHG emissions and waste and face increasing climate impacts. Yet cities are also taking bold climate action, which is a core focus of UNECE’s Forum of Mayors. Support to urban climate action includes the Trees in Cities Challenge with over 80 cities worldwide and over 18 million trees planted; the Trees in Dry Cities Coalition; and the promotion of wood as a construction material with 40% lower carbon emissions than concrete and 30% lower than steel.

Air Pollution

Action to tackle air pollution and GHG emissions is mutually reinforcing. UNECE’s Air Convention has reduced emissions of key air pollutants by 50-80% since 1990 in Europe and North America. Its amended Gothenburg Protocol is the only binding international agreement to tackle short-lived climate pollutants including black carbon – 680 times more heat trapping than CO 2 – and targets key ground-level ozone precursors.

Statistics

UNECE works with national statistical offices (NSOs) to address information needs for climate action, developing the first internationally agreed Recommendations on official statistics in this domain and Set of Core Climate Change-Related Statistics and Indicators. Dedicated guidance can also help NSOs contribute to countries’ climate objectives.

Environmental Assessment

The Espoo Convention facilitates cross-border environmental assessment to ensure projects are environmentally sound and sustainable. Environmental Performance Reviews and the Protocol on Strategic Environmental Assessment further help integrate climate change measures into policies and planning.

Industrial Safety

As countries transition away from fossil fuels, the UNECE Industrial Accidents Convention helps reduce risks from new and expanded uses of hazardous substances and technologies. It also expressly applies to Natural hazard-triggered technological disasters (Natech events).

Find out more about UNECE support for climate action @ https://unece.org/climate-action

Read our Climate Action brochure