The year 2020 is defined by the global pandemic that impacted every country. The health crisis delayed the COP 26 UN Climate Change conference one year to November 2021. As the world settled into a routine of lockdowns and remote work, the UN Climate Change Regional Collaboration Centres (RCCs) increased virtual engagement and facilitated a wide range of activities in collaboration with partners. With an eye on COP 26, the RCCs raised awareness, built capacity and fostered the regional collaboration needed to accelerate climate action.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a tragedy and rebuilding will not be easy. Recovery offers a moment to rebuild responsibly. In this report, we see that the RCCs create an enabling environment that can integrate climate action into COVID-19 recovery. This in turn contributes to success at COP 26 and brings the world closer to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement.

The RCCs are making a difference, and it would not be possible without our partners and our people. Together, we can collaborate to raise ambition and enable even more action on climate change worldwide.

From the Executive Secretary

No one country or company, no single institution or individual, can address climate change on their own. All parts of society must join in the global effort to address climate change. The need for collective and collaborative action is enshrined in the Paris Agreement, alongside the goal to limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels with aspiration to remain within 1.5 degrees.

Achieving these goals requires driving down emissions and building resilient societies. This cannot be accomplished without a dramatic increase in ambition and action across all societies and sectors of the economy. Everyone needs to be part of the solution if we are to act at the speed and global scale that science demands.

Collaboration is the best path to meet the urgency of the climate emergency. For governments, working together creates trust and establishes common ground. For business leaders, it lends confidence that the global economy is moving towards sustainable, low-carbon growth. For communities, working together helps to protect people and foster prosperity. Unity of purpose and harmony with nature open new opportunities for responsible, long-lasting social and economic development.

The Regional Collaboration Centres offer a platform to work in partnership. The RCCs connect countries that need support with expert resources. They connect private sector leaders with the policymakers and innovators who can help chart a low-emission path forward. These Centres connect with youth to enable action by all and ensure young people have a voice and are heard.

In 2020, against the backdrop of a global pandemic, our six Regional Collaboration Centres convened key stakeholders around the world. Many of these regions already see climate impacts, and collaboration is crucial to seize transformative opportunities while building forward from the Covid-19 pandemic.

This Annual Report recognizes the Regional Collaboration Centres, our six host partners that make these hubs of cooperation possible, as well as all the many partners and collaborators we worked with throughout the year. Their cooperation truly makes a difference and we are all deeply grateful for it.

Together, we can leverage regional action and ambition into global success at COP 26. In doing so, we will take a collective step towards achieving the vision laid out in the Paris Agreement and securing a stable future for humanity.

ACE         Action for Climate Empowerment
AGYLE         Academy for Global Youth Leadership Empowerment
ASEAN         Association of Southeast Asian Nations
BOAD         West African Development Bank
CAF         Development Bank of Latin America
CCMRVH         Caribbean Cooperative MRV Hub
CDM         Clean Development Mechanism
CER         Certified emission reductions
CGE         Consultative Group of Experts
CiACA         Collaborative Instruments for Ambitious Climate Action
COP         Conference of the Parties
CTCN         Climate Technology Centre and Network
EADB         East African Development Bank
FAO         Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
GCF         Green Climate Fund
GEF         Global Environment Facility
GHG         Greenhouse gas
GIZ         German Agency for International Cooperation
ICAO         International Civil Aviation Organization
IEA         International Energy Agency
IGES         Institute for Global Environmental Strategies
IGO         Intergovernmental organization
ILO         International Labour Organization
IMO         International Maritime Organization
IOM         International Organization for Migration
IPCC        Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
LAC         Latin America and the Caribbean
LDC         Least Developed Country
LEG         Least Developed Countries Expert Group
MENA        Middle East and North Africa
MOU         Memorandum of Understanding
MRV         Measurement, reporting and verification
NAP         National Adaptation Plan
NBF         Needs-based Finance
NDC         Nationally Determined Contribution
NWP         Nairobi Work Programme on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change
PCCB         Paris Committee on Capacity-building
PoAs         Programmes of Activities for the CDM
RCC         Regional Collaboration Centre
SCF         Standing Committee on Finance
SDG         Sustainable Development Goal
SIDS         Small Island Developing States
TEC         Technology Executive Committee
UNDP         United Nations Development Programme
UNDRR         United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction
UNEP         United Nations Environment Programme
UNESCWA     United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia
UNHCR         Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
UNSDCF         United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework
WGEO         World Green Economy Organization
WINDREF     Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation

In early 2020, the world came to a standstill when a novel coronavirus caused the COVID-19 outbreak and sparked a global health crisis. Governments locked down their countries and took steps to protect their people, with much work moving to virtual platforms. Social and economic activity slowed to a crawl as the scientific community scrambled to respond to this new threat.

This was a challenging year for UN Climate Change and its six Regional Collaboration Centres around the world. The COP 26 conference scheduled for 2020 in Glasgow had to be postponed to November 2021. Official travel and in-person meetings were canceled due to travel restrictions and the need to keep populations healthy and safe. Work at the RCCs had to continue and alternative working arrangements were put in place.

Remote working and online collaboration tools allowed for some progress as planned, but the interruption and move to online collaboration did affect the RCCs. While the dynamics of in-person collaboration could not be replaced, a Regional Virtual Platform for engagement and longer lead time to COP 26 allowed for robust and sustained virtual engagement.

The RCC 2020 Annual Report shows how the RCC Initiative supported regional efforts to enable more action and ambition on climate change during a difficult year. More than an accounting of activities, this report can enhance communication with internal and external stakeholders by sharing how different regions are rising to meet their own climate challenges.

It adds to the permanent record of the RCC initiative and complements ongoing monitoring and evaluation efforts. As governments, specifically Parties to the Framework Convention, and non-Party stakeholders in the private sector and civil society rebuild from the economic impacts of the  -pandemic, this Annual Report proves that the RCCs can integrate climate action into COVID-19 recovery and deliver on the goals of the Paris Agreement.

This report is based on information collected from RCC resource planners, monitoring reports, data volumes, internal and external articles, and regular activity and progress reports. Some of the monitoring tools also gather inputs from stakeholders involved in the RCC activities.

The team in Bonn curated and compiled this information to maximize transparency and enhance collaboration moving forward. 

Making a Difference

Examining what was accomplished in 2020 against the backdrop of a global pandemic shows that the RCCs have become an enabling force for action and ambition on climate change. Collaboration lies at the heart of the Paris Agreement, with each nation contributing what they can to the climate challenge and ratcheting up ambition over time. The RCCs made a difference through collaboration that enables countries to strengthen their national response and engagement of regional stakeholders to chart a path forward. A quick look shows that these efforts are well received.

This Report outlines a broad range of activities to address the climate crisis, funded from various sources and delivered at the request of Parties and donors. These achievements are possible through coordination with UN Climate Change divisions and collaboration with other UN agencies at national, regional and global levels. The CDM remains a focus of the RCCs, but activities are designed to contribute to the success of the Paris Agreement.

The RCCs enable climate action and ambition in the following ways:

• Keeping climate action at the top of the political agenda – By engaging with a diverse range of political actors to identify and assess possible actions, the RCCs can enhance implementation in countries and across regions.
• Identifying and overcoming gaps and constraints – The RCCs support development of action plans and strategies; provide capacity-building and training for implementation; open access to sources of support and facilitate of transparent reporting to overcome barriers to climate action.
• Identifying synergies and avoiding overlaps – To seek benefits from integrated climate action, the RCCs liaise with key actors and aim to ensure efficient delivery, enhance collaboration and monitor policies and measures taken.
• Tracking implementation – The RCCs collect information on regional climate action, provide technical assistance for reporting, and communicate the results through UN Climate Change channels to demonstrate how their support assists stakeholders in making a difference on climate change.

The RCCs are well positioned to increase climate action at a global scale by engaging local stakeholders and international organizations operating at a regional level. Each Centre opens a channel to the UN Climate Change process by leveraging expertise at the secretariat to facilitate local activities.

These engagements give RCC staff a good understanding of local and regional context, while building strong regional partner networks. The RCCs bridge the gap between action on the ground and  international policy, adding value at both levels by bringing coherence to regional response to climate change and bringing regional voices to the UN climate talks.
 

RCC Structure

The RCCs operate as a collaboration between UN Climate Change and six host partner institutions. In 2020, seven UN Climate Change staff members were deployed on assignment to the RCCs. Additional resources to support the substantive programme of work included 29 host-partner or seconded staff resources. The mix of resources include UN Volunteers and UN Junior Professional Officers fully funded by governments, UN staff seconded to RCCs at no cost to the secretariat and project staff hired to work on identified projects. Host partners cover all administrative and logistics costs, including office space, equipment, meeting rooms and utility charges. The flexible model allows for expertise sharing among RCCs to address challenges and contribute to the Paris Agreement goals at minimal financial and resource cost to the secretariat and the host partner institution.

More details on the RCC history, operational infrastructure and role of the RCCs in regional action are on the Regional Collaboration Centres webpage.
 

RCC Bangkok, Thailand Partner: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies Year Established: September 2015 Regional Lead: Jens Radschinski Support Staff: 6

RCC Dubai, UAE Partner: World Green Economy Organization Year Established: October 2019 Regional Lead: Muhammad Taimur Support Staff: 5

RCC Kampala, Uganda Partner: East African Development Bank Year Established: May 2013 Regional Lead: Suri Mues Support Staff: 6

RCC Lomé, Togo Partner: West African Development Bank Year Established: January 2013 Regional Lead: Nafissatou Cissé Support Staff: 5

RCC Panama[1], Panama Partner: Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) Year Established: March 2017 Regional Lead: Carlos Ruiz Garvia Support Staff: 4

RCC St. George’s, Grenada Partner: Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation Year Established: July 2013 Regional Lead: Vintura Silva Support Staff: 6

[1] Former RCC Bogotá established in August 2015.

Highlights from 2020 that recognize key achievements and demonstrate the power of the RCCs to make a difference in all areas of climate action.

Advancing Multilateralism

Supporting the Doha Amendment 

The Doha Amendment, which established the Kyoto Protocol’s second commitment period in 2012, entered into force on 31 December 2020. This signal indicated willingness by the international community to deliver on climate pledges and address climate change through multilateral cooperation. At COP23, all Parties indicated that enhanced pre-2020 ambition can lay a solid foundation for enhanced post-2020 ambition, making 2020 critical for the Kyoto Protocol. In October 2020, the last of the required 147 Parties deposited their instrument of acceptance and the Doha Amendment entered into force at the end of the year.

At the request of the Parties, the secretariat provided procedural support for the ratification
of this multilateral climate agreement. To support this process in 2020, the RCCs supported Parties in their region by responding to ad-hoc requests for information or by collaborating with UNFCCC Legal Affairs to provide status updates on the Doha Amendment ratification process.

Engaging Regional Ambassadors for COP 26

Throughout 2020, RCCs held virtual meetings with the regional Ambassadors who are part of the incoming COP 26 Presidency effort to deliver a successful COP 26. The meetings were a good opportunity to share information and proved useful to build solid collaborations towards a successful COP 26 in November 2021.

RCCs supported regional team efforts to contact focal points in relevant Ministries and coordinate
Ambassador participation in virtual events. Highlights from 2020 that recognize key achievements and demonstrate the power of the RCCs to make a difference in all areas of climate action.

Ambassadors were interested in leveraging RCC outreach channels such as their regular newsletters to share key messages. Ambassadors also showed interest in RCC activities, especially youth and other stakeholder engagement as they hold potential to ensure wider engagement from key stakeholders at COP26.

Mitigation

Nationally Determined Contributions

To support NDCs, the RCCs conduct surveys, build networks and support countries and international institutions working to achieve their climate goals. The RCCs are well positioned to contribute to progress on the NDCs.

• RCC Panama launched the “Survey on NDCs Latin America 2020” in collaboration with UNEP and the NDC Partnership in October 2020 to understand progress on the NDCs.
• RCC Kampala collaborated with the NDC Partnership and host institution EADB to publish the “Survey on NDCs Eastern and Southern Africa” in December 2020.
• RCC Bangkok and RCC Dubai launched the “Survey on NDCs Asia-Pacific, Middle East and North Africa” together with cooperating partners and published the results in a synthesis report in early 2021.
• RCC St. George's produced the “Survey on NDCs Caribbean Region 2020”.
• RCC Kampala, RCC Panama and RCC Bangkok hosted regional NDC Coordinators of the NDC Partnership. Coordinators stationed in the RCCs survey countries, organize capacity-building events and support Parties to achieve more ambitious NDCs.

NDC Online Engagement

In 2020, the RCCs advanced progress on NDCs through effective virtual engagement. 

• RCC St. George’s hosted the Caribbean Virtual Exchange Series on NDC development to provide NDC support to countries, implementing agencies and financial institutions.
  • The first meeting in May discussed NDC submission procedures and guidelines to facilitate clarity, transparency and understanding of NDC.
  • The next event in July 2020 introduced key outcomes from the Placencia Ambition Forum on Integrating Adaptation, Resilience and Disaster Risk Reduction and discussed integrating these elements into the NDCs.
  • Another July exchange highlighted best practices to integrate the NDCs and climate action into sustainable development.
  • An August session discussed tools, approaches and methodologies of accounting for NDC progress.
  • A September exchange advanced the technical capacities of SIDS in the Caribbean and Pacific that are preparing new or updated NDCs.
  • In October, a Costing and Financing of NDCs and Tracking of Climate Finance webinar focused on finance strategy for NDCs.
  • The final exchange supported NDC revision and implementation and convened governments alongside international and regional organizations and technical specialists.
• In October 2020, RCC Dubai supported a virtual workshop to enhance understanding on processes and provisions for NDCs in the MENA that engaged more than 60 representatives from 12 countries.
• In December 2020, RCC St. George’s co-organized an online event with RCC Panama and IRENA on advancing the energy transitions in Latin America and Caribbean through the NDCs.

CDM Capacity-building

The RCCs continue to prioritize Clean Development Mechanism work in least developed countries and underrepresented countries, which are defined as countries with 10 or less registered CDM projects as of 31 December 2010.

• In 2020, the RCCs supported 229 CDM projects or PoAs, aided development of 19 new bottom-up standardized baselines and responded to 301 queries received from stakeholders requesting clarifications on the CDM requirements.
• In response to COVID-19 pandemic, a Regional Virtual Platform was launched to provide a list of virtual meetings in the six RCC regions and organized by the RCCs, the UNFCCC secretariat and partners.

Throughout 2020, the RCCs were instrumental in supporting the maximization of impact of the work of the substantive divisions.

• RCC St. George’s and RCC Panama co-organized the webinar “Latin America and Caribbean Experiences on Standardized Baselines” in English and Spanish alongside the DNA Forum 2020. Twenty-nine Designated National Authorities from Latin America and the Caribbean joined.
• RCC Kampala organized a webinar on applying standardized baselines beyond the CDM framework. Sixty-two participants from governments, development partners, NGOs, the private sector and financial institutions discussed the benefits standardized baselines can bring to NDCs, GCF projects, NAMAs and other mitigation actions.
• RCC Bangkok and RCC Dubai launched a series of DNA workshops to build capacity of Designated National Authorities to advance CDM projects.

DNA Forum

Under its provision of support to forums and other stakeholders, the secretariat and the World Bank co-organized the 21st Global DNA Forum as a virtual event. The Forum convened 90 Designated National Authorities of CDM activities and other key stakeholders to enhance knowledge of carbon market, climate finance and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. Attendees were encouraged to share their experience related to regional collaboration and strengthening the CDM. DNAs called for the CDM Executive Board to send a strong message to the world on the future of the CDM.

Stakeholder Interaction

RCCs supported project participants and coordinating/managing entities facing challenges on registered CDM project activities and PoAs due to COVID-19 restrictions. RCCs also supported designated operational entities who were not able to conduct mandatory onsite inspections at validation/verification due to travel restrictions imposed by governments to address the pandemic. The secretariat facilitated stakeholder interaction during the CDM Executive Board meetings in 2020.

Transparency

Measurement, Reporting and Verification Network

Throughout 2020, RCCs made steps towards operationalization of monitoring, reporting and verification systems.

• RCC Lomé and RCC Bangkok co-organized the CGE virtual training on the existing MRV arrangements and the ETF for Africa and Asia-Pacific regions. Webinars were organized on lessons learned and good practices from national MRV systems in Eastern and Southern Africa.
• RCC Kampala also supported virtual training, including the CGE virtual workshop for Africa and 14 sessions of 2006 IPCC GHG Software Virtual Training and Mitigation Actions Virtual Training.
• RCC Panama provided technical support for virtual training on NDC preparation, MRV and transparency in Latin America, translating all materials and moderating in Spanish to facilitate understanding.
• RCC Dubai supported the Consultative Group of Experts virtual training on the existing MRV arrangements and the Enhanced Transparency Framework in Arabic for the MENA.
• RCC Bangkok supported CGE virtual trainings on the existing MRV arrangements and launch of the ASEAN MRV network with UNEP-DTU and the ASEAN Working Group on Climate Change.
• RCC Lomé supported the MRV network of North and Central Africa to strengthen capacity to build a solid reporting system and prepare National Communication and Biannual Reports.

Adaptation

The RCCs support countries seeking to reduce vulnerability to immediate and predicted climate impacts and increase the capacity of countries and communities to be more resilient. In 2020, this work was advanced at the regional level in diverse ways.

• RCC Panama targeted 15 countries and successfully trained more than 100 country representatives.
• RCC St. George’s facilitated a regional event on “Integrating Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction Agendas” in the Americas and Caribbean regions at the Climate:Red Summit 2020. The RCC also supported outreach to promote the NAP Country Platform, a space for developing countries to highlight adaptation priorities.
• RCC Dubai supported the work of Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative, or LAKI, in West Asia and MENA subregions. The RCC supported delivery of the First Virtual Technical Meeting to Close Priority Knowledge Gaps in the MENA in December 2020. Organized in collaboration with the UNEP Global Adaptation Network and UNESCWA, the meeting convened experts from 11 organizations.

Means of Implementation

Climate Finance

Climate finance is the local, national or transnational financing from public, private and alternative sources that supports mitigation and adaptation actions to address climate change. Throughout 2020, the RCCs played a catalyzing role in mobilizing finance.

• RCC Lomé supported UN Climate Change Finance in gathering information on finance needs and strategies for West Africa.
• RCC Panama supported the SCF Report to help determine financial needs of developing country Parties and GCF readiness, with engagement on “Advancing a regional approach to e-mobility in Latin America”, supporting 10 Latin American countries.
• RCC Panama also supported the Climate and Sustainable Finance Week in LAC, which focused on finance to accelerate climate action and sustainable recovery.
• All RCCs contributed to keep the climate finance database up to date.

Needs-based Finance Project

The RCCs support implementation of Needs-based Finance projects in 10 regions and sub-regions covering 92 countries.

• RCC Dubai supported the NBF project for Arab States with the League of Arab States and UNESCWA. The RCC also supported the NBF project for South and Southwest Asia in collaboration with UNESCAP.
• RCC Bangkok supported four NBF projects in 2020 in the Asia-Pacific region, working with Asia LDCs, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Island States in the Indian Ocean, and Central Asia and South Caucasus. 
• RCC Lomé supported the NBF project in the West African Economic and Monetary Union, and possible second phase with the Economic Community of West African States and the West African Alliance.
• RCC Kampala supported organization of an NBF workshop including preparation of workshop report and related articles.
• RCC Panama worked with the Presidential Office for Climate Change in Honduras to advance the NBF project, including analysis of the country’s NDC. Discussions with Uruguay, Bolivia and Guatemala explored adaptation finance.
• RCC St George's supported the NBF project with climate finance strategy in the region, including technical requirements for a Climate Finance Strategy for the East Caribbean with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and GIZ.

Capacity-building

The RCCs conducted 31 regional and national capacity-building activities, reaching an around 30 participants at each event. The activities included capacity-building workshops, knowledge-sharing events and public consultations on issues ranging from standardized baselines and their applications, carbon pricing and domestic and international carbon markets, to climate smart cooling, climate negotiations and carbon neutrality, carbon footprint programmes and voluntary GHG management and MRV.

Technology

RCC Bangkok co-organized the UNEP and UN Climate Change webinar “Climate Technologies and Technology Needs Assessments activities in Asia-Pacific” with the Technology division. To harness the potential of climate-smart cooling, a series of four regional technical expert meetings took place in August 2020, organized by the Technology Executive Committee, Climate Technology Centre and Network and the RCCs. The webinar was supported by the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, who showcased climate-friendly technology solutions for cooling systems.

Cross-cutting Areas

Youth and Gender Engagement

Engagement with youth and gender organizations and networks featured prominently in the work of several RCCs. This focus engagement can mobilize local action and opens a channel for youth to be heard and for women and girls to access support.

• RCC Lomé and RCC Dubai supported the Academy for Global Youth Leadership Empowerment. AGYLE is a training programme with face-to-face training, practical activities, mentoring and online sessions to empower youth and facilitate youth-led climate action.
• RCC Lomé and the Government of Ghana held a workshop in February 2020 establishing the Africa Youth ACE Hub in Ghana. This event brought together governments, institutions, youth organizations and Action for Climate Empowerment focal points from West Africa countries. The workshop discussed the scope and objectives for a Youth Hub in Ghana. The Government of Ghana has endorsed and provided support for the Hub.
• RCC Dubai organized two webinars for the AGYLE Webinar Series – "The opportunity for a green recovery in the post COVID-19 scenario in the context of the SDGs and the Paris Agreement: The role of Youth" in August and the two-part “The impact of Climate on Health and the opportunity to create a healthier environment in a post COVID-19 world" in December. The Series brought together MENA region youth and high-level speakers to discuss the role of youth in a post-COVID-19 green recovery.

The RCCs coordinated with the Gender Team at the secretariat to ensure that special attention was given to ensure equal participation in capacity training activities, with workshops and seminars organized in collaboration with partners. Gender work at RCCs was developed in line with the Enhanced Lima Work Plan Gender and Gender Action Plan agreed at COP 25.

A series of regional workshops on integrating gender into national climate actions held online from July to September convened around 940 participants from 35 countries. The workshops were an opportunity to hear from leading countries and enable peer-to-peer exchange on the best practices and challenges that governments face when integrating gender into national climate policies, plans, strategies and actions.

RCC Global Forum

The annual RCC Global Forum for 2020 was held virtually on 5 October 2020. RCC partners shared the advances in areas of work identified the previous year and challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The virtual meeting also helped partners to keep abreast of achievements, share mid-year progress and report on planned work in 2020 and beyond amid the challenging environment posed by
the pandemic.

Nairobi Framework Partnership

In 2020, Nairobi Framework Partnership coordination and regional activities focused on enhancing the capacity of DNAs to become fully operational, building capacity in developing CDM project activities, promoting investment opportunities, strengthening interagency coordination and improving information sharing, outreach and training. 

Two coordination meetings were held online to address possible disruptions of planned NFP activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Partners agreed to create an online meeting platform for meetings that would have taken place during the Regional Climate Weeks.

UN System Engagement

Throughout 2020, RCC engagement with the UN development system was strengthened through Issue-Based Coalitions, called IBCs, or an Opportunity- and Issue-Based Coalition in Africa. These coalitions are operated by regional economic and social commissions and cover specific countries. Each region has multiple IBCs for different sectors. Depending on the scope of the IBCs, more than one IBC may be relevant to the work on climate change. 

• RCC Bangkok joined the Asia-Pacific Building Resilience and Climate Change Adaptation IBC and facilitates contributions with the Adaptation team.
• RCC Bangkok is also a member of the Climate Change Mitigation and Air Pollution IBC for Asia-Pacific.
• In the MENA, RCC Dubai is a member of the Food Security, Climate Action and Environment IBC.
• RCC Panama and RCC St. George’s are members of the Climate Change and Resilience IBC for LAC.

A UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSDCF) is the main country-level coordination framework that ensures UN agencies in a country work in tandem and avoid duplication.

• UNSDCFs are part of the UN restructuring and will take effect when UN Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAF) come to their natural end.
• When the UNDAF in Uganda came to an end in 2020, RCC Kampala contributed to Uganda’s UNSDCF for 2021-2025.

Resident Coordinator system offers the RCCs a clear point of entry to work in-country through the Resident Coordinators’ Offices (RCOs). For example, the RCO for the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and Barbados coordinates work by the Eastern Caribbean Donor Partner Group.

• RCC Dubai is engaging with the RCO in the UAE as part of the UAE UN Country Team.
• RCC St. George’s is a member of a subgroup to promote a ‘Sustainable and Resilient Caribbean’.
• RCC Panama regularly contributes to coordination calls between the Development Coordination Office and the RCO Panama and is a member of the RCO National Climate Action task force.

Nurturing regional and local talent Fellows, interns and other regional and local experts working in RCCs continued building their capacity to provide support. Fourteen participants from the RCCs attended the all-virtual 2020 UN Summer Academy in August 2020. RCC staff had the opportunity to understand issues underpinning the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Paris Agreement, including:

• Key challenges and opportunities facing the multilateral development system and key actions at global and local levels 
• Networking opportunities built around increased awareness of the role of different development partners
• Sustainable development best practices at the local level

Online course on the Paris Agreement

RCCs collaborated with the UN System Staff College to organize the second edition of the online course on ‘The Paris Agreement on Climate Change as a Development Agenda’. Attended by 300 participants, the course enhanced knowledge on holistic and integrated approaches to climate change and the interlinkages and interdependencies between sustainable development and climate change. It sought to build capacity to make informed policy choices towards low-carbon and climate-resilient development.
 

These 2020 projects and initiatives advance key topics and convene stakeholders to raise ambition, promote regional action and make a difference at global scale.

CiACA

The Collaborative Instruments for Ambitious Climate Action initiative held the first series of regional dialogues on carbon pricing, called REdiCAP, in five regions and sub-regions – Latin America, Caribbean, West Africa, East and Southern Africa and South-East Asia. The virtual events provided a platform for peer learning about carbon pricing instruments, which are crucial to help countries green their economies. Sessions were attended by over 100 country representatives, including COP negotiators, directors in ministries of environment and climate change, and UNFCCC national focal points. Participants made recommendations to foster a regular exchange of experience and mutual learning.

The five dialogues were conducted with regional partners collaborating on the CiACA work programme, including MEXICO2 in Latin America and the Caribbean, GIZ and the World Bank in Africa, and the Asian Development Bank, UN Environment and UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific in the Asia-Pacific region.

National-level support was provided to jurisdictions that engaged during the first phase of the CiACA project and new countries that approached the RCCs to join the capacity-building activities, including Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, Kenya, Guinea and Guinea Bissau.

Caribbean Cooperative MRV Hub

“You cannot control what you cannot measure.” This simple maxim was spoken by UNDP’s Damiano Borgogno in February 2019 at the launch of the Caribbean Cooperative MRV Hub in Grenada. In 2020, the MRV Hub continued to foster regional collaboration, strengthen carbon accounting and advance progress on NDCs and GHG modeling.

• Over the summer of 2020, the CCMRVH held an online Summer Academy attended by 26 regional climate change officers from various member countries.
• The CCMRVH Modeling Centre came online to support mitigation analysis and modeling work in Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia and The Bahamas.
• RCC St. George’s, the CCMRVH and GIZ teamed up to deliver an online training on how to set up a cooling strategy in the Caribbean.
• RCC St George's and CCMRVH partners completed assessments of MRV systems in all 12 member countries and provided them with capacity-building reports to strengthen the region's MRV system capabilities.

Regional Climate Weeks

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Regional Climate Weeks scheduled for 2020 were postponed to 2021. During the reporting period, the secretariat engaged with the host governments, which confirmed their commitments to host the Regional Climate Weeks 2021. The NFP agreed on a schedule for the regional climate week meetings in 2021 to include a series of virtual events to take place before COP26 in Glasgow.

To maintain momentum and advance preparations for 2021, organizing partners developed a set of virtual activities or events that took place in 2020. The virtual activities organized by partners were not meant to replace the regional climate week events in 2020, but rather to serve as pathways towards the preparation of the events that will take place in 2021. These activities were captured in a repository site.
 

Collaboration is most effective with far-reaching and sustained engagement that connects with the right stakeholders to develop a network of climate action that spans the globe.

Engagement is the foundation for success for the RCCs. Over the years, engaging diverse stakeholder in solution-focused dialogue has proven to be a powerful catalyst for furthering the climate talks and raising ambition. In 2020, the RCCs transitioned to virtual engagement in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed the Centers to engage a wider audience and hold more events.

Even with the challenges of remote work and collaboration spaces moving online, RCC engagement continued with three goals to guide their efforts.

Goal 1 – Support CDM stakeholders The RCCs aim to provide effective technical and substantive support to CDM stakeholders on developing bottom-up and top-down standardized baselines, using the CDM tool, securing finance for CDM projects and responding to CDM queries.

Goal 2 – Facilitate regional engagement The RCCs facilitate regional engagement to promote action to achieve the goals of the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement in collaboration with UNFCCC programmes, host institutions and partnerships.

Goal 3 – Build support infrastructure The RCCs seek to effectively manage financial and human resources and reporting, communication activities, workplan monitoring and reporting, workplan adjustment with the host partners, partnership building, networking and fundraising.

To achieve these goals, the RCCs pursue partnerships, organize and attend events, make in-person and online missions and maintain a robust external communications programme in collaboration with partners. 

Partnerships

Partnerships give the RCCs greater credibility and broaden the scope of what the RCC initiative can achieve. Increasing climate action requires cohesive response, a wide variety of skills and risk sharing. Bringing different partners to the table brings different viewpoints and perspectives, integrating the RCC efforts into the work by partners. Strong partner networks provide benefits in terms of knowledge sharing, resource pooling and adding credibility.

Each RCC sits at the center of a regional partnership network. Host partners are integral to the RCC operations, and all regional partners play a role in the success of the RCC work. RCC Partnership interactions focused on partnership building, funding resources, joint project implementation, funding of events, communications and outreach, and co-organizing events. Notable inter-agency partnerships in 2020 include:

• IOM – To mark the start of the year of climate action, members of the inter-agency Migration and Climate Change Working Group convened in January 2020 with the RCC Kampala team lead invited as guest speaker.
• UNDP and GHGMI – RCC St. George’s partnered with UNDP and the GHG Management Institute to implement activities relating to nationally appropriate mitigation actions and the MRV Hub in the Caribbean.
• Euroclima+ – RCC Panama collaborated with Euroclima+ to ensure alignment of the UNFCCC NOC-Registry and the Euroclima+ NOC-LAC platform.
• UNDP and World Bank – RCC Panama supported Alliance of Voluntary GHG Management Programs ready to promote private sector involvement with six Latin America countries.

Partnerships begin with an MOU, or Memorandum of Understanding, that establishes the parameters of the partnership and other operational details. This step formalizes the partnership and details key roles and responsibilities for involved partners. RCCs support the MOU process between the UNFCCC secretariat and partner entities. Several key partnerships and MOUs were signed in 2020. 

• RCC Dubai facilitated a framework MoU signed in November 2020 between UN Climate Change and UNESCWA covering three diverse projects:
  • Implementing collaborative actions to close adaptation knowledge gaps in the MENA region
  • Improving the readiness of ESCWA member States in implementing the Enhanced Transparency Framework of the Paris Agreement
  • Organizing the Middle East and North Africa Regional Climate Week (MENA CW) in Dubai, UAE 
• RCC Panama supported development and signing of extensions or reactivated MOUs to advance work with CAF, UNEP, UNECLAC and the IDB.
• RCC St. George’s joined a joint programme led by the International Organization for Migration to raise awareness about human mobility in contexts of disasters and climate change. The programme takes a human security perspective and considers pandemic response, putting the well-being of migrants, displaced persons and vulnerable communities at the center and advocating frameworks that help address these movements in a timely, adequate and protection-sensitive manner. This joint programme targets 11 Eastern Caribbean countries and territories and is aligned to the UN Global Socio-Economic Response to COVID-19 and the Eastern Caribbean Multi-Sectoral Response Plan for COVID-19.

Events

In 2020, RCCs organized and supported 137 events, with only 14 events held in person before the pandemic. The other 123 were virtual events promoted and reported on a Regional Virtual Platform rolled out in response to COVID-19. This platform kept stakeholders informed about the workshops, forums, training sessions and webinars organized by the RCCs.

Virtual events were well attended by representatives from CDM stakeholders, UN agencies, international organizations, NGOs, universities and the private sector. Some events are directly organized by the RCCs, with the Centres acting as co-organizers, contributors, presenters and facilitators for others. 

For 10% of these events, the RCCs acted as co-organizers, highlighting their important role in these strategic partnership initiatives.

Missions and Interactions

From January to March 2020, 13 missions, or official visits, were conducted. During these missions, RCC staff traveled to different countries to engage around specific challenges related to policy and climate action. Of these missions, 27% supported Goal 1 – Support CDM stakeholders, while 73% supported Goal 2 – Facilitate regional collaboration.

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, in-person missions were put on hold. Missions resumed in a virtual format, with country-specific outreach incorporated into the remote workflows of the RCCs.

Throughout 2020, interactions continued, as many interaction opportunities moved to virtual platforms. Interactions are recorded when an RCC representative has meaningful interaction with partners or stakeholders. This could be as simple as sitting in on a partner-led working group to provide regional expertise in a substantive discussion. It could be more involved, like sitting on a virtual conference panel to represent the secretariat in the region. 

In 2020, a total of 65 interactions were reported. In line with the goal of collaboration, well over half of all interactions were aimed at partnership building and supporting co-organized events. The remaining interactions focused on resources or document inputs, joint project implementation, and communication and outreach. A small percentage of interactions covered funding for RCC events.

Communications

Communications and outreach are crucial to the engagement work of the RCCs. The Centres engage internal and external audiences to raise awareness, share success stories and connect with potential partners. The RCCs connect with target audiences using the following channels:

• Newsroom articles – Major milestones and success stories are shared in the UN Climate Change Newsroom, making them visible to the large and diverse audience that engages with the secretariat
• RCC webpages – Each RCC has a webpage with space to share news and other relevant stories with website visitors
• RCC newsletters – Each RCC shares more in-depth information in newsletters sent regularly via email to interested stakeholders and published on the RCC webpages
• SIA articles – RCCs keep our internal stakeholders informed with weekly SIA articles that showcase contributions to secretariat goals
• Social media – Articles about the RCCs and related partner communications are promoted through UN Climate Change social media accounts

In 2020, a total of 51 articles and 32 newsletters were published by the RCCs. RCC Lomé and RCC Panama develop newsletters in French and Spanish as well as the secretariat working language, English, to make information accessible to wider regional audiences.

The UN Climate Change Regional Collaboration Centers and Regional Climate Weeks are instrumental to mobilize key stakeholders and maintain momentum from Paris. Region-based action is emerging as an effective way for governments to engage with key stakeholders and collaborate year-round. This brings the global issue of climate change to a scaled down level and allows for a deeper understanding of the needs and priorities in different regions. It encourages solution-oriented dialogue and close relationships among partners and stakeholders. Regional expectations from the UNFCCC process are heard earlier, allowing more time to develop solutions. 

In 2021, most regional activities conducted by RCCs and at Regional Climate Weeks are designed to contribute to a successful COP 26. In advance of the November 2021 UN Climate Change conference, RCCs will convene stakeholders to strengthen national climate action plans, the NDCs, and build resilience to emerging climate-charged risks. The Centres will:

• Act as catalyzing agents and authoritative voices on climate change and implementation of the Paris Agreement.
• Engage with key stakeholders, including youth, cities, communities, indigenous peoples, experts and private sector leaders.
• Support capacity building for the UN Climate Change process and work with regional bodies to address barriers to ambitious climate action.

The RCCs are positioned in the UN system to connect the international policy making process with the realities of climate action. Regional Climate Weeks held ahead of COP 26 offer a platform to better understand the climate challenge in different regions and accelerate collaboration on climate action in pandemic recovery. Time and space will be created to advance practical implementation. This entails
improving non-Party stakeholder engagement through more inclusive events and new formats like a Climate Action Hub. Each of the Regional Climate Weeks will convene stakeholders and bring regional voices on key themes to Ministerial Sessions in advance of COP26.

The work of the RCCs, boosted by the Regional Climate Weeks, will build momentum towards COP 26. The year 2020 taught us that by working together and putting nature first, we can keep the Paris Agreement goals in sight. Together, we can make a difference in the global response to climate change.
 

Thank You

UN Climate Change thanks all the partners who engaged with the Regional Collaboration Centres throughout 2020. With your engagement and support, we are one step closer to delivering our agreed global goals. 

This report was produced by the UN Climate Change Regional Support and Stakeholder Interaction team in collaboration with RCC staff. Thank you to everyone who contributed to this report.

RCC Highlights and Related Reports

Explore the following links to see more information about the UN Climate Change Regional Collaborations Centres. 

RCC Highlights 2019
RCC Highlights 2020

The following official UNFCCC reports detail activities related to regional support and stakeholder interaction. 

Annual Report of the CDM Executive Board to the CMP
Annual Progress Report of the Paris Committee on Capacity-building
Co-operative activities with UN entities
Regular Reports to the CDM Executive Board, January-June 2020
Regular Reports to the CDM Executive Board, June-December 2020 
Nairobi Framework Partnerships

For a more complete look at UN Climate Change, please see the UNFCCC Annual Report 2020.