UN Climate Change and its six Regional Collaboration Centres, or RCCs, around the world redoubled efforts to support progress towards climate action.
 

In 2022, the worst of the pandemic ended and life began to return to normal in much of the world. Yet, the final draft of the IPCC Synthesis Report to Sixth Assessment Report circulated in November 2022 shows that the climate crisis is set to persist and significantly worsen without immediate and urgent action.

With an increasing amount of climate impacts already felt around the world and some strong decisions emerging at the 2021 COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, focus shifted in 2022 to implementation and action. Reopening from the pandemic and reinvigorated leadership brought climate action opportunities to the fore for the first time since the health crisis began. The climate community recognized the dangers of inaction and saw a promise of progress. One thing was certain – implementation needed to accelerate. Following COP26, the UN Climate Change Regional Collaboration Centres immediately concentrated efforts on helping to implement decisions taken at the conference on adaptation, mitigation, finance, transparency and a common set of guidelines for markets. RCCs engaged governments and stakeholders in their regions to build capacity to act on these decisions. It was also useful that RCCs received formal recognition in the Glasgow Pact for their ability to tap into the powerful potential for regional collaboration to drive global progress.

On the road to COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2022, the RCCs tapped this potential to enable progress. The RCCs were instrumental in bringing together stakeholders and advancing multilateralism, crucial for the Global Stocktake that points the way towards fulfilling the goals of the Paris Agreement.

When I assumed leadership of the UN Climate Change secretariat in August 2022, I did so to advance progress towards the climate change goals in the Paris Agreement and deliver a better future for all.

Coming from a small island developing state, I understand that collective progress relies on collaboration. Sharing knowledge and resources to achieve common goals is essential. Governments must act. Every stakeholder must be involved and every citizen must be empowered. 

The six Regional Collaboration Centres around the world are our boots on the ground, engaging governments and stakeholders to encourage action by all. They advance climate solutions where it matters most – at the community level and in the most vulnerable regions. This collaboration for climate action is needed now more than ever. 

The climate emergency is increasingly urgent. Impacts are felt by more people in more places than ever before. We only have until 2030 to cut emissions in half to get on track to meet our Paris Agreement goals. At the same time, we have more innovation and more solutions than ever before. 

Governments and business are increasingly aligned and public awareness is at an all-time high. Collaboration can drive global progress by bringing the right people together and forging partnerships to implement solutions.

Our RCCs are an enabling force for collaboration. They create conditions needed for action and mobilize a broad network. In 2022, the Centres worked with governments to advance our process, enabling markets to transition to Article 6, strengthening the transparency framework and unlocking climate finance. They informed stakeholders and brought the voice of business leaders, youth activists, experts and more to the climate conversation. They helped organize the Regional Climate Weeks and held workshops to encourage youth involvement. Across a diverse portfolio of projects, the RCCs are enabling individuals and organizations to find their climate change solution. 

In this year of the first global stocktake, we will see what is needed to get on course and meet our climate goals. We already know we need more solutions and we need to speed up action. With continued collaboration, we amplify each other’s efforts, accelerate the rate of change and keep our Paris goals in reach. 

This is our opportunity to point the powerful potential of collaboration at scaling solutions and accelerating implementation. Let’s work together to do exactly that. 

I want to thank everyone who connected and collaborated with the RCCs in 2022 and encourage even more collaboration moving forward. 
 

Simon Stiell Executive Secretary UN Climate Change

In 2022, the global health crisis eased, and in-person meetings became more prevalent as the year went on. Pandemic uncertainty was replaced by new global challenges.

Geopolitical instability and economic issues came into focus for public and private sector leaders. Ongoing and costly climate impacts underscored the need to elevate climate change to the top of the global agenda.

UN Climate Change and its six Regional Collaboration Centres, or RCCs, around the world redoubled efforts to support progress towards climate action. In 2022, key decisions taken at the COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow the year before outlined several crucial areas to advance action. Decisions on adaptation, mitigation, finance and a common set of guidelines opened new avenues for implementation of the Paris Agreement in this critical decade for climate action.
 

The Road to COP27

In the year 2022, the RCCs focused on accelerating implementation. Regional collaboration had emerged as a driver of global progress and the work of the RCCs was amplified by formal recognition in the Glasgow Pact. The international climate community was energized by strong decisions at the first UN Climate Change Conference since the pandemic began and the RCCs carried this momentum forward. The road to COP27 was marked by regional dialogues, broad engagement and involving diverse stakeholders to build understanding and capacity for action.

The need to turn decisions into action prompted the RCCs to hold regional workshops on issues like Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, now enabled by a common set of guidelines, and NDCs and LT-LEDS, with Synthesis Reports showing the path forward to ratchet up ambition over time. At more than 100 events throughout the year, the RCCs brought the right people to the table to advance the multilateral process and encourage action by all.

High levels of stakeholder interest boosted engagement at RCC-led events, including the Regional Climate Weeks 2022. The RCCs played an integral role in convening the three Climate Weeks in key regions – the Middle East and North Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa. More than 7,000 people attended these three week-long, in-person conferences, providing space for a high level of collaboration and stakeholder engagement.

From the Regional Climate Weeks to the extensive slate of activities to engage stakeholders in their regions and support the substantive work of the UN Climate Change secretariat, the RCCs built momentum on the road to COP27 in November 2022.

At COP27 in Sharm el-Sheik, Egypt, governments agreed a ground-breaking decision to establish a dedicated fund for loss and damage and new funding arrangements to enable developing country response to loss and damage. Significant progress was made on adaptation, with governments agreeing a path towards a Global Goal on Adaptation, which is slated to conclude at COP28 and inform the first Global Stocktake.

Accelerating Implementation

The RCCs accelerated implementation on the road to COP27 and remain committed to maintain momentum on key issues in the following ways:

• Elevating climate action – Engagement with diverse regional stakeholders builds capacity for action by increasing confidence, encouraging commitment and connecting key players.
• Overcoming barriers – Capacity-building and training increases ambition in national climate change action plans and strategies, opens access to support and facilitates transparency.
• Amplifying efforts – Collaboration promotes efficient delivery, enhances partnerships and builds on lessons learned with a goal of contributing to the UNFCCC process and spurring action.
• Enabling implementation – Regional climate action, improved reporting and success stories encourage and enable implementation of decisions.
   

RCC Structure and Leadership

The RCCs operate collaboratively, as UN Climate Change partners with six regionally important institutions in shared offices around the world.

Each Centre is led by a UN Climate Change staff member on a two-year assignment. New RCC Leads joined RCC Asia-Pacific, RCC EAS Africa, RCC WAC Africa, RCC Caribbean and RCC Latin America. In 2022, the RCCs deployed dedicated thematic experts to gather intelligence on regional needs and enhance support for regional action. In addition to new Leads in five Centres and expert staff, a new RCC Global Lead was hired in late 2022.

Personnel assigned to support the substantive work of the RCCs includes host partner or seconded staff resources. Staff 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 contractors hired for specific needs. Host partners provide administrative and logistics support, including office space, equipment and utilities. By sharing resources and expertise with partners, the RCCs can contribute to global goals while efficiently and cost-effectively advancing action towards the goals of UN Climate Change. 

Explore more details about the RCCs, their role, operations and activities on the Regional Collaboration Centres webpage.

Discover the achievements by all six RCCs in 2022. 
 

Advancing Multilateralism

In 2022, the RCCs supported high-level regional meetings to advance multilateralism in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. These meetings included Ministerial forums and summits that convene regional leaders to address regional risk and accelerate action through regional collaboration.

• In January, RCC Latin America supported the Forum of Ministers of Environment of Latin America and the Caribbean, which marked its 40th anniversary in 2022. Held in hybrid format due to the pandemic, more than 23 delegations headed by environment ministers and high-level authorities met to discuss integrated implementation of multilateral agreements.
• In February, RCC EAS Africa supported the Eighth Session of the Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, a multistakeholder platform organized jointly by UNECA and the Government of Rwanda in collaboration with the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank and other UN entities.
• In July, RCC EAS Africa, the IOM and Ministry of Water and Environment of Uganda organized the Inter-Ministerial Conference on Migration, Environment and Climate Change to advance cooperation on climate change induced human mobility. Hosted by President Yoweri Museveni of the Republic of Uganda, Ministers of Environment, Interior and Foreign Affairs from countries in the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development and East African Community, and States of the East and Horn of Africa met with high level representatives of the African Union, UN representatives. They discussed “Enhancing cooperation in relation to climate change induced human mobility, including migration, displacement, and planned relocation”. The conference resulted in a landmark declaration, the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change.
• In September, RCC MENA and SA supported our RCC partner, the WGEO, to deliver the World Green Economy Summit 2022. RCC involvement included organizing the Ministerial Roundtable on Green Economy, where the Global Alliance on Green Economy was launched.
  

Mitigation

NDCs and LT-LEDS

In 2022, governments looked to implement their NDCs and articulate stronger national climate action plans. To support these efforts, the RCCs focused on NDC implementation by activating networks, convening events and engaging key stakeholders. These efforts can contribute to the development of LT-LEDS by opening a path to stronger mitigation action over time.

• At MENACW 2022 in March, RCC MENA and SA supported the Regional Dialogue on LT-LEDS and NDCs organized by the NDC/LT-LEDS Sectoral Support Unit, the League of Arab States and WGEO, focusing on the Long-term Green Transition: Pathways to Enhancing and Implementing Low GHG Development.
• In April, RCC Latin America, RCC Caribbean, ICAP and West Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets hosted an in-person training workshop for National Focal Points on carbon pricing in the region with experts from the GIZ Global Carbon Markets initiative in the Caribbean.
• In May and June, the RCCs co-organized a global series of webinars as a “Notification to Parties – NDC and LT-LEDS Synthesis Reports” along with the NDC/LT-LEDS Sectoral Support Unit, the NDC Partnership, the 2050 Pathways Platform and the UNDP Climate Promise.
  - RCC EAS Africa and RCC WAC Africa coorganized the webinar for Africa nations.
  - RCC Caribbean and RCC Latin America co-organized the webinar for their region.
  - RCC MENA and SA co-organized the MENA region webinar.
  - RCC Asia Pacific and RCC MENA and SA delivered the Asia and the Pacific webinar.
• At the June SB56 UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, RCC Asia Pacific supported a side event on “Accelerating NDC implementation in 2022: Support for Policy and Planning”. Two days later, the Centre organized another side event on “Sharing experiences of recent LT-LEDs”.
• In June, RCC Caribbean and RCC Latin America collaborated with Climate Watch and the NDC Partnership on a virtual training on climate and data tools. Through live demonstrations, participants learned how to access resources on NDCs, including climate data and country commitments.
• In July, RCC WAC Africa and WAEMU held a “Workshop on the NDCs of WAEMU members and the instruments of implementation of the Paris Agreement”.
• At LACCW 2022 in July, an event on NDCs, LT-LEDS and policy action was co-organized with UNEP and the World Bank. The RCC also co-organized a session with the NDC Partnership for “Regional exchanges on longterm Climate Ambition and Implementation”.
   

CDM Capacity Building

In 2022, RCCs continued to engage with stakeholders and countries to transition participation in the CDM to structures that are emerging as a result of the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The RCCs organized webinars, addressed questions and more. During the process of operationalizing Article 6, projects can be assessed and registered under CDM rules with a view to move them under Article 6 when appropriate. The RCCs facilitated this activity to ensure a smooth transition.

• In 2021, RCCs provided direct technical support to 59 CDM projects and PoAs, with 60% in underrepresented countries which have 10 or less registered CDM projects as of 31 December 2010.
• The RCCs responded to 61 stakeholder queries on clarifications of CDM requirements, transition of activities and more.
• RCCs supported development of three new bottom-up standardized baselines and ongoing efforts on 14 baselines currently in development.
• One bottom-up standardized baseline was approved by the CDM Executive Board and entered into force in August 2022, covering the national power grid of Uganda.
   

DNA Support

In 2022, UN Climate Change organized the DNA Forum alongside the Regional Climate Weeks 2022. Designated National Authorities of the CDM met with a focus on how new guidelines can accelerate transition of market mechanisms to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. DNAs were briefed on key elements of Article 6 and RCCs collected data on countries’ capacity-building needs.

• At MENACW 2022 in March, an in-person session of the 22nd Global DNA Forum was held on the margins of the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week and convened DNAs from 39 countries.
• At LACCW 2022 in July, RCC Caribbean and RCC Latin America facilitated the LAC DNA Forum for their regions.
• AT ACW 2022 from 31 August to 1 September, a session of the African regional CDM DNA Forum was held for Africa.
   

Stakeholder Interaction

As the pandemic eased and now equipped with common guidelines for Article 6, RCCs engaged CDM project participants, coordinating/ managing entities and other stakeholders to encourage mitigation action as part of a well-managed transition to implementation.

• In February and April, RCC Asia Pacific organized a workshop together with the Global Climate Action team on “Outcomes from COP26 and how UN Global Compact Network Malaysia and Brunei Members can take ambitious and credible action through the Race to Zero Campaign” to engage regional stakeholders with the ability to shift the needle on climate.
• In March, RCC Asia Pacific supported the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development by providing expert UN Climate Change perspectives to an SDG 15 Roundtable to discuss protecting life on land.
• In April, RCC Asia Pacific again partnered with the Global Climate Action team to organize an “SBTi Symposium” to provide guidance and inspire business leaders to set science-based targets.
• In May at the Transport and Climate Change Week, RCC Asia Pacific co-organized a side event on “Training by the UNFCCC: Which data are necessary for baseline development?” to engage the transport sector around common emission reporting formats.
• At LACCW 2022 in July, RCC Latin America hosted a discussion with GIH on “An Expanded Innovation Space for Transformative Climate Solutions” that focused on the enabling environment for innovation. The RCC also organized a session on “Circular Economy – a perspective from private sector to support achievement of national climate change mitigation targets”.
• In August, RCC Asia Pacific engaged with non-party stakeholders from Thailand on two events.
  - Seminar on “Thailand Carbon Neutral Network: Climate Action Partnership towards Carbon Neutrality/ Net Zero Emission” presented the need for transformation and role of the private sector.
  - The Centre participated in the PTTGC Circular Living Symposium and shared strategies to achieve net-zero targets.
• At ACW 2022 in August, RCC EAS Africa and RCC WAC Africa partnered with IRENA, UNECA, Africa Green Hydrogen Alliance, and the COP 27 and COP 28 High Level Champions to host a side event on “Potential for green hydrogen to achieve Africa’s climate and development goals”.
• At COP 27 in November, RCC Asia Pacific built on months of collaboration to coorganize a Pavilion event with the UN Global Compact National Networks from the ASEAN Member States to discuss “Decarbonizing the ASEAN Way – Harnessing the Collective Actions of ASEAN Private Sectors”.
  

Transparency

Enhanced Transparency Framework

In 2022, the RCCs engaged around new guidelines and support for the Enhanced Framework for Transparency agreed at COP26 and strengthened monitoring, reporting and verification systems.

• In February, RCC Asia Pacific partnered with the Thailand Greenhouse Gas Management Organization to deliver an “ASEAN Workshop on preparing for the Enhanced Transparency Framework under the UNFCCC” for over 50 representatives from the region.
• In March, RCC WAC Africa led a “Workshop on the implementation of MRV tools in the water sector”.
• In November 2022, RCC EAS Africa supported Transparency Division at a workshop on Environment and Climate Change Statistics for the African Development Fund Countries with the objective of finding a link between the statistical world and the climate change process. The workshop was organized by Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) – in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) with participants drawn from Ministries of Environment and National Statistics Offices from the COMESA countries. 
• At COP 27 in November, RCC EAS Africa contributed to a side event entitled “Readiness to Enhanced Transparency Framework under Paris Agreement” along with ICAT and UNEP Transparency hosted by the Rwanda Environmental Management Authority.
• Throughout the year, RCC EAS Africa provided coordination and technical support to governments of Uganda and Seychelles in developing their Transparency systems.
• RCC EAS Africa provided contacts and matchmaking to the South African Development Community Transparency Hub to support its operationalization.
   

Adaptation

RCCs support national efforts to reduce in the near- and medium-term risk and increase resilience of countries and communities in line with the latest science. In 2022, these efforts contributed to negotiations towards a Global Goal on Adaptation at COP27.

• At MENACW 2022 in March, RCC MENA and SA supported a UN Climate Change affiliated event on “Building momentum to close adaptation knowledge gaps in the MENA region: Focus on climate-smart agriculture and nature-based solutions” co-organized with UNESCWA and the UNEP-Regional Office for West Asia.
• In April, RCC WAC Africa co-organized a “Blue economy workshop” with the World Bank.
• In July, RCC Asia Pacific facilitated expert participation in the LDC5 Journalists Webinar for Asia and the Pacific to present on “Addressing climate change, environmental degradation, and building resilience against future shocks”.
• At ACW 2022 in August, RCC WAC Africa partnered with the WHO to deliver an event to “Update on the COP26 health and climate programme”.
• At ACW 2022 in August, RCC EAS Africa, RCC WAC Africa and the IOM co-organized an event on human mobility and green development to address challenges and opportunities from climate-related migration and the regional green economy transition.
• At COP 27 in November, RCC EAS Africa explored climate action by youth with an event on “From learning to influence: the effectiveness and impact of youth capacity building initiative” alongside UNU, Fundación Avina, IDRC, Universidad Nacional de Rosario, African Youth Initiative on Climate Change, YOUNGO, Impulsouth Project and the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Madagascar.
• At COP 27 in November, RCC EAS Africa partnered with the IOM and Platform on Disaster Displacement to host an event on “Enhancing partnerships, inclusive sustainable development and green economy transition; approaches from the IGAD region addressing challenges and opportunities of human mobility in the context of changing climate and disasters.”
• At COP27 in November, RCC Caribbean and RCC Latin America teamed up with the WHO Pan American Health Organization to hold an event on “Strengthening health and climate change in the Latin America and the Caribbean region, with a specific focus on National Adaptation Plans.”
• In December, RCC EAS Africa partnered with Chatham House to host a Common Futures Conversation, a virtual workshop to get young people’s ideas on climate change adaptation.
  

Means of Implementation

Climate Finance 

In 2022, climate finance focused on adaptation support through local, national or transnational financing from public, private and alternative sources. The RCCs engaged around climate finance on the road to COP27.

• In March, RCC EAS Africa teamed up with the GIZ Global Carbon Markets initiative and the EAC Secretariat to hold an East African Community Climate Exchange Platform Validation Workshop and advance economic cooperation.
• In May, RCC WAC Africa and the West African Alliance held a workshop for West Africa Alliance members on “Market mechanisms and climate finance”.
   

Article 6

A common set of guidelines agreed at COP26 paved the way for implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The RCC supported and organized dialogues, workshops and other forms of engagement to help countries and stakeholders understand and act on Article 6.

• In February, RCC EAS Africa organized a webinar with the Eastern Africa and West Africa Alliances on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance on “Unpacking the outcomes of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement” to engage around COP27 decisions.
• In March, RCC EAS Africa, GIZ Global Carbon Markets, "Perspectives Climate Group and Climate Care held a Private Sector Workshop – A COP26 debrief on the role of Article 6 and VCM activities in Eastern Africa".
• In May, RCC WAC Africa and the WAA organized a “Workshop on mapping of the needs of countries for the implementation of Article 6”.
• Early in the year, a series of Virtual Regional Dialogues on Article 6 Capacity Building Needs was held to engage on the outcomes of COP26. Dialogues were held for:
  - Africa on 10 May supported by RCC EAS Africa, RCC WAC Africa and RCC MENA and SA
  - Latin America and the Caribbean on 11 May supported by RCC Latin America and RCC Caribbean
  - Asia Pacific and the Middle East on 12 May supported by RCC Asia Pacific and RCC MENA and SA
• In June at the SB56 Conference in Bonn, RCC Latin America and RCC MENA and SA supported dialogues on capacity building needs for the implementation of Article 6.
• In August, RCC WAC Africa and the Government of Gabon convened a “Workshop on capacity building of Gabonese stakeholders on carbon pricing and Article 6 of Paris Agreement.”
• In August, RCC WAC Africa and the WAA facilitated a workshop on the “Participation of private sector to carbon markets”.
• At ACW 2022 in August, RCC WAC Africa and the WAA brought together key carbon market players for a “Workshop of the Alliance members with the buyers of carbon credits and NDC Partnership.”
• In October, RCC EAS Africa held a Kenya Article 6 Negotiators workshop to prepare national governments in the region for the COP27 conference.
• In October, RCC WAC Africa partnered with the WAA to deliver a “Workshop on Article 6”.
• At COP27 in November, RCC WAC Africa and RCC EAS Africa partnered to deliver a side event on “Formulating strategies for utilizing Article 6 in achieving NDCs”.
• At COP27, RCC MENA and SA supported a side event to showcase the outcomes of the “Capacity building towards implementation of Article 6 of Paris Agreement” with next steps for the RCCs.
• At COP27 in November, RCC EAS Africa partnered with UNDP to launch the UNDP-UNFCCC Article 6 Capacity Building Online Course on 'Operationalizing Article 6.2 of the Paris Agreement: Achieving ambitious climate action through cooperative approaches'. This course is open to governments, practitioners and the public.
• In December, RCC MENA and SA coorganized a workshop with the King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center on “Carbon Markets in the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: Accelerating Robust Market Development, Promoting Regional Cooperation”.
   

Needs-based Finance Project

The RCCs support the UN Climate Change-led Needs-based Finance Project in 15 regions and subregions covering 88 countries.

• In March, RCC ESA supported the EAC to convene a two-day Climate Change Technical Working Group meeting. This brought together experts from Ministries of Finance, Environment and EAC Affairs of six Partner States to consider the draft regional climate finance strategy, its implementation plan and pipeline of projects for Ministerial endorsement in July.
• In May, RCC MENA and SA partnered with the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology of Maldives, the Adaptation Fund, GCF, GEF, GGGI, UNDP and SouthSouthNorth to deliver a regional training workshop to around 20 participants on “Climate Finance Access and Mobilization for the Islands States in the Indian Ocean”.
• In June, RCC Asia Pacific and the ASEAN Secretariat partnered on a “Needs-based Finance (NBF) ASEAN Climate Finance Strategy Webinar”.
• In August, a regional training workshop for government officials and climate funds on “Climate Finance Access and Mobilization for Least Developed Countries in Asia” was held in Bangkok, Thailand, organized by the UN Climate Change Climate Finance team with support from RCC Asia Pacific and hosted by UNESCAP.
• In August, RCC Asia Pacific and UNESCAP joined the Egyptian COP27 Presidency and the UN Climate Change High Level Champions for COP26 and COP27 for a Regional Dialogue on NBF projects at the Asia-Pacific Forum "Towards COP27: Catalyzing climate finance and investment flows to ramp up climate action and advance the SDGs".
• In September, a climate finance strategy workshop for independent member states in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States was convened by the OECS Commission, the Government of St. Lucia and RCC Caribbean, engaging 25 participants from 10 countries.
• In September, RCC MENA and SA partnered with the Ministry Environment of Tunisia, the League of Arab States, Adaptation Fund, ADB, ESCWA, FAO, GCF, GEF, GGGI, HSBC Bank, Sahel and Sahara Observatory, IFAD and UNDP to deliver a regional training workshop on Climate Finance Access for Arab States to around 40 experts.
   

Capacity-building

In 2022, the RCCs supported capacity building to accelerate implementation under the Convention, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement.

• At MENACW 2022 in March, RCC MENA and SA supported the UNFCCC and WGEO side event on “Private sector engagement in capacity-building activities for climate action in the MENA”.
• In April, RCC Asia Pacific supported the 4th Capacity-building Talk on "Strengthening the capacities of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to engage in climate action and seize new opportunities".
• In June and September, RCC MENA and SA partnered with the UN Global Compact Climate Ambition Accelerator Programme to engage non-Party stakeholders withsessions on the Marrakesh Partnership and Capacity-building for SMEs.
• In September, RCC EAS Africa, Climate Change Department and UNDP conducted a Capacity building workshop for the National Task Force on Climate Change Mechanisms.
• In October, RCC EAS Africa co-organized a Capacity Building workshop for national negotiators in partnership with the Uganda Ministry of Water and Environment Climate Change Department, UNDP Uganda, FAO Uganda and the GIZ Global Carbon Markets initiative.
• At COP27, RCC EAS Africa launched an Article 6.2 online capacity -building programme in partnership with UNDP.
   

Cross-Cutting Areas

Youth and Gender Engagement

Youth and gender engagement ensures equitable and inclusive transition to low emission and highly resilient development. In 2022, the RCCs supported youth involvement and gender dialogues that bring the voice of constituents to the UNFCCC process and elevate the perspectives of young people, women and girls in the climate conversation.

• In February, RCC EAS Africa supported the South African Youth Climate Innovation Awards Ceremony, which shines a light on young people leading on climate action.
• At MENACW 2022 in March, RCC MENA and SA supported the ACE team in several youth-related events to build capacity for action, co-organized with partners such as the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, YOUNGO and others:
  - The youth event on “Best Practices for Enhanced Youth Climate Action in the MENA Region” engaged local young people.
  - A session on “Capacity Building for Enhanced Youth Engagement” showed how to support youth involvement. 
  - An “ACE focal points workshop” connected focal points with the UN Climate Change ACE team.
• In April, RCC Asia Pacific partnered with YECAP on a “Road to Stockholm+50: Regional Dialogue on Youth Empowerment in Climate Action” to raise awareness, create a call-toaction and prepare young climate advocates in the region for global dialogues.
• In May, the Caribbean Academy for Global Youth Leadership Empowerment (AGYLE) Webinar Series concluded with discussions on “Carbon Markets”, engaging over 40 young people who shared practical insights on how to get involved in implementing Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.
• In June, RCC Latin America supported the launch of AGYLE Latin America to empower new generations to be part of global climate action and bring the voice of youth to the climate talks.
• In June, RCC Asia Pacific supported a training workshop organized by ILO with an overview of youth engagement initiatives in Asia-Pacific and activities towards a just transition, building on the Centre’s YECAP project in the region.
• In July, RCC Caribbean and RCC Latin America supported the UN Climate Change ACE team by organizing a regional workshop for national ACE focal points to share experiences and identify priorities.
• In July, RCC Latin America co-organized the virtual Youth Climate Change Academy Panama 2022 in collaboration with UNDP and MIAMBIENTE, the Ministry of Environment of Panama.
• At LACCW 2022 in July, RCC Latin America engaged young business leaders with a session on “Capacity Building for Youth Climate Action and Entrepreneurial Leadership in Latin America”.
• At the July Kampala Ministerial Conference, RCC EAS Africa provided capacity building to youth and facilitated their participation in the Kampala Declaration development process, in partnership with IOM and Chatham House.
• In October, RCC EAS Africa, the British High Commission, Climate Change Department and AYICC Uganda Chapter organized a workshop on ‘’An overview of key issues in Uganda’s updated NDC”.
• In October, RCC EAS Africa and the AYICC Uganda Chapter co-organized the Local Conference of Youth, LCOY Uganda 2022, to engage young people in climate dialogue and action.
• At COP27 in November, RCC MENA and SA partnered with the ILO to deliver the ILO Leadership Programme on “Just Transition in the MENA Region”. 
   

Nairobi Framework Partnership 
 
As part of the UN Climate Change Universities Partnership Programme, RCC Asia Pacific partnered with universities from the Global South and the Global Water Partnership as technical partners to produce two reports. These reports explore the activities of two countries in the Hindukush Himalayan region to enhance knowledge on how climate change is impacting water usage/availability.

• The Hydro-Climatic Extremes and Urban Water Security: A Case of Pokhara Metropolitan City, Nepal explores one case of urban water use.
• An Assessment of Socio-economic vulnerabilities in Chamoli District, Uttarakhand and Upper Siang District, Arunachal Pradesh of India: Identifying indicators and developing methodologies for the Ecosystem–based approach can support sound resource management in the region.
   

UN System Engagement

In 2022, RCCs continued with UN development system engagement through Issue Based Coalitions, called IBCs. These coalitions cover specific countries for different sectors in each region and are led by regional economic and social commissions. The RCCs also looked for new avenues to engage the UN system.

• In January, RCC WAC Africa partnered with UNDP on a “COP26 restitution workshop in Benin and Ivory Coast”.
• In March, RCC Asia Pacific launched a library of climate science literacy resources developed collaboratively with UNESCO, ILO, IOM, UNDP, UNDRR, UNEP, UNESCAP, UNICEF and UNOSSC. The launch was held as part of the Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development.
• In March, RCC WAC Africa supported a “Roundtable with donors and technical and financial partners on climate” to bring together WAA member states and various agencies, including the World Bank, UNDP and the Agence Française de Développement.
• In March, RCC WAC Africa facilitated a “Workshop on data collection in WAEMU countries”.
• In October, RCC WAC Africa led a “Preparatory workshop for COP27” with the WAA to engage negotiators and national governments.
• At the 78th Commission of ESCAP, RCC Asia Pacific together with the members of the Working Group Coal-phase-out of the UN Issue Based Coalition (IBC) on Raising Ambitions on Climate Actions and being led by ILO launched a regional programme on Just Energy Transition to facilitate technical expertise and implementation support for countries phasing out coal.
• At COP27, through the above-mentioned Issue-Based Coalition (IBC), RCC Asia Pacific supported ESCAP and other UN agencies to organize the side event on “Gearing towards carbon neutrality/net-zero in the Asia-Pacific Region”.

Explore RCC-supported projects and initiatives that advanced in 2022. 
 

Regional Climate Weeks 2022

In 2022, three Regional Climate Weeks 2022 events were held on the road to COP27. These in-person events convened over 7,000 stakeholders to engage on three themes:

• Resilience against climate risks
• The transition to a low-emission economy
• Partnerships to solve pressing challenges

The RCCs supported the Regional Climate Weeks 2022 by mobilizing stakeholders and supporting partners to prepare for their region's event. RCCs coordinated with UN Climate Change staff, global and regional partners to support thematic tracks discussions, affiliated events and side events. RCCs also collaborated with host governments to support Climate Weeks in their region. The RCW 2022 brought together more than 7,000 participants in-person and more than a thousand online for three events:

• MENACW 2022 – 28-31 March in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• LACCW 2022 – 18-22 July in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
• ACW 2022 – 28 August-2 September in Libreville, Gabon

CIACA

The Collaborative Instruments for Ambitious Climate Action initiative supports development of carbon pricing instruments to achieve goals submitted in NDCs under the Paris Agreement. CiACA also encourages collaboration among stakeholders. Throughout 2022, the RCCs supported CiACA project and events.

• At LACCW 2022 in July, RCC Caribbean and RCC Latin America organized a carbon pricing side event on “Supporting Carbon Pricing Instruments in LAC”.
• At ACW 2022, RCC EAS Africa, RCC WAC Africa and the National Treasury of Kenya led a side event to discuss the "LT-LEDS implementation tool: the experience of CiACA in Africa".
   

Caribbean Cooperative MRV Hub

The year 2022 marked the fourth year for the five-year Caribbean Cooperative MRV Hub project. As a regional institution, the Hub supports member countries in efforts to design and improve MRV systems as well as enhance reporting capabilities. In 2022, CCMRVH work focused on the new ETF and strengthening MRV on the road to COP27.

• In May, RCC Caribbean partnered with the MRV Hub to organize their Annual Meeting, which ran for two days and featured an overview of MRV Hub 2022 outputs, achievements and challenges. It also opened an opportunity for countries to provide feedback and cooperative engagement among Member Countries.
• In May, RCC Caribbean collaborated with the Hub and the UN Climate Change ETF/CGE support unit to organize the first in-person regional hands-on training workshop on transitioning to the ETF, tracking progress and achieving NDCs.
• At LACCW 2022, RCC Caribbean and the Hub hosted a side event on the role of regional cooperation in improving MRV systems and NDC reporting.
• At COP27 in November, RCC Caribbean, RCC Latin America and the Hub organized an event to explore “A Cooperative Approach to Improving MRV Systems”.

This year’s numbers show that regional collaboration by the RCCs accelerated implementation of Article 6 by governments and amplified engagement of key stakeholders on the road to COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
 

Active engagement across regional networks can bring the right stakeholders to the table to accelerate implementation. The value of regional collaboration was seen in 2022 as an enabling force to carry forward strong decisions and engage key stakeholders on the road to COP27. With stakeholders looking to understand how to speed up and scale up implementation, the RCCs were able to connect widely.

The RCCs enable UN Climate Change engagement on the ground. Decisions at the November 2021 COP26, the first UN Climate Change conference since the pandemic began, opened the door to advance implementation in crucial areas. Early in 2022, the RCCs set a two-year workplan aimed at enabling progress on the road to COP27 and beyond. Then throughout the year, the RCCs worked with other secretariat divisions to engage relevant stakeholders and advance specific areas of work. With a high degree of flexibility and a broad mandate, the RCCs engaged in pursuit of three goals.

• Goal 1 – Ambition
  Maximize the magnitude and extent of commitment to climate action
  RCCs support global ambition by encouraging and supporting Parties and non-Party stakeholders to commit to medium and long-term goals that can ensure the world is on track to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.
• Goal 2 – Implementation
  Facilitate Implementation of Climate Action to Achieve Commitments
  RCCs facilitate implementation of ambitious action through support for planning and assessment, policy making, cooperation and mobilization and deployment of means of implementation.
• Goal 3 – Partnerships and Coordination
  RCC oversight and regional climate action coordination
  RCCs mobilize and coordinate climate action in key regions by leveraging the RCC infrastructure and strategic partnerships, with strong engagement to share value and encourage more action.

Work towards Goal 1 encourages countries and stakeholders to set stronger commitments as part of a virtuous cycle of ambition. By focusing on implementation as Goal 2, the RCCs enable planning and policies that can achieve ambitious aims. Goal 3 underpins all work by the RCCs as partnering and collaborations are catalysts for action.

All three goals guided RCC action to engage stakeholders ahead of COP27. Engagement included regional dialogues for capacity building on the new set of common guidelines for accounting under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, support for advancing action towards strong NDC and LT-LEDS Synthesis Reports and enabling progress to achieve the Paris Agreement goals.

Partnerships

Partnerships are an integral part of the mission of the RCCs. National plans to cut emissions and increase resilience represent a broad transformation and action is needed by public and private sectors. Partnerships leverage the strengths of multiple actors to address shared risks and achieve shared goals. Interest in partnerships was high on the road to COP27.

The RCCs each sit at the center of a network of regional actors and constituencies. They are ideally positioned to tap into the powerful potential of partnerships across this network. The effective partnerships with regional host organizations show how this potential can strengthen project implementation, funding of resources, event sponsorship and planning, and communications and outreach.

Signing a MOU, or Memorandum of Understanding, formalizes a partnership and sets goals and expectations. These agreements can outline operational details, roles and responsibilities of partners. RCCs support the MOU process for UN Climate Change and regional partners. In 2022, the RCCs operated under ongoing MOUs that guide our partnerships.
 

Events

In 2022, RCCs organized and supported over 100 events, including three in-person Regional Climate Weeks 2022. At the beginning of the year, pandemic protocols required many events to be held virtually. As the year went on, more and more events were held in-person with all applicable Covid-19 protocols in place. COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt was attended by more than 35,000 people with virtual participation elements.

In 2022, RCCs tailored engagement to each event, considering the best format, pandemic considerations and a host of other issues. In-person and virtual events were organized and supported, including workshops, forums, training sessions and webinars. On the road to COP27, well-attended events engaged diverse groups, including representatives from CDM stakeholders, the private sector, UN agencies, international organizations, NGOs and universities.

RCCs lead the organization of events and serve as co-organizers, contributors, presenters and facilitators for other events. RCCs co-organize events with diverse partners, demonstrating the convening power of the Centres and leveraging the value of strategic partnerships.
 

Missions and Interactions

In 2022, RCCs conducted 55 missions or official visits. RCC staff missions involve travel to different countries to engage in key issues and support climate action. Over the course of the year, pandemic restrictions eased and missions ramped up. RCC staff on mission followed all applicable pandemic protocols.

Stakeholder engagement is reflected in RCC interactions that involve meaningful collaboration with partners or stakeholders. An interaction can be simple, such as joining a webinar discussion, or more complex, such as helping different stakeholders understand COP decisions and take appropriate action. Most interactions advanced partnerships, event planning and project management.
 

Communications

Communications and outreach supported RCC engagement throughout 2022. Connecting with internal and external audiences is a crucial component of collaboration. RCC outreach opens the opportunity to share success, strengthen relationships and encourage engagement. In 2022, the RCC Communication Strategy was implemented and refined with a focus on raising visibility and impact of the RCCs.

Outreach materials were developed and rebranding advanced. Collaboration and editorial support allowed the RCCs to assert their brand voice and amplify key messaging across these channels:

• Newsroom – UN Climate Change Newsroom articles feature relevant RCC stories and successes, which elevates work by the RCCs work on a platform with 120,000+ monthly unique pageviews.
• RCC webpages – In 2022, the UN Climate Change website update included an update to the RCC landing page and all RCC webpages.
• RCC newsletters – Regular newsletters sent via email to stakeholders were improved in 2022 with an updated look and feel following COP27.
• SIA articles – UN Climate Change colleagues stay informed with regular SIA articles featuring RCC milestones and success.
• Social media – Primary UN Climate Change social media accounts amplified RCCs messaging to more than 2.3 million followers on four platforms. 

In 2022, the RCCs published 44 articles and 29 newsletters. To make information more accessible in their regions, RCC West and Central Africa publishes communications in English and French, and RCC Latin America makes regional outreach in English and Spanish. All RCCs align with the UN Climate Change working language, English, with regional consideration to optimize collaboration.
 

Regional collaboration holds great potential to accelerate implementation. When governments engage with stakeholders to discuss solutions, it increases understanding and opens opportunities to work together. Identifying needs and priorities and building partnerships for action are crucial components of regional collaboration, which has emerged as a powerful force for global progress. 

In 2023, the RCCs will continue to focus on supporting NDCs implementation and enhanced ambition, transitioning to Article 6 and enabling climate finance. Efforts to enable climate finance include promoting and strengthening the CiACA initiative, the NBF project and capacity-building. This leverages the core experience and convening power of the RCCs to accelerate implementation of the Paris Agreement. The RCCs will build momentum in several ways.

• Maximizing climate commitments – The RCCs will act as an enabling force for raising ambition and taking action.
• Engaging around implementation – RCC engagement can help ensure progress on key aspects of implementation of the Paris Agreement.
• Mobilizing regional climate action – RCCs connect the UN Climate Change process with regional partners and stakeholders such as private sector leaders, youth, cities, communities, indigenous peoples and experts. 

The road to COP27 was marked by progress on mitigation, adaptation, finance and the transition of CDM projects to the common set of guidelines agreed under Article 6. Regional experts were deployed to the RCCs and the groundwork was laid to measure progress.
Moving forward, the RCCs will leverage the convening power of UN Climate Change to connect with stakeholders and engage around the NDCs, transition to Article 6, climate finance and more. The RCCs will seek to strengthen their regional presence to engage governments and stakeholders. In the spirit of inclusive multilateralism, the RCCs will bring diverse voices to the UNFCCC process. 

The year 2022 proved that implementation can accelerate when governments and stakeholders work together. In the year that the world takes stock of what we need to do to protect our planet and open opportunity, collaboration became a catalyst for concerted action and a roadmap towards real change.

UN Climate Change extends appreciation to all partners who engaged with the Regional Collaboration Centres in 2022. Through your active engagement and support, we accelerated implementation and opened the door for progress. This report was produced by the Coordination Regional Collaboration Centres Unit of the UN Climate Change Mitigation Division in collaboration with RCC staff.

Thank you to all who contributed to this report.
 

Related Links

Explore the following links to see more information about the UN Climate Change RCCs.

• RCC Brochure 2023
• RCC Annual Report 2020
• RCC Annual Report 2021
• 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 – Regional Collaboration Centres
• Nairobi Framework Partnerships
• UNFCCC Annual Report 2022

ACE     Action for Climate Empowerment
ACW     2022 Africa Climate Week 2022
AGYLE     Academy for Global Youth Leadership Empowerment
ASEAN     Association of Southeast Asian Nations
AYICC     African Youth Initiative on Climate Change
BOAD     West African Development Bank
CAF     Development Bank of Latin America
CCMRVH     Caribbean Cooperative Measurement, Reporting, and Verification 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
EAA     Eastern Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance
EAC     East African Community
EADB     East African Development Bank
FAO     Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
GCC     Gulf Cooperation Council
GCF     Green Climate Fund
GEF     Global Environment Facility
GGGI     Global Green Growth Institute
GHG     Greenhouse gas
GIZ     German Agency for International Cooperation
GST     Global Stocktake
ICAO     International Civil Aviation Organization
IEA     International Energy Agency
IFAD     International Fund for Agricultural Development
IGAD     Intergovernmental Authority on Development in East Africa
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
LACCW 2022     Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week 2022
LDC     Least Developed Country
LEG     Least Developed Countries Expert Group
LT-LEDS     Long-term Low Emissions Development Strategies
MENA     Middle East and North Africa
MENACW 2022     Middle East and North Africa Climate Week 2022
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
OECS     Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
PCCB     Paris Committee on Capacity-building
PoAs     CDM Programmes of Activities
RCC     Regional Collaboration Centre
RCO     Resident Coordinator Office
RCW 2022     Regional Climate Weeks 2022
SCF     Standing Committee on Finance
SDG     Sustainable Development Goal
SIDS     Small Island Developing States
SMEs     Small and mid-size enterprises
TEC     Technology Executive Committee
UN     United Nations
UNCCD     United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
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
UNOWAS     United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel
UNIDO     United Nations Industrial Development Organization
UNSDCF     United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework
WAA     West African Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance
WAEMU     West African Economic and Monetary Union
WGEO     World Green Economy Organization
WHO     World Health Organization
WINDREF     Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation
Y4C     Youth4Climate
YECAP     Youth Empowerment in Climate Action Platform