Climate action has never been more urgent. As countries put in action ambitious national climate plans, produce national adaptation plans, work towards unlocking climate finance, and make carbon markets operational, they have the full support of our six Regional Collaboration Centres.

RCCs are at the heart of our collective effort to address the climate emergency. They provide technical assistance to countries, facilitate the sharing of knowledge and good practices, deliver training and organize hands-on support. They also build, activate and strengthen robust regional networks, engaging and connecting partners from the private sector, multilateral banks, the UN wider system and other entities to accelerate climate action.

This report demonstrates the 2024 results achieved by our RCCs and the wealth of partners we are proud to work with. In 2025, the RCCs will not only continue supporting countries with the implementation of the Paris Agreement, including through the delivery of Climate Weeks. They will also provide more tailored, comprehensive and impactful support, considering evolving needs and priorities at national and regional levels, to drive progress toward a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable future.

We are very pleased with the accomplishments of RCC MENA-SA in 2024 and the capacity building, knowledge sharing and technical support that team has provided to the countries of the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia in different areas of climate action, from Article 6 operationalization to the preparation of the next round of nationally determined contributions.

We have been particularly pleased with the broadening of the adaptation and resilience portfolio of RCC MENA SA, which is crucial to respond to the priorities of our region. We remain committed to our partnership and look forward to continuing our great collaboration in 2025.

East African Development Bank (EADB) has continued with the collaboration with the UNFCCC on the aspects related to Climate Change since 2013. The Regional Collaboration Centre for the East and Southern Africa (RCC ESA), and the Eastern Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance, are hosted at the Bank’s Head Office in Kampala.

Climate change is posing the greatest challenges in the world today affecting businesses due to its negative impacts. The Bank operates within the East African region covering the four Member States; Kenya Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda, whose economies rely greatly on rain-fed agriculture. The negative effects of climate change can be overcome when we deploy affordable and innovative climate financing instruments such as blended finance, grants, crowd-funding, syndication, guarantees, and insurance, among others, to support  the targeted businesses to adapt and mitigate the impacts of Climate Change within the region.

The Bank has established a strong collaboration with the UNFCCC, the Member States, development partners and climate funders to spearhead interventions for climate change in the region. Climate change is one of the Bank’s focus area.

In 2024, through this collaboration, a number of achievements were realised. The Bank participated in a number of high-level engagements such as participation at COP29 events organised by the UNFCCC, networking with other key funders like the Adaptation Fund and GCF.

The Bank is proud of the successful completion of the African Climate Change Finance/ African Development Bank (ACCF/AfDB) project whereby the Bank supported the implementation of grant received in July 2021. The RCC EASA is now at the final phase of preparing the project completion report for the project which was aimed at building the capacity of women negotiators in the East and Southern Africa.  The Bank will support any future collaboration to enhance the operations of the RCC ESA in the region.

There is no doubt, RCC’s interventions have made considerable impacts to the EADB Member States, and beyond covering all the 19 countries where it is operating, and they need to be supported from both fronts to ensure more results are achieved by maintaining a consistent workforce for sustainability of the projects they are implementing according to the different workstreams.

The Bank remains committed to ensuring the collaboration is strengthened for the benefits of both institutions while making positive impacts to the East and Southern Africa region.

The RCC Caribbean is a diverse, inclusive, multidisciplinary partner that works in collaboration and cooperation to enhance the scope of engagement from a climate resilience perspective in support of the sixteen Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean region. Our partnership has contributed and enhanced the established mission of the Windward Islands Research and Education Foundation (WINDREF). The RCC Caribbean continues through its leadership and represented disciplines to provide the Caribbean SIDS technical climate change support as it is required or needed

The work accomplished by the RCC AP in 2024 is a testament to our shared commitment to catalyzing climate action and fostering regional cooperation. As we look ahead to intensifying support to developing countries in the region, we reaffirm our dedication to innovation, inclusivity, and partnership. We look forward to continuously operationalizing the collaboration on Article 6 through the Article 6 Implementation Partnership and providing capacity building support for nationally determined contributions, adaptation, transparency, and cross-cutting issues related to private sector engagement, sectoral engagement, youth engagement, gender considerations, and engagement with indigenous people and local communities. Both IGES and UNFCCC remain committed to shaping a more sustainable and resilient future for the Asia-Pacific region and beyond.

The RCC WAC Africa as a delocalized regional arm of the UN Climate Change Secretariat is a strong partner of BOAD. The RCC nicely complements the efforts of BOAD in the region by contributing to the enhancement of support across many areas of climate action and finance for our region. It has expertly supported countries by providing technical assistance, capacity building and facilitating the mobilization of support providers to address the needs of countries in West and Central Africa as they relate to climate change and sustainable development goals at large.

The successful organization and execution of six Regional NDCs 3.0 Fora in 2024 is a testament to the strong partnership between UNDP and the RCCs. The fruitful collaboration across all RCCs was instrumental in providing the necessary expertise, support, and guidance to countries and resulted in follow-up activities and events through to COP29. UNDP very much looks forward to building on this important collaboration in 2025 and beyond.

By deepening our collaboration with the Regional Collaborating Centres, UNEP is not only enhancing support for countries but also co-creating regional pathways to advance implementable and ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) 3.0. Regional collaboration is crucial for regional initiatives that will in turn enable countries to meet their climate goals and drive sustainable and inclusive growth.

As countries work to raise ambition, fast-track implementation and unlock climate finance, their success requires unprecedented global, regional and national collaboration. The NDC Partnership, as a coalition of more than 130 countries and more than 100 institutions, coordinates stakeholders and partners to deliver flexible, timely support for NDC development and action.

Together, the NDC Partnership and Regional Collaboration Centres facilitate critical knowledge exchange and integrate localized expertise and Partnership resources to deliver technical assistance and capacity building. With this coordinated support, countries can drive transformational change to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.

The NDCs are amongst the most important issues that UN Resident Coordinators lead on, specifically in large emerging economies like Indonesia and Thailand. The UNFCCC RCC Asia-Pacific helped us analyse the NDCs for Indonesia, which is integrated into the Climate Change Act, and Thailand, where I was the RC previously. This has helped us identify the structural dimensions of the country's Greenhouse Gas profile along with the development priorities and the areas where the UN Country Teams can provide enhanced support on the ground. I encourage other Resident Coordinators and UN Country Teams to similarly make use of their RCCs in the region to better coordinate NDC support.

Since 2009, the Government of Guyana has been a leader in exploring and mobilizing new forms of climate finance. It’s vital, therefore, that the UN System is able to provide relevant support to Guyana to protect its terrestrial and marine resources and implement its UNFCCC commitments. The RCC Caribbean has enabled our UN Country Team in Guyana to position itself accordingly. In 2024, the RCC provided comprehensive briefing to the UNCT on Article 6 of the UNFCCC, an article of major interest to national authorities in Georgetown. The Office of the Resident Coordinator was also present at a the RCC’s multi-stakeholder symposium and training in Grenada, entirely dedicated to Article 6 and NDC formulation. What sets RCC Caribbean apart is their clear and substantial technical expertise: there wasn’t a single question about the UNFCCC or Paris Agreement that they weren’t able to answer. Highly impressive, and an important resource for the Caribbean sub-region, in view of Agenda 2030 and the ABAS framework for SIDS.

Climate change is one of the highest challenges of our time and countries need support that is effective and easily accessible to them. The UN Climate Change Regional Collaboration Centre for West and Central Africa has been supporting Cabo Verde in this regard. In 2024, it worked closely with countries in the region to understand their needs and provided credible, reliable, and impactful support to these countries in the formulation of ambitious response packages to the ever-increasing threats of climate change. A very good example was the RCC WAC Africa's work in the Carbon Market workshop that was held in Praia in 2024, engaging countries and partners in an open and learning conversation, stimulating and ambitious agendas.

Having the UNFCCC RCC based in the region significantly improves outreach and coordination across the UN system. This regional level engagement ultimately improves the collective support we are able to provide to member states to address the range of climate related issues faced by Small Islands Developing States.

In recent years, Panama has positioned itself as a leader in conservation and climate action. Currently, the country is betting on carbon pricing instruments as a cost-effective measure to address the climate crisis.

In this context, RCC Latin America has been a strategic partner for the country by providing support in terms of capacity building through workshops and training programs, promotion of partnerships with key stakeholders, implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and its integration with the NDC. Thanks to this collaboration, Panama has made significant progress in its National Carbon Market.

Panama looks forward to continuing its fruitful collaboration with RCC Latin America, which will surely facilitate the achievement of our climate commitments.

The West and Central Africa region has benefited from increased support from the RCC WAC Africa, which has led to concrete results for the countries concerned. One key example is the support provided by the RCC in connecting with technical partners, which played a crucial role in enabling our country, Côte d'Ivoire, to submit its Biennial Transparency Report on time this year.

With the NDC 3.0 process as a priority, the collaboration along with RCC Grenada has been crucial in the exchange of information and supporting countries to put forward their needs and challenges, as well as understanding opportunities for the Caribbean region. From the different technical webinars to the frequent partner’s gathering discussion, we are strengthening and positioning a regional platform that aims to contribute to the objective of the Paris Agreement and the SDGs, with the NDCs at the heart of it.

The creation of a regional partners coalition in the Caribbean on NDCs by the RCC, has proven to be a huge value added in how UNDP was able to advance its work in the region. This initiative has afforded development partners, NGOs and government officials to meet, discuss and disseminate information on NDCs in the region. It has been highly leveraged to learn where support may be needed/bolstered as well as where we can collaborate more efficiently to respond to the needs of countries as they prepare their new round of NDCs.

Over the last year, the RCC WAC Africa and UN Women Regional Office for West and Central Africa have been partnering to enhance government capacities to integrate gender in national climate policies. We are also joining forces to build women’s capacity to address climate action and access opportunities in the green economy. We work with our government partners, and civil society organizations to drive sustainable development and a just transition across West and Central Africa.

The partnership between IOM and RCC East and Southern Africa started in earnest with the development of the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on migration, environment and climate change in 2022, which was the first policy framework on the nexus of migration, environment and climate change, globally. The RCC’s vision and commitment to support this innovative process has been deeply appreciated and the outcome is that the KDMECC is now advancing through the African Union's processes and organs with the view to becoming the first African Union's Declaration on migration and climate change.

As the integration of human mobility in the UN climate change tracks and processes has continued to grow in interest on the African continent, championed by both the African Group of Negotiators and the LDCs, the partnership has continued to grow in strength thanks to the excellent trust and collaboration between both organizations. There have been a great many joint events over the past couple of years, ranging from capacity building workshops, provision of technical support for policy development, information sharing and representational events and joint studies. IOM has appreciated the timely and robust technical support provided by RCC EAS Africa ranging from information sharing and advice on UNFCCC processes to supporting IOM workshops and other initiatives with national governments.

Over the past year, the collaboration between RCC WACA and the NDC Partnership has grown stronger. Through substantial discussions and coordinated efforts, our partnership has yielded tangible results in the region, including the successful co-organization of several key events and webinars.  Enhanced communication around country needs and available support from development partners contributed to ensure that regional priorities are addressed more effectively and efficiently.

RCC Caribbean has been a valuable partner and a key ally for the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit’s Global Carbon Market project which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. Together, we supported the public and private sector and the youth in several Caribbean countries in building capacities on carbon market and carbon pricing. The RCC’s experts, resources, and perceived political neutrality, have been instrumental in delivering not only capacity development activities, but also strengthening the regional approach which is particularly relevant to Small Island Developing States. The Regional Dialogues on Carbon Pricing and the establishment of platforms such as the Caribbean Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance are successful examples of our collaboration. We look forward to deepening it even further in the future.

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States has forged a solid, symbiotic partnership with the RCC Caribbean. Over time, our two organisations have collaborated on several initiatives, especially in the areas of capacity-building, carbon markets, transparency, and overall climate action. Being able to jointly arrange workshops, trainings, and online events has allowed us to mutually support several countries. This work has strengthened the capacities of the OECS and its Member States to be able to address these critical issues.

Our recent collaboration with RCC Latin America has given us valuable insights into how Latin American countries are preparing for the operationalization of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The region is demonstrating remarkable global leadership and the urgency required to drive climate action in this critical decade.

As these countries navigate the complexities of Article 6 mechanisms, our findings highlight the critical capacity needs, challenges and requirements for full implementation. These include expanding private sector engagement, clarifying regulatory frameworks, improving access to financing and providing the technological tools necessary to monitor progress and support informed decision-making.

As global leaders, we must seize the opportunity to support and scale these efforts. Now is the time to invest in these solutions, address key gaps and empower countries to meet their climate goals. Together, we can accelerate the implementation of Article 6 and its contribution to a low-carbon future.

The collaboration between Asazgua and the Un Climate Change Regional Collaboration Center Latin America has been key to transforming climate commitments into concrete actions. Through renewable energy cogeneration, water efficiency and carbon footprint measurement, Guatemala's sugarcane sector has positioned itself as a benchmark in sustainability.

Key Milestones in 2024

• Climate policies and carbon markets (February): RCC highlighted Asazgua's progress in updating the NDC 2025 and exploring carbon markets.
• Sectorial training (July): Course with UNFCCC, IICA and UNEP experts on NDCs and climate resilience.
• Climate Action Week (September): Asazgua led discussions on carbon footprint and decarbonization opportunities.
• Participation in COP29 (November): Presentation of nature-based solutions, renewable energy cogeneration and alignment with global climate strategies.

Building a Sustainable Future

The joint work between Asazgua and RCC LatAm demonstrates that sustainability is not only a commitment, but an engine of transformation. Guatemala's sugarcane agribusiness is leading the way towards cleaner, more efficient and resilient production, becoming a regional example of how climate action and economic development can move forward together.

The RCC West and Central Africa, in collaboration with ILC Africa, our National Land Coalitions, and respective governments, has been instrumental in reshaping how our region approaches climate action. By integrating the critical perspective of land rights into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), we jointly address the root causes of vulnerability and work toward sustainable solutions.

While we have not yet received the final results, this partnership in 2024 paved the way for our progress toward a just transition. It highlighted the indispensable role of inclusive land governance in broader regional climate resilience efforts.

The RCC Caribbean has proved to be an invaluable partner for collaboration in the region. With the dispersed nature of SIDS, and so many players spread out over many countries, it is crucial to have this organisation to provide guidance and collaboration when it comes to coordinating climate change action priorities. The team is extremely effective at identifying opportunities to align resources between organisations to ensure that often scarce resources are more effectively allocated, and have assisted our team to connect with important regional and global partners to accelerate our climate-related projects

The partnership between the West African Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance and RCC WAC Africa has been instrumental in advancing climate action in the region. Through joint capacity-building workshops, technical support on Article 6, and assistance in matchmaking, RCC WAC Africa has empowered countries to actively participate in the international carbon markets.

This collaboration has also strengthened regional engagements, ensuring West Africa’s unique priorities are reflected in global climate action.

Since 2014, the GIZ Global Carbon Market project Uganda (on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action) has been proud to collaborate with the UN Climate Change Regional Collaboration Centre for East and Southern Africa to enhance stakeholder participation in carbon market mechanisms across the region.

During a carbon pricing training in February 2024, stakeholders appreciated the joint effort to break down this complex topic for informed decision-making, particularly the use of the Carbon Pricing Incidence Calculator to assess the economic and social impacts of carbon pricing.

As countries work to transition CDM projects to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, the GIZ GCM, RCC EAS Africa, and the Climate Finance Innovators projects have supported nations like Uganda in developing criteria to evaluate transition requests from existing CDM activities or Programmes of Activities to Article 6.4.

The steering of the Eastern Africa Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance continues to serve as a key unifying force for the RCC EAS Africa and GIZ GCM’s activities. The regional approach has proven effective in strengthening cooperation among countries and fostering learning and strategic alignment on emerging topics such as Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

It was my first time attending COP, and I am grateful to the UNFCCC RCC Asia Pacific and YECAP for this incredible opportunity. Being able to observe and contribute to the discussions on the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform and highlighting the Indigenous youth-led initiatives we have in Nepal, reinforced my belief that the international community values Indigenous Peoples, recognizing not only our vulnerabilities but more importantly the role we can play in addressing climate change. It gave me hope that every community-driven initiative is recognized for its positive impact and that there are spaces for all of us to collaborate in scaling up and accelerating our work. This experience has inspired me even more to work with youth and our communities, as well as with our government, to ensure that we take one significant step at a time toward resilience.

I deeply appreciate the efforts of the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre for Asia and the Pacific in recognizing the importance of Indigenous youth in climate action and supporting our involvement in the climate negotiations process. Our participation in COP29 was an eye-opener, showing us the reality that everyone is encouraged to be part of the solution, and that everyone is entitled to have a seat at the table and this includes us, the youth, Indigenous Peoples and communities. Our exposure at COP29 made me realize that our work at the community level has never been small-scale but is part of the larger picture of global climate action. We wish the RCC Asia Pacific continued success in sustaining engagement, not only with governments but also with civil society and communities.