The High-Level Champions are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation as it unfolds and exploring innovative and alternative ways to keep their work moving forward, while ensuring that their staff and colleagues stay safe and healthy and follow the recommendations of their respective governments and the United Nations as their top priority to overcome this pandemic as swiftly as possible. Despite the recent emergence of this pandemic, dealing with the long-standing global issue of climate change remains as urgent as ever. In this context, the Champions would like to lay the groundwork and follow up on a mandate given to them at COP 25 as much as possible.

Collaboration between Parties and non-Party stakeholders (businesses, cities, subnational regions, investors and civil society) is more critical now than ever for scaling up climate action. This was acknowledged by Parties through decision 1/CP.25, “Chile Madrid Time for Action”, in which COP 25 expressed appreciation for the work done so far and acknowledged the important role of non-Party stakeholders in supporting Parties towards achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, Parties agreed to the continuation of the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action and the role of the High-Level Champions until 2025, and the Champions were requested to explore how to improve the work under the Partnership for enhancing ambition taking into account feedback from Parties and non-Party stakeholders.

The Marrakech Partnership is entering a new phase and it is essential to build on past achievements and lessons learned and make the Partnership fit for purpose to start this decade of delivery. To follow through on the request from Parties, the High-Level Champions are kicking off a process to receive feedback.

Parties and observer organizations (United Nations System entities, admitted intergovernmental organizations, and admitted non-governmental organizations) wishing to do so should submit their feedback to the secretariat via the UNFCCC submission portal and any other non-Party stakeholders should email their views to globalclimateaction@unfccc.int.

Full details are contained in the letter from the High-Level Champions for Climate Action, inviting feedback on how to improve the Marrakech Partnership for enhancing ambition. 

Feedback should be sent by 31 July 2020. Once received, they will be posted accordingly on this page.

In addition, there will be opportunities to provide oral feedback over the course of this year, and a summary of all feedback will be made publicly available in the latter part of the year in the lead-up to COP 26, which is outlined in the letter. As the COVID-19 situation evolves, the approach, timelines and milestones will be adjusted accordingly to ensure that stakeholders around the world have an opportunity to participate. In addition to this feedback process, the Champions will reflect on the successes, challenges, lessons learned, and inputs received over the past years in order to develop a path for improving the Marrakech Partnership over the period until 2025 for the purpose of enhancing ambition.