The UN Climate Change High Level Champion for COP28 has challenged partners on what we can do to empower people, especially women, living in informality. This aligns with the priorities of the UN Climate Change High Level Champion for COP29 on identifying and celebrating impact (change) makers and SMEs – especially small enterprises operating in the informal urban sector. This maps on to the 2030 Climate Solution outcomes relevant to informality across all systems, especially for Human settlements, Health and Energy.
Throughout 2024, the UN Climate Change High Level Champion for COP28 has convened roundtables with non-state actors (NSAs) on what they are doing to empower people, especially women, living in informality and how these can be taken to scale. This covers actions with informal SMEs (e.g. people operating one vehicle as a taxi or a small “spaza” shop, to people providing services such as waste collection, plumbing and building) and people who have informal jobs (e.g. street vendors). It also covers displaced people and migrants who are living in informality.
To help advance this agenda, two roundtables (SB60, June 2024; NYCW, Sept 2024) were held on the actions NSA were taking to empower people living in informality. This was supported by a wider survey. One of the outcomes of these discussions was the need for partners to work more closely on this agenda. To support this a new working group under the 2030 Climate Solutions is being set up, that will complement existing efforts under the 2030 Climate Solutions across Systems/sectors.
This Special Event on Informality will set out the actions NSA are doing to empower people living in informality and how these can be taken to scale. The COP28 HLC, Razan al Mubarak will share on plans for a Working Group on Informality under the Marrakech Partnership.
Suggested Outcomes
Signposting of a Working Group on Informality, representative of all actors who are involved in amplifying the voice of those living and working in informality;
Showcasing ambitious actions and commitments made by a wide range of non-State actors
Elevate the role of the informal sector in climate action;
Calls for stronger urban content (including on informality) in the NDC 3.0 revision process.
Agenda
Full agenda and more details could be found in this concept note.