Coherently implementing the climate and development agendas:
Building capacities for strengthening the science-policy interface
Objectives
In light of the need to improve the interface between climate science/research and climate policy and action, the webinar explores the role of capacity-building in supporting this. A whole-of-society approach is explored, since the achievement of the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will require inclusive and participatory processes that engage decision-makers and scientists from a wide-range of disciplines and other diverse actors.
The overarching objective of the PCCB follow-up webinar to the 10th Durban Forum on capacity-building is to facilitate the sharing of relevant knowledge, lessons learned and case studies on capacity-building actions that respond to the challenges and topics identified at the Forum. Specifically, the webinar sheds light on the role of capacity-building in enhancing the climate science-policy interface by discussing the following aspects:
Enhancing science-based policy through improving science literacy for policymakers, real-world literacy for academics and scientists, and the role of intermediaries who can facilitate the dialogue between the two.
Strengthening capacity to improve the science-policy interface with a view to enabling relevant actors to coherently implement the climate and development agendas.
Enhancing capacity to integrate diverse actors for effective policy development and implementation through a whole-of-society approach.
The webinar should enable viewers to increase their knowledge and understanding of the capacity-related challenges that face the various stakeholders of the science-policy interface. It should enhance understanding of and received information on how science-policy interface related capacity-building gaps and needs can be addressed on both the science- and policy-side. A summary report will be prepared and published.
Background
The 10th Durban Forum on capacity-building was held by the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) on 2 June 2021 under the theme “Building capacity for addressing climate and development goals coherently” and sought to facilitate the sharing of relevant knowledge, experience and lessons learned on capacity-building actions aimed at promoting greater coherence in achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement and fulfilling the sustainable development goals under the 2030 Agenda.
At the request of the Conference of the Parties, the Forum was to be thematically aligned with the annual focus area of the Paris Committee on Capacity-building (PCCB), which in 2021 is building capacity to facilitate coherent implementation of nationally determined contributions in the context of national development plans. To inform its work under the annual focus area, the PCCB issued a call for submissions from Parties, observers and other relevant organizations in early 2021, the findings of which were synthesized for further discussion at its 5th meeting, as well as to support the SBI in designing the programme of the 10th Durban Forum. A key theme identified both in the synthesis of submissions and during the discussions at the 10th Durban Forum was the importance of building capacity for scientific and evidence-based policymaking and for mainstreaming climate and development goals into policy planning.
The outcomes from and lessons learned at the 10th Durban Forum are expected to feed directly into the work of the PCCB as per its workplan for 2021–2024. Thus, in an effort to ensure effective cross-fertilization of ideas and interchange between discussions at the Durban Forum and the work of the PCCB related to its annual focus area, the PCCB is hosting a webinar to address some of the topics and outcomes of the 10th Durban Forum on capacity-building in greater detail. As agreed at the 5th PCCB meeting, the webinar will also build on the synthesis of submissions on the 2021 focus area, including a list of best practices and case studies contained therein, as well as draw on the expertise in the PCCB Network.
