2023 Regional Climate Weeks 

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change hosts several regional climate weeks (RCWs) every year around the world to promote climate action and provide a platform for policymakers, businesses and civil society actors to share their experience of and information on climate solutions, including barriers to overcome and opportunities realized in different regions. This year, the RCWs were aimed at building momentum ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai and focused on the conclusion of the first global stocktake, which will mark the first major assessment of the level of implementation and achievement of the climate goals set out in the Paris Agreement. The stocktake offers a unique opportunity to call for decisive change and to underline the urgent need to accelerate progress by collectively embarking on a swift and profound transformation of global economic and social systems.

The following four RCWs were held in 2023:

• Africa Climate Week – 4–8 September, hosted by the Government of Kenya;

• Middle East and North Africa Climate Week – 8–12 October, hosted by the Government of Saudi Arabia;

• Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week – 23–27 October, hosted by the Government of Panama;

• Asia-Pacific Climate Week – 13–17 November, hosted by the Government of Malaysia.

Across all the 2023 RCWs, the following thematic tracks covering the main climate change challenges or systems were addressed:

• Thematic track 1: Energy Systems and Industry;

• Thematic track 2: Cities, Urban and Rural Settlements, Infrastructure and Transport;

• Thematic track 3: Land, Ocean, Food and Water;

• Thematic track 4: Societies, Health, Livelihoods and Economies.

Further details of each RCW are provided below, including key takeaways and outcomes from several of the events and sessions that are closely linked to the aims of the GHG Help Desk. This newsletter concludes with a discussion on how the GHG Help Desk can contribute to the efforts under the RCWs.

Africa Climate Week

The Africa Climate Week brought together more than 10,000 attendees representing governments, multilateral organizations, the private sector and civil society from both Africa and the global community to discuss and formulate climate solutions. Specifically, the following two sessions had a strong connection to the goals of the GHG Help Desk.

Implementing energy transition in the context of nationally determined contributions

This session examined the role of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) in driving initiatives on transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable sources of energy in Africa. The primary focus was on addressing key challenges, seizing opportunities and formulating effective implementation strategies. Insights from both government and non-government stakeholders were shared, enabling participants to learn about efforts, best practices, opportunities and challenges specific to the region.

Key discussion points included the status of each country's energy transition and the measures in place to manage the transition effectively. Emphasis was placed on aligning the goals established by countries, such as achieving net zero emissions or low-carbon pathways, with energy-related objectives like improving access to electricity, enhancing the availability of clean energy and promoting a shift to cleaner transportation. Participants underscored the importance of capacity-building at the national level and fostering active participation in this regard.

The session also addressed the crucial link between energy transition plans and NDCs, emphasizing the need for energy transition efforts to align with NDC targets. It was recognized that NDCs, which typically encompass short- to medium-term goals, often lack long-term aspiration and ambition. The discussion also shed light on the processes involved in developing NDCs and the common absence of sector-specific targets within NDCs and explored the challenges related to integrating NDCs into sectoral plans.

Unlocking Africa’s sustainable energy potential: challenges, opportunities and innovation

This session explored the need for a robust strategy in shifting towards an energy system that serves the entire population of Africa. Such a strategy, which must be both sustainable and cost-effective, would combine renewable energy technologies with green hydrogen, microgrids, energy storage solutions and energy efficiency measures. Africa's energy transition is more than a response to the urgent issue of climate change; it represents a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to stimulate economic growth, promote social progress, mitigate global inequalities and serve as a model for sustainable energy transition worldwide.

During the discussions, participants emphasized that the energy transition extends beyond the realm of electricity and encompasses other important areas such as transportation. They stressed the importance of training sessions that would equip African countries with tools to enable them to independently develop strategies and plans for sustainable energy. There was also recognition of the ongoing challenge posed by a lack of skilled and experienced workers in renewable energy and energy efficiency, with the need for capacity-building and technical assistance emerging as a key theme in this session.

Additionally, participants highlighted the need to seek alternative energy solutions to reduce emissions from and improve the sustainability of cooking practices in the region, noting that 1 billion people in Africa still rely on firewood and charcoal for cooking.

Middle East and North Africa Climate Week

During the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week, two sessions had linkages with the objectives of the GHG Help Desk.

Implementing the energy transition in the context of nationally determined contributions

In this session, stakeholders, both governmental and non-governmental, discussed their efforts in advancing the energy transition through NDCs and related strategies, including best practices and challenges encountered. Key points emphasized the importance of diversifying energy systems, ensuring cost competitiveness and reducing marginal abatement costs for a successful energy transition. The discussion also highlighted the role of cooperation among development partners in supporting country-led NDC implementation for sustainable and inclusive growth.

Reducing methane emissions in the oil and gas value chain

Another important session was on the potential to reduce methane emissions from the oil and gas sector within the Middle East and North Africa region. This is reflected by 10 countries in the region having signed the Global Methane Pledge, agreeing to collectively reduce global methane emissions through voluntary actions. Moreover, numerous companies in the region belong to the Oil & Gas Methane Partnership 2.0, which is the flagship oil and gas reporting and mitigation programme of the United Nations Environment Programme.

Bearing in mind the overall need to reduce methane emissions in the oil and gas sector and in view of the partnerships and pledges in place in the Middle East and North Africa, the panellists highlighted the importance of regulation in bringing down methane emissions and further discussed the potential of South–South cooperation, which could drive finance, technology transfer, capacity-building support and other means of implementation in the Global South.

Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week

The Latin America and the Caribbean Climate Week united participants from local and national governments, Indigenous Peoples organizations, civil society and the private sector. The following session had connections to the goals of the GHG Help Desk.

Increasing ambition towards a green and just energy transition in the Latin America and the Caribbean region

The primary objective of this session was to provide participants with insights from regional organizations and stakeholders regarding the global energy transition outlook. Additionally, government representatives from Latin American and Caribbean nations shared their experience of developing national strategies, road maps and policies aimed at achieving a green and just energy transition, including best practices and information on opportunities and challenges, and discussed how these efforts are integrated into their NDCs.

The session emphasized the significance of the energy sector in terms of emissions, underlining the need to gain a comprehensive understanding of the composition of the energy sector. Attention was drawn to the unique challenges posed by the Caribbean's geographical characteristics which include, among others, the susceptibility to natural disasters, limitations in accessing certain types of energy resources and a lack of infrastructure which necessitate a shift in the energy mix moving away from the dependence on fossil fuels to newer, cleaner energy sources. The session further highlighted the presence of regional collaboration centres, which focus on mitigation, capacity enhancement, adaptation and transparency efforts and engage in activities such as collecting data, organizing awareness campaigns and providing technical support.

Asia-Pacific Climate Week

During the Asia-Pacific Climate Week, the following session had linkages with the objectives of the GHG Help Desk.

Translating long-term strategies and nationally determined contributions into action for energy and a just transition in the Asia-Pacific region

The objective of this session was to discuss the alignment of the second NDC update cycle (2024–2025) with long-term low-emission development strategies (LT-LEDs) and net zero commitments in accordance with the recommendations of the IPCC with respect to limiting global warming to 1.5 °C. The session was also aimed at assessing how enabling policies support the implementation of current NDCs, impacting historical greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions and fostering the development of inclusive just transition frameworks and stakeholder engagement processes.

This strategic approach is essential for establishing a solid foundation for implementing the enhanced transparency framework under the Paris Agreement and attracting financial support for conditional NDC commitments. The session included a comprehensive regional overview of current NDC commitments and their implementation, with a specific focus on enabling policies, resource mobilization, transformative measures in critical sectors, just energy transitions and international and regional cooperation.

Following a presentation, a panel discussion was held featuring national experts and stakeholders actively engaged in the implementation of NDCs, LT-LEDS and net-zero strategies. The discussion centred around challenges, barriers and key lessons learned from the first round of NDCs, while also showcasing success stories in the development of the second round of NDCs.

How can the GHG Help Desk contribute to the transparency efforts of developing countries?

These sessions emphasize the importance of obtaining a comprehensive understanding of the structure of the energy sector within each country and identifying the primary sources of energy-related emissions. Such insights form the basis of effective and well-informed policymaking, ensuring that established goals align with achievable actions. This is particularly crucial within the context of NDCs, which often lack alignment with national plans and strategies, long-term aspirations and ambitions, and sector-specific targets. Furthermore, the RCW sessions consistently addressed the key topic of capacity-building, which, together with technical assistance, is an ongoing need of developing countries, as well as noting the challenges faced by such countries in relation to a lack of skilled and experienced workers.

The GHG Help Desk actively supports this key task to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the structure of the energy sector and identify the primary sources of energy-related emissions. It provides a platform for compilers of national GHG inventories in developing countries to openly discuss opportunities for enhancing their measurement, reporting and verification systems and inventories and for ensuring that GHG estimates are reported consistently with the latest applicable IPCC guidelines. As a result, it offers developing countries an easily accessible and user-friendly place for addressing issues related to GHG inventories, providing crucial capacity-building and technical support. This, in turn, contributes to informed decision-making and policy formulation, ensuring transparent data and fostering trust between Parties while strengthening the credibility of climate action.