UN Climate Change News, 23 April, Bonn (updated 23 May)– Two major events on the 2019 international climate change calendar are confirmed: Latin America & Caribbean Climate Week will take place from 19 to 23 August in Salvador, Brazil, while Asia-Pacific Climate Week will be held in Bangkok, Thailand, from 2 to 6 September 2019.
These events will be taking place ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit in New York City on 23 September, designed to support efforts to ensure rapid implementation of the Paris Climate Change Agreement, to accelerate climate action in all areas of society and to increase climate ambition ahead of the update of national climate action plans (“Nationally Determined Contributions” or “NDCs”) in 2020.
For the Summit, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has selected the six key portfolios which have high potential to usher in a zero-carbon and more climate-resilient economy. These key themes are also shaping the agendas of the regional climate weeks.
Both climate weeks follow last month’s Africa Climate Week in Accra, which resulted in key takeaways to the September Climate Action Summit and at which African policymakers focused on the opportunities of their countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions.
The meeting in Ghana took place in the aftermath of Cyclone Idai, which devastated communities in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, affecting more than 2 million people.
The cyclone provided a poignant backdrop for the 4,000 delegates in attendance, who had also gathered in the Ghanaian capital to explore how the continent can best respond to the impacts of climate change.
Given that they are in the same region, the first of the newly announced events – Latin America & Caribbean Climate Week – will help to set the tone both for the September Climate Summit in New York and for the December UN Climate Change Conference COP25 in Santiago, Chile. The Government of Brazil and the City of Salvador– who are convening the event –have chosen Itaipava Arena Fonte Nova as the venue.
A detailed agenda will be posted on www.regionalclimateweeks.org shortly, but the High-Level segment has been confirmed for Thursday, 22 August and will feature ministers, policymakers, private sector leaders. The event will also showcase on-the-ground examples of climate solutions in the region that are cutting emissions and helping communities adapt to the changing climate.
To register for both events, follow these links:
The Regional Climate Weeks are being organized by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Latin American Energy Organization (Olade), Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Low Emissions Development Strategies (LEDS), Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Banco de Desarrollo de América Latina (CAF), UN Climate Change, Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, the World Bank Group (WB), CTCN, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), UNEP DTU Partnership, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and International Emissions Trading Association (IETA).
For media enquiries, please contact Matthew Phillips, Communications Officer, UN Climate Change secretariat, at MPhillips@unfccc.int
