This July saw the launch of the Climate Finance Pathway and the update of the other eight UNFCCC Climate Action Pathways which aim to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement. These are a vital part of the Marrakech Partnership tools to enhance climate action and ambition.

So what are these Pathways and why are they important? Well, read on and find out!

What are the Climate Action Pathways?

They are ‘sectoral visions’ to help achieve a 1.5 degree resilient world by 2050. Essentially, they are roadmaps to showcase which actions countries, businesses,  investors, technology developers,  cities and regions as well as the civil society should take to enable a liveable future.  The Pathways do this by setting a vision of what 2050 will look like if the Paris Agreement goals are achieved and highlighting sectoral milestones that need to be met to achieve a world in which we reach ‘zero emissions’ and find a way to thrive despite the impacts of climate change.  Being living documents, the pathways are updated annually with new information and lessons learned as the state of climate action evolves. 

Who are the authors of the Climate Action Pathways? 

The Pathways are a vital part of the work of the stakeholders of the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, and led by the High-Level Champions, who are appointed by the host countries of the COP. This wide range of actors work together jointly to develop these Pathways, incorporating a wide array of perspectives including feedback from science, the private sector and civil society. 

Which sectors are covered by the Climate Action Pathways? 

There are nine Climate Action Pathways:  Energy, Human Settlements, Industry, Land Use, Oceans and Coastal Zones, Transport, Water, Resilience, and Finance. Each of these Pathways covers a broad array of topics within its sector, while also incorporating the perspectives of other sectors.

Who are they aimed at?

Policymakers, businesses, investors, innovators, civil society and of course, the general public.

Why do the Climate Action Pathways really matter? 

Many of us want to see a future in which we were able to implement the Paris Agreement and create a world in which society and nature can thrive together. The Climate Action Pathways set out this roadmap and break down, sector by sector, the actions we need to take. 

What’s UN Climate Change’s role in all this?

We provide a platform for non-Party stakeholders (everyone from cities to innovators to civil society) so they can engage on different types of voluntary activities towards climate action, such as the pathways. The pathways are a vital tool of the Marrakech Partnership, in which non-State actors, like the ones mentioned above, bring together a cohesive view on how to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. 

You can see more information on the UNFCCC Climate Pathways here.