Credit: Impulsouth
Recording
Organizers
The session was organized by UNDP, UNEP's One Planet Network and UNFCCC.
Background
The joint project “Building circularity into NDCs” is coordinated by UNDP, UNEP/One Planet Network Secretariat, and UNFCCC secretariat. It aims to support countries to assess, integrate, implement and track circular economy interventions in their updated NDCs to enhance ambition and accelerate implementation, while supporting a just and inclusive transition. The UN partners have co-developed a digital toolbox and user guide, currently being piloted in three countries under UNDP’s Climate Promise (Ecuador, Viet Nam and Zimbabwe).Three regional capacity building workshops have engaged countries in conjunction with the UNFCCC Regional Climate Weeks throughout 2023 for Africa (September); Latin America and the Caribbean (October); and Asia and the Pacific (November). These activities also help accelerate efforts on net-zero commitments and Long-Term Low-Emission Development Strategies through circular economy. Donors of the project are the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund.
Objectives
- Showcased the toolbox as a practical platform and one-stop-shop for countries to help strengthen their NDC targets through circular economy, while providing key insights into the importance of mitigating GHG emissions from the whole life-cycle of materials consumed and produced;
- Served as a platform for countries to demonstrate their leadership on building circularity into their revised NDCs for increased ambition in 2024 and beyond; and
- Shared perspectives from UN agencies and other partners on unlocking opportunities and efforts to build capacities for enhanced climate ambition and implementation through circular economy.
Structure
| Time |
Segments |
| 5 mins |
Welcome |
| 10 mins |
Opening remarks |
| 40 mins |
Panel discussion |
| 5 mins |
Closing remarks |
Speakers
| Speaker |
Affiliation/Organization |
| Niels Kastelein |
Director of Climate Policy, Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate, Kingdom of the Netherlands |
| Tuuli Hietaniemi |
Senior Lead, Sustainability Solutions, Sitra, the Finnish Innovation Fund |
| Lawrence Mashungu |
NDC/LT-LEDS Expert, Regional Collaboration Center Eastern and Southern Africa, UNFCCC Secretariat |
| Miriam Hinostroza |
Head of Unit, Global Climate Action, UNEP |
| Cassie Flynn |
Global Director of Climate Change, UNDP |
| Dhoba Lovemore |
Deputy Director, Climate Change Mitigation, Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Zimbabwe |
| Pham Quang Huy |
Deputy Director General, International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Viet Nam |
| Ilka Hirt |
Deputy Director-General for International Policy, Germany |
| Daniel Nti |
Youth Advocate and Campaign Strategist, Ghana |
Key Outcomes
- Circular economy approaches are crucial for tackling the triple planetary crisis and the integration of circular economy in NDCs will be key to helping countries raise their mitigation and adaptation ambition and reach their targets.
- Circularity provides an important opportunity to help raise both public and private finance and accelerate investments to meet NDC targets. Circularity can also help
- bolster innovation, foster new business models, research and learning, create green jobs, and strengthen resilience and livelihoods.
- Capacity building on circular economy and the sharing of best practices and lessons learned will be important moving forward, as well as continued international collaboration.
Resources
Presentation slides
Building Circularity into NDCs – A Practical Toolbox
