The Thematic Focus of each Track of the Regional Climate Weeks in 2023 provides a broad non-exhaustive framework and can act as guidance for developing individual events and sessions to be aligned with the overarching narrative:

Subnational regions, Cities, Human Settlements, and the enabling environment, including awareness raising, education, inclusion, innovation, and finance:

• Localizing climate financing: increasing access to financial resources to escalate climate action at the local level
• The role of technology and innovation in accelerating climate resilient infrastructures: develop energy efficient and clean energy solutions for the built environment
• Inclusive, participatory, and integrated human settlement planning: – connection to national planning

Infrastructure, transport, nature-based solutions, and waste:

• Achieving a decarbonized and resilient infrastructural system.   
• Achieving a just, affordable, accessible and decarbonised transport system to ensure healthy, inclusive, and equitable human settlements 
• Achieving reduction and elimination of waste through circular economy: recover; reuse; recycle; redesign; regenerate.
• Achieving sustainable and resilient urban development through the wide-spread implementation of Nature-based Solutions and ecosystem restoration.

Social and just impact of Policy decision making and investment choices for more effective climate outcomes:

• Enhancing transparency and ensuring accountability to improve monitoring of results and promote trust across citizens and stakeholders

The Thematic Focus of each Track of the Regional Climate Weeks in 2023 provides a broad non-exhaustive framework and can act as guidance for developing individual events and sessions to be aligned with the overarching narrative. 

Land: Elaboration on challenges and opportunities in leveraging land resources and terrestrial ecosystems for adaptation. For instance,  

• What regional adaptation efforts (e.g., regarding agriculture and food production, urbanization, human settlements, biodiversity and ecosystems, and freshwater resources) can be enhanced? How can the synergies and co-benefits among these approaches be strengthened?

• What positive experiences in your region can be shared and scaled related to minimizing land use changes associated with agriculture and aquaculture, in particular carbon losses resulting from deforestation and degradation of soils? 

• From a buzzword to action: how can Nature-based Solutions (NbS) be leveraged (considering various values, limits, and benefits) for adaptation in a way that ecosystem integrity is preserved?  

• How best can scientific approaches and knowledge from indigenous peoples and local communities’ practices be integrated into climate change adaptation?  

• How can the threat of climate-induced slow-onset events on land resources and terrestrial ecosystems be minimized? 

The Ocean: Discussions on optimizing international institutional procedures to facilitate adaptation in the short and long- term and climate-resilient development at the regional level. For instance,  

• What are the innovative marine NbS and other ocean-based solutions and policies in the region and how can they be scaled up to contribute to adaptation? 

• How can we create an enabling environment, including governance and policy, in support of sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and creation of jobs, while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems? 

• How can cross-cutting considerations such as inclusive and equitable management better be integrated into the development of co-designed adaptation strategies in support of a healthy ocean ecosystem and sustainable use of ocean resources? 

 Water: Discussions on the conceptualization of the water-climate nexus for climate-resilient development at the regional level. For instance, 

• Recognizing regional efforts and existing challenges, how can adaptation be achieved in the short and long-term? 

• How can cross-cutting considerations such as inclusive and equitable management better be integrated in addressing water-climate nexus challenges?  

• With the majority of climate-induced disasters being water-related, how can governments and relevant actors leverage existing intergovernmental mechanisms to advance momentum and ensure improved implementation?  

Food: Discussions on promoting climate-resilient food systems. For instance,  

• How can we promote better-integrated food and nutrition security and climate action? What positive experiences of successful food and climate-integrated action in the region can be shared and scaled?  

• What are the main bottlenecks in your region/country/local level to achieving food systems resilience to climate change and in turn to making food production, transport, and consumption more sustainable? 

• How can climate finance be leveraged towards promoting climate resiliency in food systems? 

The Thematic Focus of each Track of the Regional Climate Weeks in 2023 provides a broad non-exhaustive framework and can act as guidance for developing individual events and sessions to be aligned with the overarching narrative:

a. Circular economy and circular carbon economy approaches

• Governance – Enabling policy frameworks and incentives, from local to regional to national
• Finance needs, including new and innovative financing and best practices in economic and investment models
• Production systems – approaches and successful examples
• Measuring and tracking circularity –approaches and good practice case studies
• Economic diversification and poverty reduction

b. Whole of society approaches to transformation

• Multilevel governance, facilitating cooperation across line ministries and thereby unlocking innovation and systems change, as well as across levels of government.
• Inclusive and enhanced civic engagement, including children and youth, in climate policy, decision making and action – approaches and good practice case studies.
• Individual and collective action – approaches and good practice case studies e.g., behaviour change through awareness-raising, education, technical and managerial training, media
• Social protection and adaptive social safety nets – approaches and good practice case studies

c. Health

• Explaining the health and climate change nexus – including the aspects of extreme heat on human health and well-being, as well as the interlinkages of climate change and air pollution via short-lived climate pollutants, affecting people’s health as well as ecosystem health – understanding the concepts, interlinkages, gender dimensions, vulnerability and investment needs and opportunities, including those viable solutions that allow for multiple benefits for climate, clean air and health
• Preparedness and resilience in health systems – approaches and good practice case studies including in relation to health infrastructure, with a focus on urban and rural settlements
• Health and the care economy – approaches and good practice examples
• Changes occurring in the natural environment due to climate change are compromising food security and increasing the spread of infectious diseases. Approaches that can enable the achievement of health for humans, animals, plants, and the environment, as well as food and water security and safety are important to deploy in this context

d. Livelihoods

• Decent jobs and skills building for gender-responsive just transitions – approaches and good practice case studies
• Agricultural systems and rural livelihoods
• Livelihoods and land/oceans (supply of food, freshwater and multiple other ecosystem services, as well as biodiversity), including indigenous peoples’ traditional livelihood practices
• Disaster risk reduction approaches to livelihood protection