Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE)

What is Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE)?

• The Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) is a joint green initiatives of five UN agencies – UN Environment, International Labour Organization (ILO), UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Industrial Development Organization(UNIDO), and UN Institute for Training and Research.

• PAGE was launched in 2013 as a response to the call at Rio+20 to support those countries wishing to embark on greener and more inclusive growth trajectories. 

Objective of the PAGE

• To put sustainability at the heart of economic policies and practices to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development;

• To supports nations and regions in re-framing economic policies and practices around sustainability to foster economic growth, create income and jobs, reduce poverty and inequality, and strengthen the ecological foundations of their economies. 

• PAGE together five UN agencies can offer integrated and holistic support to countries on inclusive green economy, ensuring coherence and avoiding duplication.

• PAGE represents a mechanism to coordinate UN action on green economy; and 

• To assist countries in achieving and monitoring the emerging Sustainable Development Goals, especially SDG 8: "Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all.” 

Background of the PAGE

• In 2012, Rio+20 (the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development) was held in Brazil. 

• The conference’s outcome document entitled The Future We Want was a call to action for governments, business and the UN alike to support countries interested in transition to a green economy. 

• PAGE was created as the UN’s direct response to this call of action. Four UN organizations, including ILO, UN Environment, UNIDO and UNITAR initially joined forces to be able to provide countries with broad and tailored support.

• UNDP joined the partnership in 2014, further increasing the partnership’s capabilities. 

• The five agencies have previously undertaken joint green initiatives. However, this is the first time that all five partners have come together to coordinate their support, expertise and resources at the national level. 

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Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN)

What is Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN)?

• The CTCN promotes the accelerated transfer of environmentally sound technologies for low carbon and climate resilient development at the request of developing countries.

• CTCN provide technology solutions, capacity building and advice on policy, legal and regulatory frameworks tailored to the needs of individual countries. 

• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) hosts the CTCN in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the support of a consortium of partners over 150 countries. 

• The CTCN consists of two parts: a centre—a coordinating entity located in UN City Copenhagen—and a worldwide network of organizations that delivers CTCN services—both virtually and actually.

• Serving as the core of the CTCN, network members respond to climate technology requests from developing country Parties to the UNFCCC.

Main Aim of the CTCN

• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions and climate vulnerability

• Improved local innovation capacities

• Increased investments in climate technology projects.

How CTCN Works?

The Climate Technology Centre & Network facilitates the transfer of technologies through three core services :

• Providing technical assistance at the request  of developing countries to accelerate the transfer of  climate technologies;

• Creating access to information and knowledge on climate technologies.

• Fostering collaboration among climate technology stakeholders via the Centre’s network of regional and sectoral experts from academia, the private sector, and public and research institutions.

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Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)

What is Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC)?

• The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) is a voluntary partnership of governments, intergovernmental organizations, businesses, scientific institutions and civil society organizations.

• CCAC is committed to improving air quality and protecting the climate through actions to reduce short-lived climate pollutants. 

• CCAC has a global network of 120 state and non-state partners, and hundreds of local actors carrying out activities across economic sectors.

• The genesis of CCAC can be traced in the Scientific Assessment Report released in 2011 by UN Environment and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

• The report found that measures targeting short-lived climate pollutants could achieve “win-win” results for the climate, air quality, and human well being over a relatively short time frame.

• Accordingly, in 2012, the governments of Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden and the United States, along with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), came together and formed the CCAC.

• The purpose of formation of the CCAC was to initiate efforts to treat short-lived climate pollutants as an urgent and collective challenge to support fast action and deliver benefits on several fronts at once: climate, public health, energy efficiency, and food security.

Activities of the Coalition

• Training and institutional strengthening.

• Support for developing laws, regulations, policies and plans.

• Technology demonstrations.

• Political outreach.

• Awareness raising campaigns.

• Co-funding and catalyzed funding.

• Development of knowledge resources and tools.

Key Strategy of the Coalition

• Enable transformative action by providing knowledge, resources, and technical and institutional capacity to act and supporting the sharing of information, experience, and expertise.

• Mobilize support for action to put short-lived climate pollutants on the policy map through advocacy at all levels of government and in the private sector and civil society.

• Increase the availability of and access to financial resources to support the successful implementation of scalable, transformational action.

• Enhance scientific knowledge to help decision-makers scale up action and promote the multiple benefits of action on short-lived climate pollutants.

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The Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP)

What is Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP)?

• The Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP) is a global initiative to promote and coordinate the development and delivery of biodiversity indicators for use by the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and other biodiversity-related conventions, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and national and regional agencies.

• The BIP was established in 2007 to monitor progress to the 2010 Biodiversity Target of reducing the ‘current rate of global, regional and national biodiversity loss as a contribution to poverty alleviation and to benefit to all life on Earth’. 

• The BIP receive funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).

• The Partnership is supported by UN Environment, the European Commission and the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment.

• The BIP Secretariat is hosted by the UN Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge, UK.

• The Partnership currently brings together over fifty organizations working internationally on indicator development to provide the most comprehensive information on biodiversity trends.

The aims of Biodiversity Indicators Partnership (BIP)

1. To Support the development and use of indicators to measure progress in achieving all the Aichi Biodiversity Targets of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020.

2. To Support the development and use of biodiversity-related indicators in progress reporting of other Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs), as well as to support statistical requirements, intergovernmental processes and development processes, including the Intergovernmental Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

3. To Strengthen capacity at the national level for indicator development and use in implementation and reporting of National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) and the SDGs.

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10-YEAR FRAMEWORK OF PROGRAMMES

What is 10-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP)?     

•  The 10-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) is a global framework of action on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns (10YFP).

• It objective is to enhance international cooperation to accelerate the shift towards Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in both developed and developing countries.

• It was adopted at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) in 2012.

• UNEP serves as the Secretariat of 10YFP.

• The 10YFP generates collective impact through multi-stakeholder programmes and partnerships, fosters knowledge and experience sharing, and facilitates access to technical and financial resources for developing countries.

• Interested actors from all countries can be involved in the implementation of the 10YFP activities: governments, private sector, civil society, researchers, UN agencies, financial institutions, and other major groups. 

The Objectives of 10-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP)

1.  Accelerate the shift towards SCP, supporting regional and national policies and initiatives.

2.  Contributing to resource efficiency and decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation and resource use, while creating decent jobs and economic opportunities and contributing to poverty eradication and shared prosperity.

3.  Mainstream SCP into sustainable development policies, programmes and strategies, as appropriate, including into poverty reduction strategies.

4.  Support capacity building and facilitate access to financial and technical assistance for developing countries, supporting the implementation of SCP activities at the regional, sub-regional and national levels.

5.  Enable all stakeholders to share information and knowledge on SCP tools, initiatives and best practices, raising awareness and enhancing cooperation and development of new partnerships – including public-private partnerships.

Vision of the 10-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP)       

• Fundamental changes in the way societies produce and consume are indispensable for achieving global sustainable development.

• All countries should promote sustainable consumption and production patterns, with the developed countries taking the lead and with all countries benefiting from the process, taking into account the Rio principles...

• Governments, relevant international organizations, the private sector and all major groups should play an active role in changing unsustainable consumption and production patterns.

1 Gigaton Coalition

What is 1 Gigaton Coalition?

•  1 Gigaton Coalition is an initiative launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), with support from the Government of Norway.

•  It was launched on 10 December 2014 to promote the expansion of renewable energy and energy efficiency in climate change mitigation efforts.

• The 1 Gigaton Coalition aims to measure and report reductions of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives and programmes that are not accounted for in the Emissions Gap Report.

• These emissions are estimated to be 1 gigaton of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) by 2020.

• 1 Gigaton Coalition to do so by creating a methodology in their annual 1 Gigaton Coalition reports, which will highlight specific countries and programmes by applying this methodology.

• These emission reductions, however, are currently underreported in most countries. In order to achieve target reductions, the coalition identifies success stories and highlight their achievements in order to encourage broader uptake of such approaches.

• Success stories are seen as a way to bolster the case for ambitious initiatives, such as a global switch to energy efficient appliances that could reduce electricity consumption by 10% and avoid 1.25 billion tonnes of CO2e per year.

• Participation in the coalition is open to government agencies and intergovernmental organizations as well as the private sector and civil society.