UN Climate Change
Global Climate Action
24 January 2020
MARRAKECH PARTNERSHIP NEWSLETTER
N igel Topping Appointed UK High Level Climate Action Champion
The incoming UK Presidency of COP26 appointed Nigel Topping (on the right) as its High-Level Climate Action Champion.

Mr. Topping brings with him a wealth of experience and valuable expertise from the private sector that will help drive action from businesses, investors, organisations, cities, and regions on climate change and coordinate this work with governments and Parties to the UNFCCC.

The Champion role is held for two years and Mr. Topping will work alongside the Chilean COP25 High-Level Climate Action Champion, Gonzalo Muñoz (left).

He brings valuable expertise from 18 years in the private sector, having worked across the world in emerging markets and manufacturing.

High-Level Climate Action Champion Gonzalo Muñoz said: “I am delighted to welcome Nigel as the UK High-Level Climate Champion. His concrete and valuable experience regarding climate action together with his energy, boldness and optimism will make for a truly successful collaboration as, together, we look for ways to propel your work, as members of the Marrakech Partnership, to new heights in the lead-up to Glasgow." 

High-Level Climate Action Champion Nigel Topping said:
“I am very much looking forward to working alongside Gonzalo, who has already brought so much to the position of High-Level Action Champion. I seek to further advance the good work he has been undertaking with the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action – a Partnership that is needed more than ever during this critical year."


Africa Climate Week: Managing Climate Risks and Seizing Transformation Opportunities
Preparations are underway for Africa Climate Week 2020, which will be convened in Kampala, Uganda, 9-13 March 2020. The programme overview has been published today.

Africa Climate Week will bring together diverse actors from the public and private sectors and will be instrumental in building support for increased regional climate action, helping to put Africa on a path to low-carbon and resilient development pathway. The event is an opportunity to move forward on crucial climate action work at a national and regional level, taking regional priorities into consideration.

The central objective of Africa Climate Week is to share ways for governments to implement the Paris Agreement in Africa, making use of all the planning tools and support available, and to serve as a platform for national governments and non-Party stakeholders to engage, build partnerships and explore solutions that can deliver climate action and support at scale.

The Africa Climate Week aims to achieve this across three core tracks:

  • Partnering for whole society engagement in implementation: 
This track will demystify the various provisions of the UNFCCC and turn them into tangible/actionable items for actors in the regions. It will also enable an assessment of the best practice in society-wide and economy-wide approaches to cutting greenhouse gases and building resilience. These events will also generate groundswell momentum for timely implementation of the commitments made under the UNFCCC processes, including the provisions of the enhanced transparency framework
.
  • Managing climate risks 
This track will allow deeper collaboration between all actors on scoping the extent of the climate risks faced in Africa across the dimensions of hazards faced, sectors impacted and a levels of governance involved. This year, focus will particularly be given to water and food security and in this context address topics related to ecosystems and nature-based solutions and resilient infrastructure development .

  • Seizing transformation opportunities 
This track will explore solutions to deliver climate action and support at a scale that puts the region on a low-emission development pathway. Related events under this focus area will provide a basis for partnership, engagement and capacity development on best practice policy, resource mobilization and technology development and deployment with a focus on energy, infrastructure and mobility. 


UN Climate Change | Global Climate Action | Marrakech Partnership | GlobalClimateAction@unfccc.int | unfccc.int