Regional collaboration centres annual report showcases power of partnerships

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Executive Secretary, Simon Stiell, has emphasized the importance of regional collaboration and the potential of the Regional Collaboration Centres (RCC) to advance climate action, improve and saveguard lives and livelihoods around the world.

Stiell, who stated this while introducing the Annual Report 2023 of the RCC, noted that the Regional Collaboration Centres are playing their part.

In 2023, the Regional Collaboration Centres (RCCs) strengthened their position as an enabling force for climate action, engaging governments and stakeholders in key regions ahead of the first global stocktake that concluded at COP28 in Dubai. As highlighted in their latest Annual Report, the Centres were recognized in COP28 decisions for their potential to advance and accelerate progress, for example, through capacity-building activities on developing new climate action plans (Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)) or participation in the Article 6 emissions crediting mechanism.

The RCCs Annual Report 2023: Boosting Regional Preparedness shows how collaboration by the RCCs enables global progress and accelerated climate action through the power of partnerships.

They advanced pivotal work under the Paris Agreement tailored to their region’s needs: as collaborative platforms, they facilitated Paris Agreement implementation through technical assistance, networking, matchmaking and organizing capacity-building activities relating to NDCs, long-term low emissions development strategies, climate finance, Article 6 (where countries can pursue voluntary international cooperation to reach their climate targets), and more.

Introducing the Annual Report 2023, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell emphasizes the importance of regional collaboration, and notes the potential of the RCCs to advance climate action, and improve and safeguard lives and livelihoods around the world.

“Our Regional Collaboration Centres are playing their part. They are our hands, eyes, and ears on the ground,” he says. “They serve more than 140 developing countries and billions of people. RCCs map and build networks of actors and experts, assessing needs and providing support. The relationships they hold – across governments, civil society, and among experts – are incredibly valuable to the UN Climate Change secretariat.”

Among the RCC’s global RCC achievements were:

The Centres helped organize the Regional Climate Weeks 2023, which brought together more than 25,000 stakeholders at four regional events.

The six RCCs engaged organized, co-organized, or participated in a total of 235 capacity-building events on diverse topics.

RCCs advanced transition to Article 6 of the Paris Agreement while supporting 10 Clean Development Mechanism projects, help develop 17 standardized baselines to measure and compare emissions reductions in projects and over 100 individual stakeholder queries.

RCCs delivered training sessions on Article 6 at the Regional Climate Weeks, held dialogues and conducted surveys to identify the best path forward.

In their respective regions, the RCCs took a customized approach, also with a view to advancing implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals:

RCC Asia-Pacific is involved in adaptation and building resilience, needs they identified in the region and a request received from governments.

RCC Caribbean connects a diverse network to explore innovative ways to address climate change for Small Island Developing States.

RCC East and Southern Africa focuses on engaging all stakeholders in the process, including women and youth.

RCC Latin America supports action on agriculture, which is fundamental to economic growth in the region and meeting the climate challenge.

RCC Middle East and North Africa and South Asia is heavily involved in the Needs-based Finance project, where they collaborate to facilitate access and mobilize climate finance.

RCC West and Central Africa supports adaptation activities and facilitates participation of countries in the Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

Moving forward, the RCCs have defined robust workplans tailored to their region. The next round of NDCs is in focus, as is enhancing access to climate finance, enabling Article 6 as a climate solution, addressing loss and damage and the development of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). The Centres will continue to engage widely with youth, indigenous communities, business leaders and experts for an inclusive and coordinated approach to climate action.

Interested collaborators are invited to explore the RCCs Annual Report 2023: Boosting Regional Preparedness to better understand the work of the Centres in each region. Check out the RCCs on the web, sign up for regular newsletters and join the LinkedIn group to connect with a community of collaborators for climate action.

The RCCs Annual Report 2023: Boosting Regional Preparedness features messages from our regional partners that host the RCCs and are key to the Centres’ ongoing success. They share their perspectives on the RCCs in their own words below.