The UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies meetings represent the last big milestone in climate negotiations before the culmination of the first Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement at COP 28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It will provide an opportunity to collectively reflect on where the world stands in terms of addressing climate change.

Technical discussions during the week included interlinkages between the Global Forest Goals, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Speakers informed delegates on: regenerative agriculture; the role of the Global Environment Facility, the Adaptation Fund, and regional development banks; the forests-energy-livelihoods nexus; and the potential of carbon markets for forest finance.

Forests, trees, and green spaces play a vital role in ensuring a healthy life for all on a global scale. This is one of the key messages of the global assessment titled “Forests and Trees for Human Health: Pathways, Impacts, Challenges and Response Options,” launched by the Global Forest Expert Panels Programme of the International Union of Forest Research Organization (IUFRO).

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report is a clarion call to the world: the time for serious action on climate change is now, before it’s too late. The adoption of the Synthesis Report and its Summary for Policymakers marks the end of the sixth assessment cycle and raises questions about how the next assessment cycle should proceed.