Small Island Developing States

Oceans Action Day took place on 11 November 2017, in Bonn, Germany, on the sidelines of the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It was organized by the: Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO); Global Ocean Forum; Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO (IOC-UNESCO); International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); Ocean and Climate Platform; Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, Japan; and Oceano Azul Foundation/Oceanário de Lisboa, Portugal, in collaboration with Conservation International; Future Ocean Alliance; Government of Chile; Government of Grenada; Government of Seychelles; Plymouth Marine Laboratory; International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies; ROCA Initiative; Scripps Institution of Oceanography; and The Nature Conservancy. Participants at Oceans Action Day heard addresses from Tommy Remengesau, President of Palau, and Enele Sopoaga, Prime Minister of Tuvalu. Other high-level delegates also addressed Oceans Action Day. These included: Karmenu Vella, European Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs, and Fisheries; Inia Seruiratu, Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management, Fiji; and Peter Thomson, Fiji, UN Special Envoy for the Ocean and President of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly. The event highlighted progress on the most pressing topics in relation to oceans and climate change, and reflected on the diverse efforts of the ocean community to identify and implement swift solutions. Participants heard lessons learned, examples, and best practices for replicating and transferring successful experiences on a multitude of ocean-related topics including: ecosystem-based management; scientific research; fisheries and aquaculture; blue carbon; migration; risk management; and financial mechanisms. At the end of the closing session, representatives from the UK, Finland, Honduras and Romania proceeded to sign the “Because the Ocean” declaration: towards ocean-related NDCs, joining 28 other signatories supporting the inclusion Oceans in NDCs IISD Reporting Services, through its ENB+ Meeting Coverage, provided web and video coverage from Oceans Action Day. In addition, IISD Reporting Services has published a summary report from this event in HTML and PDF. Photos by IISD/ENB | Herman Njoroge Chege For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Opening Plenary L-R: Biliana Cicin-Sain, President, Global Ocean Forum, and Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action (ROCA) Initiatiave; Inia Seruiratu, Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster Management, Fiji, High-Level Champion for Climate Change Action; Rene Castro Salazar, Assistant Director General of FAO; and Karmenu Vella, European Commission; Ronald Jumeau, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Seychelles to the United Nations   Jochen Flashbarth, State Secretary, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany Arif Havas Oegroseno, Indonesia Matti Nummelin, Finland   Taholo Kami, COP 23 Presidency Secretariat Laura Tuck, World Bank   Julio Cordano, Chile Eric Banel, President, Ocean and Climate Platform   Inia Seruiratu, Fiji, interacts with participants Science and Oceans: IPCC Report and Other Developments L-R: Margareth S. Copertino, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande (FURG); Hans-Otto Pörtner, Alfred Wegener Institute; Suchana Chavanich, Thailand; Carol Turley, Plymouth Marine Laboratory; Françoise Gaill, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique; Vladimir Ryabinin, UNESCO; Lisa Levin, Distinguished Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Phillip Williamson, University of East Anglia; and Jay Manning, International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification. Carol Turley, Plymouth Marine Laboratory Suchana Chavanich, Thailand     Lisa Levin, Distinguished Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography Françoise Gaill, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France Phillip Williamson, University of East Anglia A view of the room during the event Building Climate Resilience for Fisheries and Aquaculture L-R: Manuel Barange, FAO; Oumar Guèye, Senegal, Italy; Sylvie Goyet, Secretariat of the Pacific Community; Gabriella Bianchi, Norwegian Institute of Marine Research; Ernesto Peñas-Lado, European Commission; Angus Garrett, Seafish; and Yogi Yanuar, Indonesia Manuel Barange, FAO Ernesto Peñas-Lado, European Commission   Ocean Energy and Offshore Renewable Energy Technologies as Enablers of Environmental/Economic Development of SIDS L-R: Dolf Gielen, IRENA; Cristelle Pratt, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat; Rémi Gruet, Ocean Energy Europe; Roland Roesch, IRENA; Berend Jan Kleute, Bluerise; and Thomas Siebenbrunner, Swimsol GmbH Dolf Gielen, IRENA Rémi Gruet, Ocean Energy Europe Roland Roesch, IRENA Participants during the event Blue Carbon Dorothée Herr, IUCN, speaks during the Blue Carbon event Dorothée Herr, IUCN Joshua Wycliffe, Fiji   Accessing Financial Resources and Mobilizing Financial Institutions L-R: Karin Kemper, World Bank; Alastair Morrison, Green Climate Fund; Jonathan Taylor, European Investment Bank; Torsten Thiele, Global Ocean Trust; Manuel Barange, FAO; Tiago Pitta e Cunha, Oceano Azul Foundation; Amedi Camara, Mauritania; and Peter Gilmer, Planet:Tech Participants during the event Karin Kemper, World Bank Jonathan Taylor, European Investment Bank   Ecosystem-Based Adaptation in Ocean and Coastal Zones L-R: Inger Andersen, IUCN; Chu Van Chuong, Vietnam; Abdullahi Majeed, Government of Maldives; Jan Szysko, Minister of Environment, Poland; Adérito Santana, Government of São Tomé and Príncipe; Isabel Torres de Noronha, Executive Secretary, Future Ocean Alliance; Kedrick D. Pickering, British Virgin Islands; Arlindo Ceita de Carvalho, Government of São Tomé and Principe; Manuel Barange, FAO; and Peter Ricketts, Acadia University Participants during the event   Chu Van Chuong, Viet Nam   Arlindo Ceita de Carvalho, São Tomé and Principe     Migration and Displacement: Risk Reduction and Preparedness Members of the panel on migration and displacement Closing Plenary L-R: Tommy Remengesau, President, Republic of Palau; Ronald Jumeau, Seychelles; Peter Thomson, Fiji; Biliana Cicin-Sain, Global Ocean Forum; and Manuel Barange, FAO Anote Tong, Former President of Kiribati   Tommy E. Remengesau Jr., President, Republic of Palau Thérèse Coffey, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), UK Oumar Guèye, Senegal     Manuel Barange, FAO João Mira Gomes, Ambassador of Portugal in Berlin   Jay Inslee, Governor, Washington State, US Eva Svedling, Sweden   Atsushi Sunami, President, Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation Philippe Vallette, Director General, World Ocean Network Signing of the “Because the Ocean" declaration Representative from Honduras after signing the “Because the Ocean” declaration Representative from Romania after signing the “Because the Ocean" declaration

The following events were covered by IISD Reporting Services On Thursday, 9 November 2017: Building Resilience for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Vulnerable Islands Hacking Climate Change: The Digital Future of Climate Leadership, Innovation and Impact Nature-Based Solutions for Water and Adaptation to Climate Change Implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in Countries: Progress, Challenges and Perspectives Harnessing Africa’s Emerging Youth Demographic for a Climate Resilient Future Enhancing the Resilience of Forests and Ecosystems to Achieve the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of Latin America Closing Knowledge Gaps to scale up Adaptation: Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative (LAKI) IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the Side (ENBOTS) Meeting Coverage, will provide daily web coverage from selected side events at the UN Climate Change Conference - November 2017. Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada and Herman Njoroge Chege For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Building Resilience for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) in Vulnerable IslandsPresented by Solomon Islands and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) In this side event, panelists explored issues relating to DRR, climate change adaptation and building resilience in small island developing states (SIDS), through sharing experiences between the Solomon Islands and Taiwan. Chien-Te Fan, National Tsing Hua University, moderated the panel. Melchior Mataki, Solomon Islands, noted lack of clear definitions of resilience, DRR and adaptation, saying that stakeholder groups conceptualized them differently. He emphasized the difficulty of separating development issues from climate adaptation and DRR in proving additionality for climate finance. Calling for “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approaches, he said that partnerships and appropriate legislative and policy frameworks are indispensable to building resilience. He underscored the need to separate DRR from disaster management in policymaking, and reported on measures taken in his country and its associated challenges, including competing national priorities and lack of capacity, technology and financial resources. Robert Yie-Zu Hu, ITRI, introduced his organization’s work on technology for renewable energy, energy efficiency and storage, the environment and smart buildings. He outlined Taiwan’s energy targets, including zero nuclear energy by 2030 and 20% renewable energy by 2025, saying that this is “not an easy job.” He explained Taiwan’s development strategies for solar and wind energy and noted innovations in: energy storage, which he said is a solution for variable and unpredictable renewable energy output; air-conditioning systems; and dye sensitized cells, which he said can generate solar energy in very low light. Ming-Dean Cheng, Central Weather Bureau, Taiwan, presented on the Solomon Islands Synergistic Analysis for the Environment (SoSAFE), an early warning system for extreme weather events and earthquakes in the Solomon Islands. He said SoSAFE relies on automatic weather data stations, which collect good quality data despite a significant information gap. He also outlined a project to predict epidemics of dengue fever. Mei-Yu Chang, Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, presenting on disaster response and risk management in her country, outlined an increase in extreme weather events in Taiwan over the last decade, including tropical cyclones, flooding, droughts, landslides and typhoons. She said Taiwan has high exposure and vulnerability to natural disasters due to its concentrated urban population, increasing elderly population and complex geographical factors. Outlining Taiwan’s central emergency response system, she shared examples of its applications that provide flood warnings, produce hazard maps for landslides, communicate information to the public, and evacuate houses during typhoons. L-R: Chien-Te Fan, National Tsing Hua University; Melchior Mataki, the Solomon Islands; Robert Yie-Zu Hu, ITRI; Ming-Dean Cheng, Central Weather Bureau, Taiwan; and Mei-Yu Chang, Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan Robert Yie-Zu Hu, ITRI, spoke about his organization’s experience in international solar energy development. Melchior Mataki, Solomon Islands, shared experiences from his country’s work in building resilience to climate change and DRR. Ming-Dean Cheng, Central Weather Bureau, Taiwan, said the Solomon Islands faces threats from earthquakes, tsunamis, cyclones, and flooding.   Mei-Yu Chang, Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan, highlighted lessons learned from her country’s disaster early warning system.             Contact: Chanel Iroi (Solomon Islands) | c.iroi@met.gov.sb Wen-Cheng Hu (ITRI) | vincenthu@itri.org.tw More Information: https://www.itri.org.tw/ Hacking Climate Change: The Digital Future of Climate Leadership, Innovation and ImpactPresented by Microsoft and the South Pole Group This event, moderated by David Wei, Business for Social Responsibility (BSR), focused on new technological innovations, and the leadership and regulation required to maximize opportunities for growth in the digital and telecommunications sector. Wei said the time has arrived for putting the pledges and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) into implementable strategies that will inspire future enhancement of innovation. Ingo Puhl, South Pole Group, gave the example of horse manure crisis in the 19th century in New York City, which became irrelevant in the 20th century due to transport innovation, to suggest that innovation is driven primarily by technological desirability, such as electric cars and smartphones. Victor Gancel, Climate-KIC, presented the objectives behind city-wide atmospheric monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV) assessments piloted in Paris, Rotterdam and Recife, including to: enable comparability and consistency in greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories; combine bottom-up inventories with GHG concentration measurements; and enable more accurate inventories that are updated more frequently. Leonie Klaas, Telefónica Germany NEXT GmbH, described her organization’s strategies to use anonymous communication data to provide information about modes of transportation and thus calculate specific emission factors for each mode. She said the value of this technology is that it can track GHG emission levels hourly, enables cities to identify “emission hot spots,” and provides comparatively rapid sources of data on air pollution. Jan-Willem van der Veen, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), outlined lessons from the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), including that it should respond with payment in a timely manner and calculate the cost of monitoring appropriately. He lamented that negotiators are often not aware of the smart technologies available and tend to work within a rule-based environment where little space for innovation exists. Michelle Patron, Microsoft, spoke about the potential of new technological innovations to empower people in remote areas to improve their livelihoods and knowledge. She suggested new innovation, paired with human ingenuity, has unlimited potential in the current era of digital transformation to address resource deficiencies and impacts on the planet. Panelists responded to questions from the floor on the role of the private sector and the ethics behind technological innovations, with Patron stressing the need to talk to local communities before making big decisions. L-R: David Wei, BSR; Victor Gancel, Climate-KIC; Michelle Patron, Microsoft; Jan-Willem van der Veen, EBRD; Ingo Puhl, South Pole Group; and Leonie Klaas, Telefónica Germany NEXT GmbH Jan-Willem van der Veen, EBRD, urged accelerating information technology tools that can speed up financial application processes. Michelle Patron, Microsoft, challenged participants to “think beyond their own four walls” and imagine the development possible in the digital transformation era. Moderator David Wei, BSR, stressed the importance of using technology to implement the Paris Agreement. Leonie Klaas, Telefónica Germany NEXT GmbH, emphasized the need for developing technologies that can assist cities to address and take effective action against air pollution and carbon emissions. Ingo Puhl, South Pole Group, called for policies to foster faster adoption of new technologies that address climate challenges. Victor Gancel, Climate-KIC, envisaged development of a global MRV map of emissions in the next decade. Contact: Michelle Lancaster (Microsoft) | milanca@microsoft.com More Information: www.microsoft.com/citizenship www.southpole.com Nature-Based Solutions for Water and Adaptation to Climate ChangePresented by the French Water Partnership (FWP) and the International Network of Basin Organizations (INBO) This session, moderated by Maylis Castaignet, Seine Normandy Partnership, centered on the role of nature-based solutions for water and adaptation to climate change focusing on the interlinkages of water, biodiversity and climate change. Jean Launay, President, French Water Partnership, recalled the UN resolution establishing the ‘International Decade for Action, Water for Sustainable Development 2018-2028’ in support of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG 6) which, inter alia, addresses integrated management of water resources. He noted the strategic importance of 2018, when the Decade will start. In a keynote speech, James Dalton, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), spoke on the work of his organization related to nature-based solutions. He said that for over 70 years, IUCN has been committed to protecting the environment and stressed the human dependency on healthy ecosystems. Dalton noted major transboundary benefits of functional habitats and recalled that water is not mentioned in the Paris Agreement, suggesting COP 23 focus more on this issue. He added that policy frameworks exist but poor communication and institutional weaknesses remain key challenges for mainstreaming solutions on sustainable development. Aurélie Lhume, UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), highlighted the links between the SDGs, water and land protection. She defended multisector approaches to tackle water issues, saying that political reforms to improve water management are urgently needed. Lhume concluded that the water deficit requires political will and larger investments from all countries. On land degradation and drought, she said that the UNCCD is developing new tools to support parties to identify implementation gaps. Tobias Salathé, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, spoke on tools to protect wetlands, saying that they were identified as vulnerable areas in the 1960s. He stressed that, since 1971, the world loses 1% of wetlands yearly, emphasizing the importance of wetlands as carbon sinks and water reservoirs. Jean-Luc François, French Development Agency (AFD), highlighted the economic trajectory of our societies, which has affected nature dangerously, and called for reviewing economic and investment models to reverse the current unsuitable patterns of development. He emphasized the role of development agencies to positively influence more sustainable development patterns. Adama Doulkom, Great Green Wall Initiative for the Sahara and the Sahel (IGMVSS), Burkina Faso, provided the background of his initiative, noting the similarities between the challenges faced by countries suffering from drought. He explained that the exchange of best practices among IGMVSS member countries stimulated regional solutions, noting productivity gains after ecosystems were restored. He called for better synergies in Africa and recommended focusing on better practices regarding tenure security. During concluding remarks, Jean-François Donzier, Executive Secretary, Alliance for Global Water Adaptation (Alliance4Water), called on the audience to “act” and declared that mobilization and implementation of known solutions is the most important response to dangerous nature degradation. He closed the meeting, inviting participants to sign the International Declaration on “Nature-Based Solutions for Water Management Under Climate Change,” to be presented on 10 November at COP 23. In the ensuing debate, participants discussed, inter alia, traditional knowledge and the role of farmers in the promotion of nature-based solutions; methods to share best practices; and links between oceans and climate change. L-R: Maylis Castaignet, Seine Normandy Partnership; Jean Launay, President, FWP; Aurélie Lhume, UNCCD; Jean-Luc François, AFD; and Tobias Salathe, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands James Dalton, IUCN, underscored the need to translate natural solutions into engineering actions. Jean-Luc François, AFD, said nature is a victim of our current development models. Maylis Castaignet, Seine Normandy Partnership, moderated the session. Adama Doulkom, IGMVSS, noted high costs of climate inaction for vulnerable countries. Aurélie Lhume, UNCCD, noted agroforestry and restoration of basins as valuable nature-based solutions. Contact: Edouard Boinet (INBO) | e.boinet@inbo-news.org Solène Fabrèges (FWP) | solene.fabreges@partenariat-francais-eau.fr More Information: www.riob.org www.partenariat-francais-eau.fr Implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in Countries: Progress, Challenges and PerspectivesPresented by Comité Permanent Inter-états de Lutte contre la Sécheresse au Sahel (CILSS); Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF/IFDD), and Union Economique et Monétaire Ouest Africaine (UEMOA) In this side event, panelists explored the implementation of NDCs in francophone Africa subregions. Kamal Djemouai, African Group of Negotiations (AGN), and Stéphane Pouffary, ENERGIES 2050 co-moderated the session. Djemouai, introduced the event and called for realistic action to mitigate climate change for future generations.  Abdallah Boureima, UEMOA, explained the relationship between his organization and ECOWAS in the West African region, including in working towards NDC development and implementation. He highlighted initiatives developed through international cooperation, including: addressing vulnerability in agriculture; controlling erosion; forest management; and energy development. He noted that these target rural individuals, who feel the effects of climate change daily. Djimé Adoum, CILSS, referring to the Paris Agreement as a base for climate action, added that consensus and harmonized views were also necessary. He called for dialogue among experts, particularly on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, and added that finance is necessary to ensure effective action. Urging for better techniques to adapt to climate change, he drew attention to those created by his organization that would be of use to member states in their NDCs, such as a mapping tool to design and plan good land management. Bernard Dubois, IFDD, highlighted the role of his organization in supporting countries within francophone Africa to implement their NDCs. Noting country-specificities, he called for data, financial support and capacity building to address gaps, in order to implement NDCs. He urged for French to become a more widely-used working language in negotiations. During the discussion, panelists engaged in a dialogue on: financial mechanisms necessary to implement NDCs; key actors and actions in long-term strategies; energy alternatives in Africa; the future trajectory of capacity building in francophone West Africa; and how West African countries that already have national action plans can be an example for the others. Hussein Alfa Nafo, Chair of AGN, closed the session, and called for a strategy to synergize experience sharing within West Africa and abroad. Kamal Djemouai, AGN, said “we need to move together and act quickly.” Bernard Dubois, IFDD, said “we can go further in providing capacity building to break down language barriers.” Abdallah Boureima, UEMOA, explained “we must help West African states in the negotiation process to defend the interests of the region.” Stéphane Pouffary, ENERGIES 2050, posed questions to the panelists on financial mechanisms and long-term strategies to NDCs. Audience members lean in to the discussion. Contact: Arona Soumare (IFDD) | arona.soumare@francophonie.org More Information: www.ifdd.francophonie.org Harnessing Africa’s Emerging Youth Demographic for a Climate Resilient FuturePresented by South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) In this side event, panelists explored the role and potential of African youth in addressing climate change. Sylvia Namukasa, Kirinda Youth Environmental Management and Poverty Alleviation Program (KYEMPAPU), Uganda, moderated the panel. Ditebogo Lebea, SAIIA, said that 65% of Africa’s population are children and youth aged 24 or younger, and that by 2030 a third of the global population will be African. She called for greater African youth participation in UNFCCC processes, saying that the COP is making decisions about African youth without them being present, and noted intersections between climate change, education and health in South Africa. Awa Njie, University of the Gambia, noted climate impacts on her country, including adverse effects on subsistence agriculture and biodiversity. She called for increased youth participation in decision-making, noting in particular the need for capacity-building programs to empower the youth, increased funding for Global South youth delegates, and a seat at the table rather than observer status. Maureen Sigauke, Green Active Citizens, called for harnessing the youth demographic to achieve a climate-resilient future for Africa. Sharing her organization’s experiences in participating in the formulation of national climate policy, she said that all governments should bring young people to the table on climate change decision-making. She noted challenges for youth engagement, including the mobility of African youth and the need for climate finance; and called for increased collaboration amongst the youth and fulfilment of climate finance pledges. Katia Mahery Rakotonirina, Maharitra, presented on youth projects in Madagascar, including on plastic bag use, biogas renewable energy, a zero-waste festival, and a climate change conference. She noted barriers such as a lack of youth interest, the need for capacity building, and a lack of coordination between youth groups in different parts of the country. She suggested developing a networking platform for youth in her country. Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, WWF, highlighted the need to include youth in climate solutions, saying that “we are working for the next generation.” He called for: “connecting the dots” between climate change and other environmental and social issues; making the adaptation agenda more relevant; and developing better adaptation indicators. L-R: Awa Njie, University of the Gambia; Ditebogo Lebea, SAIIA; and Sylvia Namukasa, KYEMPAPU, Uganda Sylvia Namukasa, KYEMPAPU, highlighted the benefits of African youth participation in climate action. Participants asked questions during the event Awa Njie, University of the Gambia, Gambia, said African youth "are vital and we serve as a catalyst in combatting climate change.”     Maureen Sigauke, Green Active Citizens, said African youth have the “ideas, drive, and potential” to address climate change. L-R: Katia Mahery Rakotonirina, ONG Maharitra; Maureen Sigauke, Green Active Citizens; Awa Njie, University of the Gambia; Ditebogo Lebea, SAIIA; and Sylvia Namukasa, KYEMPAPU, Uganda Contact: Durrel Halleson (WWF) | dhalleson@wwfcam.org More Information: www.panda.org Enhancing the Resilience of Forests and Ecosystems to Achieve the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of Latin AmericaPresented by EUROCLIMA+, funded by the EU This session, moderated by Roberto Canessa, EUROCLIMA+, focused on the relevance of climate-resilient forests, ecosystems and local communities’ livelihoods in the context of NDC implementation in Latin America. Jolita Butkeviciene, European Commission, noted the cooperation between the EU and Latin America on forests, highlighting European financial support of climate action. She said EUR80 million, with contributions by the French and German governments, are dedicated to support NDCs in Latin America, adding that 16 NDCs in this region include forestry. Martin Kipping, German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), noted the German contribution of EUR2 billion to ongoing forest projects worldwide, highlighting the Amazon basin as the most relevant recipient region. He emphasized the need to merge climate and development policies, and encouraged multi-stakeholder engagement at the country level. María Victoria Chiriboga, Ecuador, emphasized her country’s strategies to tackle deforestation, noting the creation of refined environmental and social safeguards. She called for the integration of mitigation and adaptation measures into one single strategy, lamenting the excess of attention paid to mitigation only. She praised the significant “voices” of Latin American countries within the EUROCLIMA+ decision-making bodies, calling them a model of governance for international cooperation. Andrés Ixim Pop, representing an indigenous organization from Petén, Guatemala, recalled the trajectory of the Maya people, saying the causes of deforestation in his country largely relate to intensive agriculture. He recalled the spiritual values of biodiversity and lamented that asymmetries in power relations continue to promote nature degradation.  Orlando Garner, Honduras, recalled the devastating effects of hurricanes and added that 2015-2016 marked a period of extreme droughts in his country. He noted that this problem caused a six-fold increase in beetles, which destroyed about one-quarter of the country's primary forest cover. He called for investments in youth environmental education to ensure long-term sustainable development strategies. Nicolas Chenet, Expertise France, announced a project of EUR7 million selecting reforestation projects in Latin America under the EUROCLIMA+ programme, including innovation, replicability, inclusiveness, and synergies between local and national policies, as well as local communities’ involvement and co-financing at a rate higher than 20%.   In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed, inter alia, the role of civil society in NDC implementation; financial barriers for reforestation; land rights of indigenous peoples; contradictions between local and national policies; and environmental literacy. L-R: Orlando Garner, Honduras; Nicolas Chenet, Expertise France; Martin Kipping, BMZ; Jolita Butkeviciene, European Commission; María Victoria Chiriboga, Ecuador; and Andrés Ixim Pop, representing an indigenous organization from Petén, Guatemala Roberto Canessa, EUROCLIMA+, moderated the session. María Victoria Chiriboga, Ecuador, explained that deforestation reductions of only 1,49% can already make a difference in terms of greenhouse gas reductions. Orlando Garner, Honduras, recalled the devastating effects of plagues in Honduras’ forests following extreme droughts.   Contact: Roberto Canessa (EUROCLIMA+) | roberto.canessa@euroclima.org More Information: www.euroclima.org   Closing Knowledge Gaps to scale up Adaptation: Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative (LAKI)Presented by UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat and UN Environment In this side event, moderated by Musonda Mumba, UN Environment, panelists discussed using LAKI to close adaptation gaps. Youssef Nassef, UNFCCC Secretariat, introduced the session and the LAKI, which is designed to address knowledge gaps impeding the successful scaling up of adaptation, and is applied at the subregional level. Barney Dickson, UN Environment, noted that his organization, launched its third Adaptation Gap Report on measuring adaptation gaps, which he explained, must be narrowed. In regards to implementing LAKI, he noted good practices, including the partnership between his organization and the UNFCCC Secretariat, working at the subregional level, and engaging with local partners. In terms of areas for improvement, he highlighted a need to catalyze action to fill the gaps, and to address this, he suggested linking LAKI to National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). Bhaskar Singh Karky, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), shared his organization’s experience implementing LAKI in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region. In observing that national data does not always reflect the entire country, he noted that LAKI facilitated the identification of challenges through its subregional approach. He emphasized the need for a multi-stakeholder approach in addressing climate adaptation. Julia Barrott, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), explained that her organization can fill knowledge gaps through capacity building and technical support, including through its tools. She highlighted weADAPT, which is an open global online knowledge sharing platform that supports actionable and peer-to-peer learning. She said that LAKI is a starting point to identify improvements, noting that lack of access to existing tools is the main problem, not lack of capacity. Dhanush Dinesh, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), noted that his organization can add value as a research institute, particularly through cross-cutting research initiatives such as the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security. He explained that it engages with multiple UNFCCC processes, including through supplementing technical guidelines of NAPs and nationally determined contributions (NDCs). He urged addressing gender barriers in accessing climate information. Jason Spensley, Green Climate Fund (GCF), highlighted lessons learned from an NAP development financing initiative led by his organization. He noted good practices from its application process, and called on parties to specify knowledge gaps first in order to develop plans to address them. He underscored that tools and technology are barriers to unlocking adaptation financing. Jian Liu, UN Environment, referred to the World Adaptation Science Programme (PROVIA) led by his organization, which works with the research community to fill knowledge gaps in adaptation, and work for people on the ground and at the policy level. He explained that communication is key, particularly in translating technical information to practitioners and decision-makers. During the ensuing discussion, participants addressed, among others: the potential to use an ecosystem-based rather than a subregional approach, and to focus on climatic hotspots, such as semi-arid lands and river deltas; the role of traditional knowledge in LAKI; capitalizing on existing local capacities; using agriculture extension officers as change agents; specific tools or challenges to disseminate knowledge; the role of social science in adaptation; and how LAKI examines political economy across subregions. L-R: Jian Liu, UN Environment; Dhanush Dinesh, CGIAR; Musonda Mumba, UN Environment; Julia Barrott, SEI; Jason Spensley, GCF; and Bhaskar Singh Karky, ICIMOD Jian Liu, UN Environment, said we need to bridge the science policy interface and make it work for the people. Julia Barrott, SEI, said her organization can fill gaps in adaptation knowledge. Participants used sli.do, an online platform, to pose questions to the panel. Dhanush Dinesh, CGIAR, said there are gender barriers to accessing climate information. Musonda Mumba, UN Environment, encouraged panelists to discuss the opportunities and challenges of closing knowledge gaps in adaptation. Contact: Rojina Manandhar (UNFCCC Secretariat) | rmanandhar@unfccc.int  More Information: www.unfccc.int/2860.php www.web.unep.org/ Around the Venue         About | 6 Nov | 7 Nov | 8 Nov | 9 Nov | 10 Nov | 11 Nov | 13 Nov | 14 Nov | 15 Nov | 16 Nov | 17 Nov The Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the Side (ENBOTS) © enb@iisd.org is a special publication of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). This issue has been written by Suzi Malan, Nicole de Paula, Ph.D., Kelly Sharp, and Natalie Jones. The Digital Editor is Ángeles Estrada. The Editor is Leila Mead leila@iisd.org. The Director of IISD Reporting Services is Langston James “Kimo” Goree VI kimo@iisd.org. The opinions expressed in ENBOTS are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of IISD and funders. Excerpts from ENBOTS may be used in non-commercial publications only with appropriate academic citation. For permission to use this material in commercial publications, contact the Director of IISD Reporting Services at kimo@iisd.org. Electronic versions of issues of ENBOTS from the UN Climate Change Conference 2017, can be found on the IISD Reporting Services website at http://enb.iisd.org/climate/cop23/enbots/. The ENBOTS Team at the the UN Climate Change Conference 2017, can be contacted by e-mail at suzi@iisd.org.

The following events were covered by IISD Reporting Services on Wednesday, 8 November 2017: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in Addressing Marine and Coastal Zone Management in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) Implementation in Small Island Developing States (SIDS): Linking Mitigation and Adaptation Efforts for Sustainable Development Integrated Observations for Mitigation and Adaptation & Practical Support to Parties Climate-related Human Mobility: Connecting the Dots to Implement the Paris Agreement Forests Country Showcase Slow Onset Impacts, Fast Action: Multisectoral Responses to Climate Change Addressing Uncertainties in Estimating GHG Emissions and Removals in the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Uses (AFOLU) Sector to Strengthen Land Management Impacts 5 Years of Experiences Gained from the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM): Lessons Learned and Way Forward IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the Side (ENBOTS) Meeting Coverage, will provide daily web coverage from selected side events at the UN Climate Change Conference - November 2017. Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada and Herman Njoroge Chege For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in Addressing Marine and Coastal Zone Management in the Red Sea and Arabian GulfPresented by the Regional Organization for the Conservation of the Environment of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden (PERSGA) This session, moderated by Ziad Abu Ghararah, Secretary General, PERSGA, showcased national-regional collaborative efforts for applying ecosystem approaches in the implementation of NDCs. Participants considered examples of marine and coastal zone management measures in the region, and highlighted ways through which PERSGA supports its member states in implementing ecosystem-based conservation measures. Ahmed Khalil, PERSGA, explained that his organization focuses on the conservation of the marine environment in the region; and pointed to a recent agreement with the Islamic Development Bank to cooperate on providing support for ecosystem-based management projects.  Islam Taha Mohamed, PERSGA, pointed to various web-based tools, such as an environmental sensitivity database, pollution load and oil trajectory models, and an integrated regional system on fisheries, which enhances knowledge exchange among countries in the Red Sea region.  Axel Michaelowa, Managing Director, Perspectives GmbH, focused on blue carbon to, inter alia, delineate methodological approaches to measuring adaptation benefits, building on indicators of “saved wealth” and “saved health.”  Christian Voolstra, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), outlined activities at KAUST, particularly the Red Sea Research Center on ocean science and the blue economy in Saudi Arabia. He described the Red Sea as KAUST’s “largest laboratory,” characterized by deep, warm water, a lack of fresh water input, nutrient poor and oxygen deficient. He said these extreme conditions make it a “model ocean of the future.” Highlighting the blue economy as the way forward, he outlined key focus areas for KAUST, including conservation and restoration of mangrove, seagrasses and saltmarsh ecosystems. On coral bleaching, he explained that this phenomena is regional in scope, with the northern Red Sea hardly experiencing any bleaching, which provides a window of opportunity to study coral reef resilience.  Daniele Daffonchio, KAUST, discussed KAUST’s work on: the preservation of coastal intertidal ecosystems; ecological connectivity; Red Sea mangroves mapping; Red Sea blue carbon sequestration and stocks; and mangrove microbiomes.  Khaled Abdullah Al-Abdulkader, Saudi Aramco, highlighted his company’s experience in marine environmental protection and research in collaboration with KAUST. He highlighted: a management framework for fisheries resources in the Gulf; mangrove transplantation efforts, which resulted in two million trees being planted; and the Aramco Biodiversity Park, as an example of the company’s engagement in environmental conservation. L-R: Khaled Abdullah Al-Abdulkader, Saudi Aramco; Daniele Daffonchio, KAUST; Christian Voolstra, KAUST; Ziad Abu Ghararah, PERSGA; Ahmed Khalil, PERSGA; Islam Taha Mohamed, PERSGA; and Axel Michaelowa, Perspectives GmbH Christian Voolstra, KAUST, outlined activities at KAUST, particularly the Red Sea Research Center on ocean science and the blue economy in Saudi Arabia. Ziad Abu Ghararah, Secretary General, PERSGA, moderated the session.   Axel Michaelowa, Managing Director, Perspectives GmbH, said the most effective way to harness the potential of blue carbon is to conserve existing mangrove forests and seagrass beds rather than opt for costly restoration measures. Daniele Daffonchio, KAUST, discussed the preservation of coastal resources in the Red Sea. Ahmed Khalil, PERSGA, pointed to the Red Sea’s great richness in marine biodiversity, including corals and marine mammals such as dugongs. Islam Taha Mohamed, PERSGA, illustrated the importance of web-based tools in providing a knowledge base for evidence-based conservation measures. Khaled Abdullah Al-Abdulkader, Saudi Aramco, highlighted his company’s experience in marine environment protection and research in collaboration with KAUST.       Contact: Nathalie Parra | media@ksa-climate.com More Information: https://www.ksa-climate.com/ksa-side-events Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) Implementation in Small Island Developing States (SIDS): Linking Mitigation and Adaptation Efforts for Sustainable DevelopmentPresented by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) This session, moderated by Vera Scholz, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), centered on examples of cross-sectoral cooperation that foster linkages between mitigation and adaptation action on the ground. Participants discussed, inter alia, financial and capacity building needs SIDS, and the need to move to long-term, climate-smart investments. Pointing to the special responsibility of G20 countries to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary, BMUB, praised SIDS for making ambitious mitigation pledges in their NDCs. He further pointed to the long-standing partnership between Germany and SIDS, highlighting cooperation on political approaches such as supporting the 1.5ºC goal, and on technical cooperation such as through the International Climate Initiative Bruce Kijiner, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Marshall Islands, highlighted the good progress his country has made in NDC implementation, especially in relation to increasing solar energy capacity and addressing questions of energy efficiency.  Trevor Thompson, Grenada, emphasized the importance of legislative instruments to open the energy market to competition and foster renewable energy production, and pointed to the momentum created by the reestablishment of the National Climate Change Committee.  Soenke Kreft, Executive Director, Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII), recalled his organization’s mission to find tangible solutions for unavoidable climate change impacts, and highlighted that it successfully brought insurance products to two Caribbean countries, with others being close to approval. Karsten Sach, Germany, described the consultation process that led to the adoption of his country’s Climate Action Plan 2050 and underlined the importance of opening up institutions to stakeholder input in designing decarbonization pathways. Espen Ronneberg, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), emphasized SPREP’s role as a regional organization providing technical support for national measures, including the preparation of national communications and project proposals to the Green Climate Fund and the Adaptation Fund. In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed, inter alia: the potential for regulatory frameworks at the regional level to accelerate and efficiently foster the uptake of climate friendly technology at the national level; the importance of stakeholder inclusion and ownership of solutions by local communities; and the potential of fiscal reforms, especially on fossil fuel subsidies, to achieve transformation.  L-R: Vera Scholz, GIZ; Bruce Kijiner, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Marshall Islands; Karsten Sach, Germany; Soenke Kreft, Executive Director, MCII; Trevor Thompson, Grenada; and Espen Ronneberg, SPREP Soenke Kreft, Executive Director, MCII, pointed to the growing demand for climate risk insurance products and highlighted that a significant number of NDCs mention such schemes. Karsten Sach, Germany, underlined the need for policy coherence across all sectors to achieve a deep transformation. During the discussion, a representative of Green Budget Europe indicated that the United Nations Office for Sustainable Development provides training workshops on fiscal policy reform. Trevor Thompson, Grenada, highlighted the need for capacity building to ensure that local communities have the skills to maintain technologies that have been installed with international support. Vera Scholz, GIZ, and Bruce Kijiner, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Marshall Islands Espen Ronneberg, SPREP, emphasized the need to adapt climate solutions to the small scale of island economies. Contact: Julia Schweigger  (BMUB) | julia.schweigger.extern@bmub.bund.de More Information: www.bmub.bund.de/en/topics/climate-energy/climate/ www.international-climate-initiative.com/en/?iki_lang=en Integrated Observations for Mitigation and Adaptation & Practical Support to PartiesPresented by the Global Climate Observing System (GCOS), the Group on Earth Observation (GEO) and the Remote Sensing Technology Center of Japan (RESTEC) This session, moderated by Stephen Briggs, GCOS Steering Committee, centered on the role of new technology in supporting parties to mitigate and adapt to climate change, including through access to climate observations, data records and information sharing. In his opening remarks, Andrea Tilche, European Commission, explained that GEO is a system improving open access to and interoperability of Earth observations, fulfilling efforts to enhance climate data across the world.  Paul Becker, Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD), discussed the national implementation of GEO and GCOS activities in Germany. He emphasized that these tools can support the implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and highlighted: learning opportunities; improvement of national policies and data sharing; and GEO’s contribution to the Global Forest Observations Initiative.   Jouni Heiskanen, Integrated Carbon Observation System (ICOS), spoke on GHG sinks, natural carbon cycles, and how fossil fuel emissions affect these natural processes. He argued that ICOS enhances data at the regional level, and noted its overarching goal of coordinating observations globally.  Kiyoto Tanabe, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), spoke on the “2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National GHG Inventories.” Focusing on satellite data, he noted efforts of over 200 scientists working on the refinement of the Guidelines with regards to improving verification methods, especially on Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU).  Masanobu Kimura, Japan, spoke on how satellite data can support national climate mitigation planning. He noted that the GHG Observing Satellite (GOSAT) allows higher accuracy in detecting anthropogenic emissions and explained that this tool can assist other parties in reporting progress on NDC implementation under the Paris Agreement transparency framework. Tim Oakley, UK, addressed the GCOS Cooperation Mechanism, which supports parties in mitigating and adapting to climate change. He said that this mechanism responds to the need to provide capacity building and improve expert networks. He referred to training workshops for technicians and activities on telecommunications, giving the example of Chad, which has benefited from the GCOS system since 2017. Simon Eggleston, GCOS, reported on a programme in Fiji resulting from a COP 22 decision, which addresses: upper air measurements; precipitation; increased costs in remote areas; and procurement. Explaining the global importance of upper air observations, he said that the quality of the models predicting meteorological conditions vary drastically. He emphasized ongoing work on sustainable funding, communications, transport, national precipitation observations and training that will be presented at COP 24 by SPREP, the World Meteorological Organization, the Pacific Islands Conservation Initiative and the Pacific Meteorological Council. Barbara Ryan, GEO, emphasized the importance of partnerships to scale up data solutions at the international and national levels. She underscored the need for accessibility of data in all areas: land, oceans and space. She said that increasing capacity in data measurement and measurement frequency are important. She further emphasized the vitality of open data platforms, lamenting that a high number of governments still refuse to share information. During closing remarks, Carolin Richter, GCOS Director, declared that “we are family” to highlight the collaborative work of all presented projects and invited continued financial support to these initiatives.  In the ensuing discussion, participants debated, among other issues: low-cost options for precipitation observations; challenges to replace existing measurement technology with cheaper options; the global benefits of local measurements; adaptation needs of developing countries; and plans for observations in oceans. L-R: Paul Becker, DWD; Jouni Heiskanen, ICOS; Kiyoto Tanabe, IPCC; Masanobu Kimura, Japan; Tim Oakley, UK; and Simon Eggleston, GCOS. Tim Oakley, UK, highlighted the need to invest in adaptation measures to overcome increasing natural disasters in remote areas. Participants during the event Masanobu Kimura, Japan, noted inter-agency use of GOSAT in his country. Simon Eggleston, GCOS, focused on climate observation benefits, particularly in Africa. Stephen Briggs, GCOS Steering Committee, declared “it’s great how much we can achieve when we don’t worry about who gets the credit,” to illustrate the need for continued partnerships. Barbara Ryan, GEO, highlighted international collaboration as the way forward to improve data accessibility and advocated for open data platforms to “close the information gap.” L-R: Carolin Richter, GCOS, and Barbara Ryan, GEO Participants debate, among others, low-cost options for precipitation observations. Contact: Barbara Ryan (GEO) | bryan@geosec.org Carolin Richter (GCOS) | crichter@wmo.int Masatoshi Kamei (RESTEC) | kamei@restec.or.jp More Information: www.public.wmo.int/en/programmes/global-climate-observing-system www.restec.or.jp/en Climate-related Human Mobility: Connecting the Dots to Implement the Paris AgreementPresented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) In this side event, panelists explored the topic of human mobility in climate change sharing lessons learned. Moderator Madeline Garlick, UNHCR, noted the timeliness of the session given that the Task Force on Displacement is underway. Renate Held, IOM, noted the issue of climate-related mobility has increased in prevalence at recent COPs. She underscored the need to focus on programme and project development to address the issue and empower practitioners and policymakers to take action. She urged, in light of complex challenges, support to states to address it coherently, and proposed holding capacity-building sessions at the national level.  Rima Al Azar, Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), shared the experience of a FAO community-driven development project in Nepal, where people most vulnerable to migration, including women, learned agriculture activities. She recommended investment in sustainable agriculture as it addresses root causes of migration, such as poverty and food insecurity. Meredith Byrne, International Labour Organization (ILO), underscored that national development planning and regional discussions would boost resilience and address loss and damage, including through skills development. She added that these measures, along with migration through regular pathways, would help to facilitate decent work.   Ben Schachter, Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), recommended that the Task Force and the international community promote human rights policy coherence throughout the development agenda. He elaborated that parties are obligated to ensure the dignity, safety and human rights of climate migrants. Barbara Bendandi, UN Convention on Combatting Desertification (UNCCD), explained that since September 2017, 3.2 million people have been displaced, half of them by drought. She called on the international community to take responsibility for displacement by addressing the root causes, arguing that land should have a critical role in that. Pradeep Kurukulasuriya, UN Development Programme (UNDP), observed that climate-related mobility was fundamental to his organization’s work, adding that partnerships and accessible finance are necessary to address it. Robert Oakes, UN University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS), underscored the importance of facilitating options when addressing mobility, as this helps to control loss and damage. He argued that forced migration should be minimized and avoided, and in the case of individuals who want to migrate, parties should enable movements to be made with dignity, which can be done by extending adaptive migration. Verona Collantes, UN Women, called for gender equality in addressing human mobility related to climate change. She underscored that women are significantly contributing to climate change solutions and, therefore, should also have a voice in the discussion. Amir H. Delju, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), called for increased climate literacy among vulnerable communities. He added that information on the complex human outcomes of climate change must be transformed and communicated to better manage climate risks. Following the presentations, participants and panelists discussed: definitions and figures of climate migrants; how to identify recipients of capacity-building initiatives; the relationship between climate literacy; and a need for information and mechanisms for policy coherence within the UN system. Ovais Sarmad, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), provided concluding remarks, reiterating the complexity of the topic, and called for scaling up policy coherence within the UN to bring out the human dimension of climate change. Garlick added that “the spotlight is on us to do more in this situation of extreme human need.” L-R: Renate Held, IOM; Robert Oakes, UNU-EHS; Verona Collantes, UN Women; Pradeep Kurukulasuriya, UNDP; and Amir H. Delju, WMO Madeline Garlick, UNHCR, warned that overlooking “protection” in climate change policy could lead to human rights violations. Verona Collantes, UN Women, stated that women and girls are disproportionately impacted by climate change. Renate Held, IOM, said that we need policy coherence on climate-related mobility to maximize action.   Robert Oakes, UNU-EHS, stressed that migration can increase vulnerability and put a strain on resources. Ben Schachter, OHCHR, affirmed that migrants are entitled to human rights. Ovais Sarmad, UNFCCC, argued that the human dimension is being diluted out of the climate change negotiations. Contact: Mariam Traore Chazalnoel (IOM) | mchazanlnoel@iom.int Erica Bower (UNHCR) | bower@unhcr.org  More Information: www.iom.int www.unhcr.org Forests Country ShowcasePresented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) In this side event, panelists explored forest landscape restoration policies, processes and lessons learned in Mexico, Uganda, El Salvador and Burundi. Horst Freiberg, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), Germany, moderated the panel. Fabiola Navarrete, Mexico, spoke about forest management projects in her country. She outlined four elements of the National Forestry Commission’s landscape intervention model: inter-institutional coordination; harmonization of policies among sectors; stakeholder participation; and identification and implementation of actions specifically designed to meet regional needs. Describing a pilot project on payments for environmental services and women in apiculture, she said that it is simultaneously beneficial for ecosystem protection and women’s livelihoods. She described challenges in obtaining buy-in from stakeholders. Jorge Quezada, El Salvador, presenting on his country’s National Landscape and Ecosystem Restoration Program, described its strategic framework as aiming to: control deforestation and forest degradation; restore and conserve forest ecosystems and agroforestry systems; increase tree cover and carbon stocks; and restore degraded soil. He highlighted key success factors, including: high-level political support; good governance including full participation; building strategic alliances; emphasizing local adaptation; and addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation. Alphonse Polisi, Burundi, explaining the forest landscape restoration process in his country, outlined elements, including the National Landscape Restoration Program and a national taskforce for landscape restoration. He said a key priority is to collect data to identify priority areas for forest restoration. Xavier Mugumya, Uganda, explained drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in his country, and said it has agreed to the Bonn Challenge commitment to restore 2.5 million hectares. He described the loss of forest cover in Uganda and outlined criteria for identifying areas that have potential for forest landscape restoration. He mentioned national policy instruments including Vision 2040, national development plans, the National Forestry Plan and the REDD+ Strategy, stating that finance is the most important missing element. During the ensuing discussion, participants addressed, among others: policy tensions between food security and forest landscape conservation and restoration; enabling environments for finance; and mainstreaming the value of restoring ecosystems in developing countries. Fabiola Navarrete, National Forestry Commission, Mexico, highlighted the importance of inter-institutional coordination. Horst Freiburg, BMUB, Germany, said forest landscape restoration could be a “game-changer” for global climate action. Jorge Quezada, Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, El Salvador, described projects on drought monitoring and mangrove restoration. Alphonse Polisi, Director for Environment and Climate Change, Burundi, emphasized his country’s commitment to forest landscape restoration. Contact: Sandra Caya (IUCN) | Sandra.caya@iucn.org More Information: www.iucn.org/forest www.bonnchallenge.org Slow Onset Impacts, Fast Action: Multisectoral Responses to Climate ChangePresented by the German Development Institute (DIE) and the Philippines’ Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) This event, chaired by Renato Redentor Constantino, ICSC, showcased research into slow-onset events and their impacts on vulnerable communities in the Philippines and Ethiopia. Constantino expressed hope that the discourse about slow-onset events would be elevated to the same level of urgency as that of extreme events, and identified ocean acidification, sea-level rise and drought as the most prevalent disasters. Kare Chawicha Debessa, State Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Ethiopia, emphasized the importance of increasing research on slow-onset events, saying extreme events tend to overshadow the extent of damage caused by droughts, ocean acidification and sea-level rise. He reported the impacts of the recent El Niño drought on 10.2 million vulnerable people in his country and stressed the need for developing capacity and understanding to deal with these types of “creeping” emergencies. Denise Matias, DIE, presented the results of a desktop study on slow-onset publications worldwide, and lamented the lack of research in regions most impacted by these events. Distinguishing between different scientific disciplines, she lamented that the social sciences lag behind.   Lourdes Tibig, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment Report Lead Author, lamented the disconnect between policymakers, scientists and communities. She reported on research by three Philippine state universities into the three main sectors most affected on the islands, and emphasized the country’s vulnerability to extreme events, which are exacerbated by slow-onset disasters. Tadesse Tujuba Kenea, German Research Centre for Geosciences (GFZ), highlighted the challenges to, and his recommendations for, addressing slow-onset events. He called for enhanced collaboration and bottom-up policies that consider the condition on the ground. He noted that data poses a challenge, as it is often unavailable, of poor quality and difficult to monitor.  Anne Sperschneider, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, presented on several fellowships offered by her organization, which aim to build trust and understanding. She emphasized that the fellowships try to tackle broader issues, and allow researchers from developing countries to work on climate protection and climate-related resource protection. She concluded that networking amongst fellows helps to promote cross-border protection. During the ensuing discussion, participants addressed, among other things: cooperation between policymakers and researchers; the sources of literature used in the presentations; existing impact models to see the effects of climate change on ecosystems; and the opportunities for partnerships between German climate institutes and universities in the Philippines. On the latter, Sperschneider added that the German Academic Exchange Service offers masters and PhD fellowships related to development for non-Germans. Emmanuel de Guzman, the Philippines, closed the session, calling for evidence-based research and for governments to ensure that policies reflect realities on the ground. He reiterated that collaboration is key, particularly in creating longer-term work plans necessary in addressing slow-onset climate change. Emmanuel de Guzman, the Philippines, commended the speakers for effectively communicating the importance of slow-onset climate events. Lourdes Tibig, IPCC Fifth Assessment Report Lead Author, highlighted the altered pathways of cyclones in the Philippines. Kare Chawicha Debessa, State Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Ethiopia, emphasized the importance of governments’ commitment in addressing disaster impacts. Denise Matias, DIE, cautioned that “policy alone is not enough, and neither is research.” L-R: Anne Sperschneider, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation; Tadesse Tujuba Kenea, GFZ; Denise Matias, GIZ; and Lourdes Tibig, IPCC Fifth Assessment Report Lead Author Contact: Denise Fontanilla (ICSC) | denise@icsc.ngo Denise Matias (DIE) | denise.matias@die-gdi.de More Information: http://www.icsc.ngo/ https://www.die-gdi.de/   Addressing Uncertainties in Estimating GHG Emissions and Removals in the Agriculture, Forestry And Other Land Uses (AFOLU) Sector to Strengthen Land Management ImpactsPresented by Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (CIRAD), Cornell University, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA) and New Zealand In this side event, panelists explored biological methods for carbon removal, including soil carbon storage. Jean-Luc Chotte, IRD, moderated the panel. Marc Sadler, World Bank, noted the need to move away from current agriculture and land-use practices, and emphasized the importance of communicating the co-benefits of soil carbon storage to farmers. He said the challenge is to deliver “viable, reliable and stable” incomes to farmers to encourage them to continue feeding the planet while supporting them to do so in a low-carbon and resilient way. Johannes Lehmann, Cornell University, said that even a small fraction of increase in soil carbon storage would make a large difference to the global carbon budget. He listed various approaches, which need to be combined, including water management, enhanced root phenotypes, cropland management, grazing land management, biochar application, and restoration of degraded land. He highlighted that uncertainty is not variability and that a “management learning” approach is needed when implementing soil carbon projects. Lini Wollenberg, CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), reported on a study assessing measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of emission reductions from livestock in 140 countries. She stated that 85% of the developing countries surveyed were not using MRV practices that could capture mitigation. On barriers to MRV, she highlighted weak links with national data providers and finance for data collection and emissions research. Martial Bernoux, FAO, reported on a study assessing NDCs, stating that 98% of countries included agriculture, and 89% mentioned a relationship between mitigation and agriculture. He called for policies reconciling adaptation, mitigation and agriculture, and noted country priorities for international support, including: research, analysis and data; capacity building; and the mobilization of public and private finance. Özgül Erdemli Mutlu, Turkish Foundation for Combating Soil Erosion, for Reforestation and the Protection of Natural Habitats (TEMA Foundation), underlined the role of NGOs in communicating technical information about soil carbon to policymakers. She highlighted the interconnectedness of the UNCCD and UNFCCC processes, urging to “break down these silos.” She lamented the lack of capacity in analyzing soil data, and suggested setting land degradation neutrality targets. Noting the inclusion of non-state actors in the Paris Agreement, she said it is important to consider local stakeholders. Souleymane Konate, University of Nangui Abrogoua, explained difficulties in analyzing data, noting that in Côte d'Ivoire, sufficient data is collected from farming institutions but difficulties arise at the scientific level. He called for a common methodology for data analysis, stating that “we are credible if we have reliable data.” Pascal Martinez, Global Environment Facility (GEF), outlined his organization’s work, highlighting the diversity in countries and agencies it works with. He emphasized the need to provide concrete and credible environmental data, and reported progress in the development of new tools to do so. He said the GEF is trying to improve data quality in terms of carbon benefits. During the ensuing discussion, participants addressed, among others: capacity building and strengthening partnerships; communicating with farmers; renewable energy and manure management; prospects for scaling-up soil carbon storage; and geoengineering. L-R: Souleymane Konate, University of Nangui Abrogoua; Marc Sadler, World Bank; Lini Wollenberg, CCAFS; Martial Bernoux, FAO; Jean-Luc Chotte, IRD; Özgül Erdemli Mutlu, TEMA Foundation; Pascal Martinez, GEF; and Johannes Lehmann, Cornell University Martial Bernoux, FAO, called for harmonizing data collection tools and methodologies. Özgül Erdemli Mutlu, TEMA Foundation, called for building capacity in soil data analysis. Pascal Martinez, GEF, said that the GEF is “on the eve of a new era”. Marc Sadler, World Bank, said that agriculture is currently an “extractive industry” which needs to change. Souleymane Konate, University of Nangui Abrogoua, said that uncertainty in data is a key issue. Lini Wollenberg, CCAFS, recommended South-South experience sharing on priorities for livestock MRV system development. Contact: Benoit Martimort-Asso (IRD) | benoit.martimort-asso@ird.fr Emmanuel Torquebiau (CIRAD) | emmanuel.torquebiau@cirad.fr Allison Chatrchyan (Cornell University) | amc256@cornell.edu Claire Weill (INRA) | claire.weill@inra.fr Hayden Montgomery (New Zealand) | hayden.montgomery@globalresearchalliance.org More Information: www.ird.fr www.cirad.fr www.cornell.edu www.inra.fr www.globalresearchalliance.org 5 Years of Experiences Gained from the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM): Lessons Learned and Way ForwardPresented by the International Emissions Trading Association (IETA) This session, moderated by Stefano De Clara, IETA, centered on the Japanese Government’s experience with the JCM, including its development, methodologies and credit issuing schemes. Participants debated the relationship between existing markets, the JCM and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement (cooperative approaches). Naoki Torii, Japan, provided an overview of the JCM and experiences gained from its implementation in his country. He said that the Paris Agreement had a significant impact on the JCM, and that more research is needed to explore how to manage the issued credits and the linkages to this global regime. He noted several supporting schemes designed to smooth the process, underscoring that government-to-government consultations help adjust to new rules.  Shinichiro Sano, Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting (MURC), spoke on JCM process and statistics, explaining the procedures and methodologies. He emphasized the importance of transparency through public consultations and a credit registration system to avoid double counting. He also noted that 21 projects had been registered in six countries, and compared time requirements between the JCM and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM).  Kentaro Takahashi, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), spoke on options for accounting related to Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes (ITMOS) under the Paris Agreement. He said that double counting occurs when there appears to be a reduction in overall emissions, but actual emissions remain constant or increase. He called on parties to prioritize this issue.  Simon Henry, the International Carbon Reduction and Offset Alliance (ICROA), explained the role of his organization, which provides codes of best practice to companies. He noted governments’ bilateral approaches in addressing double counting and improving compliance with international agreements.  Jeff Swartz, South Pole Group, highlighted projects developed to provide emitting companies with carbon neutrality and carbon positive goals, in order to enhance their social and environmental co-benefits. He noted Australia as a key market, as the government guarantees the acquisition of carbon credits for 10 years. He said that, in the context of Article 6, JCM has an early mover advantage.  Jos Cozijnsen, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), recalled that Article 6.4 addresses global reductions and said that more models need to be developed in order to improve emission reductions by sector. He suggested opportunities for the JCM to work with REDD+ and noted that single rather than double counting is the major JCM challenge.  In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed, inter alia: the modalities of trading carbon credits between countries; climate finance; and how other countries approach the JCM. On the way forward for the JCM, panelists indicated: increased targets under the JCM by 2030; renewed targets for 2050; and guidelines provided by the rulebook operationalizing the Paris Agreement. L-R: Stefano De Clara, IETA; Jos Cozijnsen, EDF ; Jeff Swartz, South Pole Group; Naoki Torii, Japan; Kentaro Takahashi, IGES; and Simon Henry, ICROA Shinichiro Sano, MURC, noted the JCM methodology is country-specific but that energy efficiency remains the main one in Japan. Kentaro Takahashi, IGES, noted that schemes such as “cap and trade” and “credits” should be designed to reduce overall emissions. Jos Cozijnsen, EDF , said the Japanese were “wise to advance the JCM ahead of all countries.” Naoki Torii, Japan, noted that the “world of the Paris Agreement is completely different from the one of the Kyoto Protocol” and that ensuring environmental integrity is crucial for the success of this global agreement. Contact: Stefano De Clara (IETA) | declara@ieta.org More Information: www.ieta.org

The following events were covered by IISD Reporting Services on Tuesday, 7 November 2017: Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Developments Towards a 1.5 World: Will They Help the Oceans and Small Island Developing States? Building Capacity of Tackling Regional Climate and Sustainable Challenges Climate Change in North Rhein-Westphalia, Germany: Monitoring and Adaptation Strategies The Global Platform for the New York Declaration on Forests and the Bonn Challenge: From Commitments to Action Sustainable Forest Management and Climate Measuring Progress on Climate Adaptation and Resilience: From Concepts to Practical Applications Enhancement Options, Participatory Processes, and Rapid Implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) Guaranteeing Rights and Gender Equality in all Climate Action: Prerequisite for Sustainable and Fair Action IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the Side (ENBOTS) Meeting Coverage, will provide daily web coverage from selected side events at the UN Climate Change Conference - November 2017. Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada and Herman Njoroge Chege For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Developments Towards a 1.5 World: Will They Help the Oceans and Small Island Developing States?Presented by the IEA Greenhouse Gas R&D Programme (IEAGHG), University of Texas at Austin, Bellona Foundation, and Carbon Capture and Storage Association This session, moderated by Tim Dixon, IEAGHG, explored carbon capture and storage (CCS) and its relationship to small island developing states (SIDS). Carol Turley, Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), presented on ocean acidification and the need to reduce CO2 emissions. She explained that CO2 reacts with water to cause ocean acidification, which is highly corrosive to marine life, including reefs and mollusks.  Dixon outlined the London Convention’s response to the impact of CO2 in the atmosphere, including its conclusions on low carbon technology and CCS.  David Alexander, University of Trinidad and Tobago, via Skype, highlighted the devastating impacts of natural disasters on the Caribbean. He noted that Trinidad and Tobago has the second highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per capita globally, but that results from a CCS simulation in a local BP reservoir were promising. Katherine Romanak, University of Texas at Austin, shared her experience studying CCS, stating that offshore CCS has the potential to store gigatons of CO2. She suggested that CCS was advantageous to SIDS, as results from monitoring provide additional findings on the marine environment. Mike Monea, International CCS Knowledge Centre, explained that his organization constructed facilities to capture emissions from power plants and convert CO2 into other products. Geir Lippestad, City of Oslo, Norway, shared his city’s experience with CCS, stating that plans to build a CCS facility at the Klemetsrud waste incineration plant would reduce emissions significantly. He underscored that this effort was critical to reaching the target of zero emissions by 2050. Keith Whiriskey, Bellona, explained that industry contributes a substantial amount of GHG emissions, but that its products are necessary. He posited that CCS is a good alternative to carbon pricing, which hurts industry due to uncertainty.   Clara Heuberger, Imperial College London, stated that CCS power plants are key to supporting upcoming power systems. She added that CCS removes CO2 from the atmosphere and provides ancillary services. Dixon concluded the session, reiterating the negative effects of CO2 on oceans, and stating that CCS is a solution available now. L - R: Carol Turley, PML; Katherine Romanak, University of Texas at Austin; Mike Monea, International CCS Knowledge Centre; Geir Lippestad, City of Oslo, Norway; Keith Whiriskey, Bellona; and Clara Heuberger, Imperial College London Carol Turley, PML, said that “current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)  are not enough to stop ocean acidification,” which causes the dissolution of unprotected shells. Tim Dixon, IEAGHG, stressed that climate change is a “key issue for intergenerational equity.” Katherine Romanak, University of Texas at Austin, declared: “CCS works, and we know how to show that it works.” A participant poses a question to panelists. Mike Monea, International CCS Knowledge Centre, said his organization teaches governments about regulation and policy, which is necessary before beginning CCS projects. Keith Whiriskey, Bellona, said that “we now have a way of stopping CO2 from going into the atmosphere. Clara Heuberger, Imperial College London, said that CCS is the lowest cost solution to decarbonization. Geir Lippestad, City of Oslo, Norway, stated that, if realized, CCS in his country would reduce emissions by 400,000 tonnes a year. Contact: Tim Dixon (IEAGHG) | tim.dixon@ieaghg.org Katherine Romanak (University of Texas at Austin) | katherine.romanak@beg.utexas.edu More Information: www.ieaghg.org Building Capacity of Tackling Regional Climate and Sustainable ChallengesPresented by Belize, the Environmental Quality Protection Foundation (EQPF) and the National Council for Climate Change, Sustainable Development and Public Leadership (NCCSD) This event, moderated by Lennox Gladden, Belize, highlighted multi-stakeholder approaches to implement climate action, looking at case studies from India, Taiwan and Belize on best practices, risks and lessons learned.  Kirit Shelat, NCCSD, underscored the importance of supporting farmers, particularly women and rural youth, to build climate-smart agriculture through, among other things, comprehensive research based on local agricultural practices. He said that to overcome barriers and build bridges for new partnerships, international cooperation and knowledge transfer are needed.  Szu-Chi Kao, EQPF, presented initiatives by his organization on climate change education in Taiwan, including a child author contest, two books, a course on regional climate change and an online climate education platform: the Taiwan Environmental Education Dialogue.  Ho-Ching Lee, National Central University, gave an overview of research activities through the Taiwan Climate Change Adaptation Technology project, and presented a case study on building capacity for adapting to climate hazards focused on self-governed communities in Tanina, Taiwan. She showed a disaster map created by her team for each case study community, including evacuation routes.  Young Ku, CEO, Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy, discussed an approach to measure, report and verify (MRV) GHG emissions. He noted how, historically, data has been poor quality, with gaps and inconsistencies, but since the Paris Agreement, providing reliable data for activities is required. He listed multiple challenges in MRV, including integration across sectors, continuity over time and maintaining innovation, but stressed that tracking progress is critical to achieving the climate goals.  Hsiao-Kang Ma, Taiwan Carbon Capture Storage and Utilization Association, stressed that indicators to measure GHG emission reductions need to be improved. He described the implementation of SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) in Taiwan and Belize, noting their similarities and potential areas for improvement, as well as a partnership to enhance cooperation, expand infrastructure and develop renewable energy technology.  Jayprakash Gosalia, NCCSD, described a case study of a coastal region in Gujarat, India, which has suffered from ocean water intrusion onto land caused by development in the area. He presented a planning and decision matrix to improve the water quality by developing local resources, including rainwater harvesting, and showed that their work has resulted in increased crop productivity and income.  Rajkumar Korde, NCCSD, talked about climate-smart farming in India by showcasing a technique called “zero-till,” which does not require tillage, flooding or transplantation. It leads to, inter alia, soil enrichment and weed control without generating methane and resulting in a 20-25% increase in output. He emphasized that, with approaches such as this one, it is possible to overcome challenges and convert them into an opportunity to “feed the millions around the world.” L-R: Kirit Shelat, NCCSD; Hsiao-Kang Ma, Taiwan Carbon Capture Storage and Utilization Association; Young Ku, CEO, Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy; Jayprakash Gosalia, NCCSD; Rajkumar Korde, NCCSD; Ho-Ching Lee, National Central University; and Szu-Chi Kao, EQPS Lennox Gladden, Belize, highlighted the importance of best practices and research to build capacity to address climate change. Young Ku, CEO, Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy, said that one of the main issues faced in capacity building is MRV of GHG emissions.  Kirit Shelat, NCCSD, noted that India has reduced poverty from 90% to 20% since independence, and is working towards a “minimum level.”   Szu-Chi Kao, EQPS, gave an overview of climate education activities in Taiwan.   Ho-Ching Lee, National Central University, said that her research was focused on co-designing, co-producing and co-delivering adaptation solutions with communities.   Contact: Lennox Gladden (Belize) | coord.cc@environment.gov.bz   More Information: http://nccsdindia.org/ http://www.eqpf.org/en/Site/index.html ` Climate Change in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Germany: Monitoring and Adaptation StrategiesPresented by NRW State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection This session, moderated by Ingo Wolff, NRW State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection, centered on climate adaptation strategies at the local level, which are based on a monitoring programme that records climatic changes in NRW. Participants discussed the opportunities for and challenges faced by this region, focusing on the Climate Impact Monitoring 2016 study.  Antje Kruse, NRW State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection, explained the work of her organization and noted that it is planning to decarbonize its agency by 2030. Nicole Müller, NRW State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection, presented her organization’s monitoring programme. She explained the programme aims to respond early to climate change, noting the need to prepare for natural disasters, which are increasing across Germany.  Niklas Raffalski, NRW State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection, provided a background of the region, which has a population of 18 million people, and has been challenged to deal with heat stress in urban areas. He underscored the goals of the study, including to generate data sets for decision making and to build compensation mechanisms for affected areas. He said that meteorological parameters are set by using a climate simulation model. He noted an output of the study was a classification of the territory into three areas: stress, compensation and cold air corridors.   In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed: inter alia, how authorities received the study; challenges of regional spatial planning in light of climate change threats; how to overcome data gaps and the lack of adaption plans in urban areas; benefits of climate adaption tools for local communities; and threats to the tourism industry. Antje Kruse, NRW State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection, called for concrete indicators and tools to address climate change in cities. Niklas Raffalski, NRW State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection, presented the results of the Climate Impact Monitoring 2016. Ingo Wolff, NRW State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection, invited participants to “actively” engage during the discussions. Nicole Müller, NRW State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection, noted the impacts of climate change on human health. Contact: Ingo Wolff (NRW State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection) | ingo.wolff@lanuv.nrw.de More Information: https://www.lanuv.nrw.de The Global Platform for the New York Declaration on Forests and the Bonn Challenge: From Commitments to ActionPresented by the German Pavilion, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) In this side event, the Global Platform for the New York Declaration on Forests was launched. Panelists discussed: how to make progress on global forest goals; how to support multi-stakeholder cooperation; and the linkages between the New York Declaration, the Bonn Challenge, the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. Till Pistorius, UNIQUE forestry and land use, moderated the panel.  Jochen Flasbarth, Secretary of State, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, describing forest degradation and deforestation as “one of the biggest challenges of our time,” lamented slow progress at both the country and multinational levels. He highlighted Germany’s support in setting up a Secretariat for the Global Platform.  Jamison Ervin, UNDP, said that forests are the most cost-effective climate solution, noting the importance of forests for achieving the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. Outlining the goals of the New York Declaration, she stated these would contribute as much to mitigation as taking all cars off the road. Marie-Noëlle Keijzer, CEO, WeForest, highlighted that her organization has adopted the New York Declaration as its mission, and has developed “innovative and scalable” models to help companies plant trees with 200 corporate partners to date. She announced her organization’s pledge to restore 100,000 hectares by 2030.  Franziska Haupt, Climate Focus, reporting on progress made under the New York Declaration, stated that “we are not on track” to reach the Declaration’s core objectives and called for more finance for forests. Describing the Global Platform as a “timely and critical” initiative, she said it can help facilitate action and foster transparency and exchange between its endorsers. Stewart Maginnis, IUCN, stressed the need for “shovel-ready” solutions, reporting that cost-effective solutions on forests and land use could contribute one third of necessary mitigation by 2030. He reiterated IUCN’s commitment to the Bonn Challenge, highlighting that its first goal of restoring 150 million hectares by 2020 was met three years early.  Anuradha Jayaratne, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, Sri Lanka, reported actions taken by his country, including on: increasing forest cover from 29% to 31% by 2018; restoring 200,000 hectares of forest; and progressing on REDD+ implementation, urban forestry and monitoring. Iván Dario Valencia, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia, presented on progress towards reducing deforestation and enhancing reforestation in his country, noting challenges in the post-conflict context. He reported that Colombia can develop its agricultural sector, particularly palm oil, without adversely affecting forests, and acknowledged the need to demonstrate this with data. During the ensuing discussion, participants addressed, among others: the role of the Global Platform for uniting forest issues through a comprehensive multi-stakeholder approach; the 2020 vision for the Global Platform; challenges regarding coherence of land-use policies; financial support for developing countries; and raising the profile of the Bonn Challenge. In closing remarks, Horst Freiburg, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, highlighted the links between the Bonn Challenge, the New York Declaration, the SDGs and the Paris Agreement, stressing the importance of community-level engagement. He called for a long-term vision for the forest restoration process. Jochen Flasbarth, Secretary of State, Germany, described the Bonn Challenge as the “engine” of the global reforestation movement. Iván Dario Valencia, Colombian Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, described the New York Declaration as a “force for good.” Participants during the event Jamison Ervin, UNDP, announced the launch of the Global Platform for the New York Declaration on Forests. Stewart Maginnis, IUCN, and Anuradha Jayaratne, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, Sri Lanka Till Pistorious, UNIQUE forestry and land, moderated the panel. Anuradha Jayaratne, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, Sri Lanka, noted pilot projects undertaken by his country. Contact: Till Pistorius (UNIQUE) | till.pistorius@unique-landuse.de More Information: https://www.cop23.de/en/delegates/events/side-event-program-at-the-german-pavilion/ Sustainable Forest Management (SFM) and Climate Change: What are the Issues? What Actions? Presented by the Ministry of Agriculture, Agrifood, and Forestry, France The session focused on the role of SFM in climate change, including tradeoffs between carbon stocks in forest and wood products and strategies to increase communication among stakeholders. Session moderator Catherine Rivoal, Ministry of Agriculture, Agrifood, and Forestry, France, highlighted that agriculture and forestry are priority areas for the Paris Agreement. Julie Marsaud, France Nature Environnment (FNE), noted that tradeoffs are complex and policy decisions must be country specific. She underscored that forest management is necessary to reach Paris Agreement targets.  Laura Nikinmaa, European Forest Institute (EFI), spoke about a focus group her organization hosted that brought practitioners and experts together. She called for management strategies that mimic natural forests to address climate change. Jean-François Dhôte, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), underscored that excessive wood in aging forests, combined with additional climate stress, exposed forests to risks. He called for wood to be used rather than safeguarded in forests, as the former would positively contribute to climate change and risk reduction.  Benoît Leguet, Institute for Climate Economics (I4CE), explained that his organization functions as an interface between various sectors to make the Paris Agreement a reality. He underscored addressing climate emissions rather than focusing exclusively on carbon storage.   Salvatore Martire, European State Forest Association (EUSTAFOR), explained that SFM needs were highly varied within Europe. He added that SFM should be done through long-term planning.  Giacomo Grassi, European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), spoke of the tradeoffs between maximizing carbon stocks and uptake. He noted that responses to the tradeoff question will vary depending on policy priorities and encouraged the development of a portfolio of regional strategies. Karin Simonson, Natural Resources Canada (NRCAN), highlighted the context of forests in Canada, which has the third largest amount of forests globally and has seen extensive forest fires in recent years. She said the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change plan has specific action on forests, including the growth of the bio-economy. During the ensuing discussions, participants: questioned how to trade off forestry use and protection; noted that the less disturbed a forest is, the more resilient it becomes; and asked how to ensure communication between stakeholders, including what prevents communication. L-R: Catherine Rivoal, Ministry of Agriculture, Agrifood and Forestry, France; Karin Simonson, NRCAN; Laura Nikinmaa, EFI; Benoît Leguet, I4CE; Julie Marsaud, FNE; Salvatore Martire, EUSTAFOR; Jean-François Dhôte, INRA; and Giacomo Grassi, JRC Laura Nikinmaa, EFI, and Benoît Leguet, I4CE Catherine Rivoal, Ministry of Agriculture, Agrifood, and Forestry, France, asked panelists about tradeoffs. Salvatore Martire, EUSTAFOR, explained that there is no universal way to manage forests across Europe. Benoît Leguet, I4CE; Julie Marsaud, FNE; and Salvatore Martire, EUSTAFOR Contact: Florian Claeys (Ministry of Agriculture, Agrifood, and Forestry, France) | florian.claeys@agriculture.gouv.fr Catherine Rivoal (Ministry of Agriculture, Agrifood, and Forestry, France) | catherine.rivoal@agriculture.gouv.fr More Information: www.agriculture.gouv.fr Measuring Progress on Climate Adaptation and Resilience: From Concepts to Practical ApplicationsPresented by the International Development Research Center George Wamukoya, Kenya, moderated the session, where participants shared experiences on: approaches for measuring progress on climate adaptation and resilience; and challenges and lessons learned from developing frameworks and key indicators to inform metrics on climate adaptation and resilience.  Florin Vladu, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), provided an overview of the status of negotiations on adaptation. He highlighted the global stocktake, which will enable parties to strengthen their actions and submit new domestic climate commitments, as an important element of Paris Agreement implementation. He explained that the focus of negotiations on the stocktake was on procedure and not on the adaptation goal itself, nor on the methodologies to be used. Noting that the stocktake process would be based on submissions from Parties, he said that it would be difficult to aggregate data in a way that makes sense, noting the need for flexible methodologies. Edith Ofwona Adera, IDRC, elaborated on the state of the art in measuring adaptation. Highlighting challenges, she noted a lack of consensus on definition, context specificity of adaptation, and long timelines. She observed that adaptation is a process, so a baseline may appear to be a moving target, adding that it is difficult to measure avoided losses due to adaptation, particularly when they are partial. On empirical challenges, Adera discussed issues concerning comparability and aggregation of data. Adera outlined a proposed framework for measuring the effectiveness of adaptation which considers context, defines priorities, consists of tangible goals and targets, and looks at whether adaptation is occurring or not, overcoming the traditional hurdle of comparability. Anh Do, Viet Nam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change, presented a case study from Hau Giang Province on indicators for effectively monitoring climate change adaptation. He highlighted constraints including lack of knowledge as well as financial and technological limitations, emphasizing the need to keep things simple to make it easier to collect data. Nik Steinberg, Four Twenty Seven, US, discussed how to downscale adaptation indicators, emphasizing that they are only as good as the outcomes they inform, and that “one size does not fit all approaches.” He advocated for a holistic approach, which takes the local context into consideration. On lessons learned, Steinberg noted that transparency is always key and that it is important to be clear about the limitations of methodologies and indicators. He concluded by emphasizing the need for participatory research, measuring inequities and minding the data gaps. Lea Ford, University of Leeds, UK, presented on scaling up indicators, noting that the problem was not the absence of indicators but determining which ones we want to use, adding that indicators need to reflect change, and most do not. She described concepts such as effectiveness and adequacy as “messy,” suggesting that indicators should be based on alignment with targets, where countries define what they want to do and then align targets with vulnerabilities and resources. Anne Olhoff, UNEP, introduced the third UNEP Adaptation Gap Report, emphasizing that adaptation is undefined, broad and difficult to measure. During the ensuing discussion participants addressed issues including: adaptation indicators within the SDG framework; development of baselines and references for adaptation; data source conflicts; and meaningful indicators. Florin Vladu, UNFCCC, explained that the global stocktake will be conducted in a comprehensive manner, be facilitative and inform parties when submitting their next NDCs.   On measuring adaptation, Edith Ofwona Adera, IDRC, called for considering the intended goal and whether progress is being made efficiently.   Anh Do, Viet Nam Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change, explained how indicators provide information on progress and identify gaps and challenges.       Participants clap during the event Contact: Daniel Goldberg, IDRC | dgoldberg@idrc.ca More Information: https://www.idrc.ca/en/idrc-cop23  Enhancement Options, Participatory Processes, and Rapid Implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)Presented by Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (FARN), ClimateWorks Foundation and the World Resources Institute (WRI) This session, moderated by Enrique Maurtua Konstantinidis, FARN, centered around country experiences and expert views on achieving enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) using various tools and methods. Bruce Kijiner, Marshall Islands, stated that his country is “walking the talk” on NDC implementation. He added that the Marshall Islands was the first small island developing state (SIDS) to establish an NDC and urged all countries to raise their ambition in fighting climate change. He noted an improvement in resilience in the Pacific, which will enable the achievement of the 2020 targets, but recalled remaining challenges, citing inadequate financing and donor coordination. He concluded that both challenges could be overcome through the completion of a 2050 Strategy. Taryn Fransen, WRI, discussed a publication on NDCs enhanced ambition launched by her organization during this side event. She recalled Article 4 of the Paris Agreement, requiring the communication of NDCs every five years, arguing that it is a vital element of this regime. She noted the Facilitative Dialogue in 2018 and the COP decisions on NDCs’ updates, outlining many reasons to enhance climate ambitions, including: to avoid more drastic events in the future; to close the emissions gap; cost-effectiveness; opportunities for economic decoupling; and improved communication that can enable faster decarbonization. She concluded that enhanced NDCs will send the right signal to the private sector. Casey Cronin, ClimateWorks Foundation, discussed lessons learned from case studies, providing examples including India’s renewable targets and opportunities to enhance ambition in 2020, and China’s projection on capacity addition in wind power. He noted collaboration with Climate Action Tracker and underscored that the methodology used is being tested in other G20 countries. The second part of the event shared lessons from selected countries on NDC building. Ayman Cherkaoui, Morocco, described his country’s experience with NDC review, noting that his country, in hosting COP 22, inspired royal support for climate action. He emphasized the importance of social ownership through national consultations during the process of crafting a NDC. Karsten Sach, Germany, argued that NDC enhancement requires operationalization, translation to the private sector, and coordination with the whole society. He noted that, the German government is trying to put all strategic planning under the NDC guidelines. He highlighted success in the electricity sector and the importance of linking climate strategies with the sustainable development goals.  Julio Cordano, Chile, spoke on transformations of the methods used in building the Chilean NDC. He explained that although it was built under certain economic assumptions, such conditions had changed over the two years affecting the final expected outcomes. In conclusion, he cited the rise of solar energy accessibility and the high potential for wind power as positive changes in the Chilean economy. Debasu Bayleyegn, Ethiopia, spoke on the changes occurring within the NDC process, highlighting political and economic examples. He noted that Ethiopia is one of the few countries part of the Climate Tracker project, signaling its ambition and claimed that more attention is being paid to climate adaptation gains. Lucas di Pietro Paolo, Argentina, spoke on the benefits of NDC enhancement and highlighted his country’s high-level commitment to climate change at COP 21 in Paris, which inspired institutional changes that facilitated climate action in his country. On opportunities for NDC improvement, he noted that Argentina’s presidency of the G20 Group is building momentum for greater ambition. In the ensuing discussion, participants discussed, inter alia, the existence of modeling examining GHG increase over 20 years; the need to study short lived climate pollutants and carbon linkages within different sectors; how to judge the success of NDCs; sub-national carbon trading schemes; and the importance of including climate adaptation when formulating NDCs. Taryn Fransen, WRI, underscored the opportunity for countries to close their emission gaps and described the advantages of strengthened adaptation strategies within NDCs. Ayman Cherkaoui, Morocco, stated that Morocco’s national strategy is holistic, adding that NDC implementation must be part of a longer term strategy. L-R: Enrique Maurtua Konstantinidis, FARN; Bruce Kijiner, Marshall Islands; Taryn Fransen, WRI; Casey Cronin, ClimateWorks Foundation; Karsten Sach, Germany; Ayman Cherkaoui, Morocco; Julio Cordano, Chile; and Lucas di Pietro Paolo, Argentina Enrique Maurtua Konstantinidis, FARN, highlighted the need to raise the ambition of all NDCs. Julio Cordano, Chile, emphasized the importance of replacing fossil fuels with renewable energy. Contact: Casey Cronin (ClimateWorks Foundation) | casey.cronin@climateworks.org Enrique Maurtua Konstantinidis (FARN) | casey.cronin@climateworks.org Taryn Fransen (WRI) | tfransen@wri.org More Information: www.farn.org.ar www.climateworks.org www.wri.org Guaranteeing Rights and Gender Equality in all Climate Action: Prerequisite for Sustainable and Fair ActionPresented by CARE International (CI), Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and Women’s Environment and Development Organization (WEDO) In this side event panelists explored how to accelerate action on climate change in the context of gender and human rights. Fanny Petitbon, CARE, moderated the panel. Noelene Nabulivou, DIVA For Equality, outlined expectations for COP 23 and noted the gap between rhetoric and reality on gender and climate. She emphasized the complicated geopolitical context of the Pacific small island states (SIDS), including epidemic levels of violence against women and girls. She called for limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 °C, addressing loss and damage, and supporting frontline and vulnerable communities. Sébastien Duyck, CIEL, emphasized the importance of integrating human rights, women and gender, indigenous rights, and a just transition in the implementation guidelines. Noting that technical work must remain guided by the principles outlined in the preamble of the Paris Agreement, he highlighted that implementation must be linked with other international instruments containing human rights and gender obligations.  Bridget Burns, WEDO, outlined progress on integrating gender in UNFCCC processes, and on the status of the Gender and Climate Action Plan. She called for a step-change in implementing gender-responsive climate policy; increased availability of sex and gender disaggregated data and analysis; gender balance in the UNFCCC; gender-responsive climate finance; and finance for the Gender Action Plan. Vitumbiko Chinoko, CARE, highlighting the need for progress on agriculture, said that it cannot be discussed separately from food security and hunger. He called for a COP decision to advance discussions on agriculture, and to create a joint work programme for agriculture, food security and ending hunger, emphasizing that climate action must not undermine the latter two. Lydia Essuah, Ghana, outlined Ghana’s institutional frameworks and government interventions for guaranteeing human rights and gender equality, including: the Adaptation Fund Project, which empowers women through livelihood interventions and access to finance, and the Sustainable Land and Water Management Project. She highlighted the challenge of implementation at the national level to “advance the cause of the ordinary woman.” Petitbon invited party representatives in the audience to make short statements on their countries’ actions on gender and climate change. Delegates from Luxembourg and Ecuador outlined steps their countries have taken.   L-R: Noelene Nabulivou, Diverse Actions and Voices (DIVA) For Equality; Vitumbiko Chinoko, CARE; Sébastien Duyck, CIEL; and Bridget Burns, WEDO Noelene Nabulivou, DIVA For Equality, said “we are living the effects of loss and damage every day – it hasn’t been theory for us for a long time.”   Fanny Petitbon, CARE, emphasized that climate action is urgent “but not at any cost.”   Participants contributing to the discussion Participants contributing to the discussion Vitumbiko Chinoko, CARE and Sébastien Duyck, CIEL Bridget Burns, WEDO, said that all 64 NDCs which referenced women or gender, were from developing countries Contact: Sven Harmeling (CI) | sharmeling@careclimatechange.org Sébastien Duyck (CIEL) | sduyck@ciel.org Bridget Burns (WEDO) | bridget@wedo.org More Information: www.careclimatechange.org www.wedo.org www.ciel.org Around the Venue    

The following events were covered by IISD Reporting Services on Monday, 6 November 2017: Together for Climate Solutions, Opening of the German Pavilion Opening of the Talanoa Space: United for Climate Action Pacific Islands Inspiring Leadership in Renewable Energy Climate Action Network: Yardsticks for Success at COP 23 The Global Implications of a Rapidly-changing Arctic Implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement Catalysing Climate Action, Realizing the SDGs: Science, Interconnections and Implementation Role of Women as Guardians of the Ocean at the Frontlines of the Climate-Development-Nature Nexus European Climate Policy After Paris IISD Reporting Services, through its Earth Negotiations Bulletin on the Side (ENBOTS) Meeting Coverage, will provide daily web coverage from selected side events at the UN Climate Change Conference 2017. Photos by IISD/ENB | Ángeles Estrada and Herman Njoroge Chege For photo reprint permissions, please follow instructions at our Attribution Regulations for Meeting Photo Usage Page. Together for Climate Solutions, Opening of the German PavilionPresented by the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) This event, moderated by Michael Schroeren, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, was convened to open the German Pavilion at COP 23, and to outline Germany’s commitments on climate action.  Barbara Hendricks, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, explained that the Pavilion would provide an opportunity for Germany to present its national climate actions and priorities, including on adaptation and oceans. She described the Fijian COP Presidency as an opportunity to draw attention to the impacts of climate change on small island developing states (SIDS), and pointed to the Talanoa Space, setup in conjunction with Fiji, to provide non-state actors a platform at COP 23 to celebrate their diversity, showcase activities and encourage exchange.  Hendricks stressed that the Paris Agreement would not be renegotiated, and that the focus in Bonn should be on developing guidelines for implementation to ensure mitigation goals are increasingly ambitious. She emphasized the need for transparent, comprehensive and comparable Nationally Determined Contributions, and for measuring progress towards goals, emphasizing that the Talanoa Dialogue would help to close the action gap. Gerd Müller, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany, highlighted German funding for global projects, which in terms of emission reductions, is equivalent to 25% of Germany’s total emissions, or offsetting the equivalent of 100 coal-fired power plants. He announced that Germany would invest an additional €1 billion to fund global mitigation and adaptation action. Highlighting climate protection as an opportunity for both development and investment, Müller emphasized the vital role that German clean technologies play in global climate action. He concluded by outlining Germany’s strategy to become carbon neutral by 2020, stressing that they “are not just talking but acting. ”  The ensuing discussion focused on: ministerial expectations for COP 23; the impact of the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement; the allocation of Germany’s €1 billion contribution; and Germany’s mitigation commitments and achievements. (L-R): Petra Diroll, Spokesperson for Minister Müller; Gerd Müller, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany; Barbara Hendricks, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany; and Michael Schroeren, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany Barbara Hendricks, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, stressed the importance of moving from words to action, and said this COP offers a space to foster implementation. Michael Schroeren, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany Gerd Müller, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany, said that climate action is a central issue for the survival of humanity, and we only have “one planet, one world and one climate.” Participants during the event Participants interact with the panel during the event Participants follow the event's proceedings Gerd Müller, Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany, fields questions from a journalist after the event.   Contact: Michael Schroeren (moderator) | presse@bmub.bund.de More Information: http://cop23.de/ Opening of the Talanoa Space: United for Climate ActionPresented by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) Helena Humphrey, Deutsche Welle, moderated the opening of the Talanoa Space, jointly set up by the governments of Germany and Fiji to enable non-state actors to showcase their activities and learn from each other. Inia Seruiratu, Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development, and National Disaster Management and High-Level Climate Champion, Fiji, underscored the objective of the Talanoa Space to facilitate open discussions to enable different actors to express themselves and forge relationships. He pledged to “feed ideas” emerging from the Talanoa Space into the negotiations, and called for COP 23 to move further and faster.  Friedrich Kitschelt, State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany, emphasized that while governments must provide the framework for ambitious climate action, implementation also lies with civil society, business, and cities and local actors. Turning to the risks faced by environmental activists, he underscored Germany’s support to civil society actors.   Lorna Eden, Assistant Minister for Local Government, Housing and Environment, Fiji, observed that despite countries and communities around the world facing a unique set of climate-related challenges, solutions developed in one country could be useful for other countries. Barbara Hendricks, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, highlighted climate action not only as an issue for national governments but for society as a whole, calling for critical and constructive engagement with policy makers.  During the ensuing panel discussions, Anote Tong, former President of Kiribati, addressed the fate of island states and, echoing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, questioned whether we are “leaving anyone behind.” Christiane Averbeck, Executive Director, Climate Alliance Germany, pointed to the coalition talks in Berlin, challenging the new government to achieve the German climate targets. Responding to a question on phasing-out coal, Hendricks emphasized the need to bring everyone on board during this transition and to prevent climate action from becoming “an elite project.” Holger Lösch, Deputy Director General, Federation of German Industries, underscored the need for a coherent agenda to implement climate action, emphasizing the need to take risks into account. Ashok-Alexander Sridharan, Mayor of Bonn, described the city’s approach to citizen engagement, climate education and cooperation with cities in the Global South. Kitschelt outlined his ministry’s track record on climate finance, highlighting an additional €1.4 billion specifically for the Adaptation Fund and projects in small island developing states (SIDS). Bernd Bornhorst, Chairman, Association of German Development and Humanitarian Aid NGOs (VENRO), pointed to challenges related to decarbonizing the agricultural sector. Krishneil Narayan, Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (CAN), emphasized the need to translate the Paris Agreement into action on the ground. (L-R): Barbara Hendricks, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany; Christiane Averbeck, Executive Director, Climate Alliance Germany; Helena Humphrey, Deutsche Welle; Inia Seruiratu, Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development, and National Disaster Management and High Level Climate Champion, Fiji; Holger Lösch, Deputy Director General, Federation of German Industries; and Anote Tong, former President of Kiribati Barbara Hendricks, Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany, emphasized the value of COPs, not just for advancing the negotiations but also for providing a space for the vibrant exchange of ideas. Inia Seruiratu, Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development, and National Disaster Management and High Level Climate Champion, Fiji, stressed that the Talanoa Space is a great symbol for the partnership and friendship between the governments of Fiji and Germany. Friedrich Kitschelt, State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany, lamented the US decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement and called upon the country’s responsibility to tackle climate change. Lorna Eden, Assistant Minister for Local Government, Housing and Environment, Fiji, said that if we want to foster a grand coalition for climate action we must learn to truly understand each other. Participants clap during the event (L-R): Krishneil Narayan, Pacific Islands CAN; Ashok-Alexander Sridharan, Mayor of Bonn; Helena Humphrey, Deutsche Welle; Friedrich Kitschelt, State Secretary, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany; Lorna Eden, Assistant Minister for Local Government, Housing and Environment, Fiji; and Bernd Bornhorst, VENRO Krishneil Narayan, Pacific Islands CAN, asked how much implementation progress has been achieved in the two years since the Paris meeting. Anote Tong, former President of Kiribati, recalled that while great progress has been made since Cancún, the needs of island states have yet to be truly addressed. Christiane Averbeck, Executive Director, Climate Alliance Germany, challenged the German government to live up to its ambition of being a climate leader. Holger Lösch, Deputy Director General, Federation of German Industries, cautioned that “it doesn’t help to want something badly without knowing how to achieve it,” referring to the need for a coherent long-term agenda. Contact:  Pieter Pauw (German Federal Ministry for Economic Development and Cooperation) | pieter.pauw@bmz.bund.de More Information: https://www.cop23.de/en/delegates/talanoa-space/ Pacific Islands Inspiring Leadership in Renewable Energy Presented by Solar Head of State (SHOS) and the Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF) This event, moderated by James Ellsmoor, Director, SHOS, included speeches from high-level representatives from SIDS, a panel discussion of innovative renewable energy projects in Pacific SIDS, and the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Tonga, SHOS and PIDF.  Ellsmoor opened the event by emphasizing that its objective is to showcase the innovation and leadership taking place in SIDS on new renewable energy technologies.  Paula Faiva, Tokelau, highlighted Tokelau’s achievements through the Tokelau Renewable Energy Project (TREP), which has enabled the island to become the first nation in the world to source 100% of its electricity supply from renewable energy. She noted that the Tokelau case has been instrumental to demonstrate that solar power is a “no regrets, climate and economic resilient pathway.” She concluded by noting Tokelau’s energy goal to generate 100% of energy used by all sectors from renewable sources. Paula Ma’u, Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC), Tonga, noted that progress towards their national target of 50% of energy generation from renewables by 2020 was currently only at 11. He noted the commission of a new two-megawatt solar farm, and concluded by recounting the launch of the Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in Tonga.  François Martel, Secretary General, PIDF, indicated that PIDF has been tasked by Pacific leaders to support a “paradigm shift” to a low carbon future, green growth and the blue economy. He gave an overview of the PIDF’s partnership with SHOS, noting their goal to engage leaders from around the Pacific to continue on the 1.5°C path and implement the Paris Agreement.  Ngedikes Olai Uludong, Permanent Representative to the UN, Palau, noted that Palau’s NDC focuses on renewable energy and energy efficiency, with a commitment to source 45% of energy from renewable sources by 2025. She gave an overview of the activities on energy that have occurred in Palau since 2015, emphasizing this year’s Energy Summit, which defined what an NDC means for Palau, and assessed the ability of the grid to accommodate shifts in energy generation.  Ida Talagi Hekesi, Chamber Executive Committee, Niue, delineated her country’s journey towards increasing the share of renewables in the island’s energy production and pointed to the fact that in Niue, the energy legislation is outdated and needs revising to accompany the transition to renewables. She further emphasized the need for countries to not only share their success stories, but to also talk about the challenges they encounter so that others can learn from those experiences.  Mokshanand Sunil Dowarkasing, Greenpeace International, recalled that since 1992, SIDS have been recognized by the UN as a special group of developing countries due to the unique challenges they face, especially with regards to climate change. He further emphasized that the transition to renewable energy in SIDS is not just a matter of energy transition but of system change and economic restructuring. Key for successfully implementing this transition, he said, is raising awareness and achieving ownership of the renewable energy projects by local communities and fostering the engagement of local entrepreneurs in this new pillar of the economy. Dani Robertson, ClimateWorks Australia, described her organization’s work on devising “whole economy approaches” to decarbonization and highlighted that they successfully advised a number of Australian states and territories in developing net-zero plans for 2050.   The ensuing discussion addressed: the role of the private sector in facilitating the transition to renewable energy; challenges in moving from centralized to decentralized grid systems; and participatory approaches to revising legislative tools. (L-R): Dani Robertson, ClimateWorks Australia; Mokshanand Sunil Dowarkasing, Greenpeace International; Ida Talagi Hekesi, Chamber Executive Committee, Niue; Ngedikes Olai Uludong, Permanent Representative to the UN, Palau; Paula Ma’u, MEIDECC, Tonga; and François Martel, Secretary General, PIDF Ngedikes Olai Uludong, Permanent Representative to the UN, Palau, said that her country has developed an action plan to evaluate progress towards the target of generating 45% of energy from renewable sources by 2025. James Ellsmoor, SHOS, highlighted the initiative to install solar panels by the monarch of Tonga, noting its importance for the country and its expanding solar panel initiatives. Paula Faiva, Tokelau, said that Tokelau is the number one region in the world in reducing per-person greenhouse gas emissions. Paula Faiva, Tokelau, said that Tokelau is the number one nation in the world in reducing per-person greenhouse gas emissions.  Mokshanand Sunil Dowarkasing, Greenpeace International, addressed polluters around the world: “small islands without capacity are walking the talk, so what are you waiting for?” Ida Talagi Hekesi, Chamber Executive Committee, Niue, highlighted that successes and failures go hand in hand and events like this one provide a good opportunity to share lessons learned. Dani Robertson, ClimateWorks Australia, reported that an increasing number of Australian states and territories are pledging to achieve net-zero emissions by mid-century. François Martel, Secretary-General, PIDF, noted that the PIDF plays a important role in shaping renewable energy in the Pacific region and the globe’s energy future. Yardsticks for Success at COP 23Presented by Climate Action Network (CAN), China Association for NGO Cooperation (CANGO) and Asociación La Ruta del Clima In this side event, panelists explored various yardsticks for success in COP 23, including on, inter alia, identifying concrete steps for the implementation of guidelines, and ensuring effective participatory processes and commitment to stay below 1.5ºC. Lina Dabbagh, CAN, moderated the panel. Eliza Northrop, World Resources Institute (WRI), introduced the Talanoa Dialogue and remarked that it is critical to establishing a virtuous cycle of ambition. She emphasized that the Dialogue must be forward thinking and inclusive, and ideally avoid negotiation. In speaking about the progress on its modalities, she called on negotiators to be clear and comprehensive. Lucile Dufour, CAN France, underscored the important role of climate finance in the UNFCCC process, noting that it enhances solidarity, unlocks ambition, and would signal developed country commitment to the 2020 targets. She added that special attention needs to be paid to loss and damage finance. Jenny Jiva, Pacific Islands CAN, drew attention to the natural disasters that her country, Fiji, had experienced recently. She noted an increased sense of urgency, and called on the Talanoa Dialogue to establish actions that ensure a safe, just and sustainable future. Jenny Jiva, Pacific Islands CAN, drew attention to the natural disasters that her country, Fiji, had experienced recently. She noted an increased sense of urgency, and called on the Talanoa Dialogue to establish actions that ensure a safe, just and sustainable future. Yongsong Chen, Green Education Center, China, called for increased green education in order to reach the Paris Agreement goals. He stated that green education provides people with the knowledge and skills to take action, and called on the UN to translate conventions into simple teaching materials. Adrian Martinez, Asociacíon la Ruta del Clima, highlighted the need for civil society participation in negotiations in order to increase transparency. He called for more ambitious public participation, including critically analyzing what participation means. Following statements by the panelists, moderator Dabbagh invited ambassadors from countries that have hosted COPs to provide comments. Deo Saran, Fijian Ambassador to Belgium, underscored his country’s goal to empower marginalized people, including through a gender action plan.  Aziz Mekouar, Ambassador for Multilateral Negotiations, Morocco, highlighted the need for private finance.  Brigitte Collet, Ambassador for Climate Change Negotiations, Renewable Energy and Climate Risk Prevention, France, reiterated the importance of engagement with civil society.  In the ensuing discussion, participants asked questions about using participation to build empathy and about opportunities for open dialogue during the COP. (L-R): Lina Dabbagh, CAN; Jenny Jiva, Pacific Islands CAN; Eliza Northrop, WRI; Lucile Dufour, CAN France; Yongsong Chen, Green Education Center, China; and Adrian Martinez, Asociación La Ruta del Clima Lina Dabbagh, CAN, stressed that “this is not just another COP; this COP must deliver. Observing that although the Pacific is responsible for “negligible emissions,” Jenny Jiva, Pacific Islands CAN, said that she had seen the effects of climate change first hand, including living through a Category five cyclone in Fiji. Eliza Northrop, WRI, stressed that the Talanoa Dialogue is part of a process, not a singular moment.   Yongsong Chen, Green Education Center, China, called for support for green education at all levels. Ambassadors and participants listen to the panelists outline the measures of success they can expect at COP 23. The Global Implications of a Rapidly-changing ArcticPresented by the Arctic Council (AC), the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP), and Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF). This side event, moderated by Morten Skovgaard Olsen, Denmark, explored recent scientific developments on Arctic climate change and its global impacts. René Söderman, Senior Arctic Official for the Government of Finland, reported on changes in Arctic temperatures, sea ice, land ice and permafrost. He stated that these changes are affecting weather in the mid-latitudes and expressed hope that Arctic states can display full, early and ambitious implementation of the Paris Agreement. Noting that no state will be immune to climate impacts, he said that Arctic warming will accelerate climate change globally.  David Barber, University of Manitoba, spoke about Arctic sea ice, highlighting that it provides a good indication of the overall climate system. He reported on the Arctic “amplification” of global temperature changes and, noting changes in summer and winter ice covers, ice mobility and ice quality, suggested that the Arctic would be ice-free within the next 15 to 20 years while the risks of these rapid changes remain little understood.  Pettari Taalas, World Meteorological Organization (WMO), presented data on changes in atmospheric temperature, ocean acidification, sea ice and precipitation in the Arctic. He elaborated on the role of the WMO regarding weather, climate and oceans observation, noting the need to enhance observation systems at high latitudes. He stated that, to date, thermal expansion has been the largest contributing factor to sea level rise, followed by glacial and Greenland ice sheet melt, though Arctic sea ice melt is also a large factor. Paul Wassman, University of Tromsø, discussed Arctic sea ice and adaptation. He noted the need for more research into the seasonal ice zone and described ‘four apocalyptic riders,’ which affect sea ice cover: warming, ice, light and freshening. He emphasized the effects of more Arctic open water on weather variability and emphasized the need for pan-Arctic comprehension and multi-disciplinary, coordinated system-ecological investigations throughout the seasonal ice zone. He listed essential adaptation measures, including on fisheries and marine protected areas. Monica Tennberg, University of Lapland, noted the unique demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the Barents region, calling for increased adaptive capacity and developing processes, as well as structures for adaptive governance. Reporting on local government programmes for adaptation planning, she said that, although awareness exists regarding the need to adapt, the plans need to be implemented.  Jason Box, Geological Survey of Greenland and Denmark, spoke about Arctic contributions to sea level change. Highlighting that, even when taking the Paris Agreement into account, Arctic temperatures will still rise by 7°C, he emphasized the need to consider strategies to achieve the Paris Agreement more rapidly in order to “buy time” for the Arctic. He noted difficulties in sea level rise modeling and stated that current predictions are probably underestimated. He emphasized that sea level rise is not uniform globally, as it affects tropical regions more than the Arctic due to changes in the Earth’s center of gravity.  Okalik Eegeesiak, Inuit Circumpolar Council, stated that Inuit must be “front and center” to climate action, based on their sovereignty, knowledge and rights. Noting the Indigenous Peoples’ Platform, she highlighted the opportunity for the Platform to link indigenous peoples directly with decision-making to ensure that indigenous rights are upheld. She emphasized that the Arctic Council is effective because Inuit are at the table and able to directly contribute to solutions. In relation to the increased shipping and fossil fuel exploration opportunities in the Arctic, she stressed the Inuit right to free, prior and informed consent.  (L-R) Morten Skovgaard Olsen, Denmark; René Söderman, Senior Arctic Official for the Government of Finland; David Barber, University of Manitoba; Paul Wassman, University of Tromsø; Monica Tennberg, University of Lapland; and Okalik Eegeesiak, Inuit Circumpolar Council David Barber, University of Manitoba, said that although he began his academic career as a climate skeptic, he was convinced otherwise by the “alarming” evidence he has discovered. Monica Tennberg, University of Lapland, said that “the main problem” is complacency and called for people to “wake up” to the urgency of the climate change threat. Paul Wassman, University of Tromsø, described the issue of how ice retreat will affect Arctic marine ecosystems as the “million-dollar question.” Pettari Taalas, WMO, said that about 75% of Arctic sea ice mass has melted. Jason Box, Geological Survey of Greenland and Denmark, called for early implementation of the Paris Agreement given the inevitability of further climate change in the Arctic. Contact: Anne Birgitte Hansen (Organizer) | anne.birgitte@arctic-council.org Thomas Fries (Organizer) | tom@arctic-council.org More Information: www.arctic-council.org Implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement Presented by the International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) Andrei Marcu, Director, European Roundtable on Climate and Sustainable Transition (ERCST), and Senior Fellow, the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), moderated the debate. In this side event, panelists explored how international markets can be a tool to meet Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Yuji Mizuno, Programme Director, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), explained the context of Article 6 negotiations, highlighting that avoiding double accounting is the most essential task for COP 23 Article 6 negotiators. Martin Hession, European Commission, declared that the long-term objectives of the Paris Agreement must be ensured, and noted that NDCs must generate carbon value at the domestic level. Martin Lajoie, negotiator on Article 6, Canada, recalled the importance of finalizing a rulebook, which will provide guidelines for countries on implementing the Paris Agreement. He noted that negotiations are a party-driven exercise, but subnational efforts, through a bottom-up approach, must also be scaled up to promote trust. Constanze Haug, Head of Secretariat, the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP), said that Article 6 provides flexibility for parties to implement the Paris Agreement and noted that carbon markets contribute to technology transfer, provide an incentive for robust measurement, reporting and verification (MRV), and are an important motivator in moving towards significant domestic GHG reduction. El Hadji Mbaye Diagne, Negotiator, Senegal, explained that negotiations on Article 6 contain three main facets: cooperative approaches; mechanisms for mitigation and sustainable development; and non-market mechanisms. He stressed that many concepts and principles still require common understanding among parties, noting that environmental integrity is interpreted differently. In the ensuing discussion, participants addressed, among others, carbon pricing and strategies to put a price on pollution; clean technology investments; diversification of transport systems; and carbon market tools. They also recalled that countries’ different social and economic contexts require different tools and trajectories to achieve a zero-carbon economy. Martin Lajoie, negotiator on Article 6, highlighted the importance of building confidence in carbon markets, not only within markets, but also from citizens. Yuji Mizuno, Programme Director, IGES, said avoiding double counting is one of the most essential goals of the Paris Agreement. L-R: Constanze Haug, Head of Secretariat, ICAP; Martin Lajoie, negotiator on Article 6, Canada; Andrei Marcu, Director, ERCST and Senior Fellow ICTSD; Martin Hession, European Commission; Yuji Mizuno, Programme Director, IGES; El Hadji Mbaye Diagne, Negotiator, Senegal. Constanze Haug, ICAP, declared that carbon markets are close to the hearts of all 35 countries under the ICAP. Martin Hession, European Commission, stated that, for the EU, the CDM approach must be reinvented to avoid a “business-as-usual scenario.”   Contact:  Kentaro Takahashi, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies | k-takahashi@iges.or.jp  More Information: http://www.iges.or.jp/ Catalysing Climate Action, Realizing the SDGs: Science, Interconnections and ImplementationPresented by German Committee Future Earth, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS), German Development Institute/ Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (DIE), Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) in cooperation with Future Earth and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) This side event, moderated by Imme Scholz, Vice-Director, German Development Institute, highlighted the need for a better understanding of the interactions between climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and for improved exchange between academia and decision-makers. Panelists discussed, among others: the advantages of South-South cooperation, which relates to the contextual similarity of these countries and consequently facilitates the translation of policy solutions; and the importance of enhancing policy-oriented science in developing countries, especially through institutional support and funding for new researchers. María Amparo Martínez Arroyo, Director General, National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC), IAI Representative, shared her perspective on linking national policy frameworks and the 2030 Agenda to scientific research, stating that politics, geography and demographics are essential subjects to address this theme.  Leena Shrivastava, Vice Chancellor, TERI University, highlighted that climate science has advanced and been well communicated, but expressed concern over a lack of national actions. She noted India’s NDC commitments, emphasizing examples of science-based action such as circular economy approaches to landfill management, and mapping rural areas according to social-cultural-economic contexts. Edith Adera, Senior Programme Specialist, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, lamented the lack of solid scientific support for African negotiators, and said that implementing the Paris Agreement and the SDGs are the most critical task for all stakeholders. Charles Tonui, Environmental Scientist and Research Assistant, African Center for Technology Studies (ACTS), spoke on the need to build on scientific evidence and stressed the importance of multidisciplinary approaches, as well as data translation to policy makers. Asun St. Clair, Senior Principal Scientist at the Climate Programme, DNV GL Group, Norway, highlighted the need to include a human perspective in climate policy, and that private sector engagement and a cross-sectoral approaches need to be enhanced in order to implement the SDGs and the Paris Agreement. Martin Visbeck, Chairman German Committee Future Earth and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, highlighted the drastic increase in global population, which requires urgent multilateral cooperation. He stressed the importance of investing in science at the local level to implement global goals. During closing remarks, St. Clair recalled the need to build trust and to increase basic science knowledge, including social sciences at the national level.  Visbeck called for general science literacy and policy coherence in order to address both the SDGs and climate goals. Leena Shrivastava, Vice Chancellor, TERI University, focused on the needs to translate climate science into national enhanced actions. Imme Scholz, Vice-Director, German Development Institute, highlighted the need for a better understanding of the interactions between climate action and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Edith Adera, Senior Programme Specialist, IDRC, stressed the need for interdisciplinarity when studying climate change impacts. Asun St. Clair, Senior Principal Scientist, Climate Programme, DNV GL Group, emphasized the need for science to be co-produced with stakeholders, and be policy-relevant. Martin Visbeck, Chairman German Committee Future Earth and GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, highlighted the drastic increase in global population, which requires urgent multilateral cooperation. Contact:  Ione Anderson (IAI, International Partnerships & UN Liaison Officer) | ianderson@dir.iai.int Bettina Schmalzbauer (Executive Director, German Committee Future Earth) | schmalzbauer@dkn-future-earth.de More Information: www.iai www.die-gdi.de www.dkn-future-earth.de www.die-gdi.de Role of Women as Guardians of the Ocean at the Frontlines of the Climate-Development-Nature NexusPresented by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Earth Island Institute (EII) In this side event, panelists explored the role of women in leading by example in climate change responses, with “climate witnesses” from Pacific Island states sharing their stories, and highlighting the links between gender and oceans. Carol Phua, WWF, moderated the panel. Raumanu Pranjivan-Sharma, COP23 Presidency, emphasized that women are “powerful agents of change.” She stressed the Presidency’s commitment to the COP’s work on gender and climate change, noting the planned adoption of principles on gender and climate change at COP 23. She outlined the goals of parties under the agenda item on gender and climate change and emphasized that the work of women bridges across climate action, sustainable development, and nature protection. Elisabeth Holland, University of the South Pacific, recalled the power of women as stewards, saying that the concept of stewardship was “grounded in the very essence of who we are as women.” Relating her experience of visiting a German coal mine, she emphasized the need to keep fossil fuels in the ground. Penina Moce, WWF Climate Witness, Fiji, relating her experience of climate impacts on the island of Kabara, Fiji, said that less rainfall and accelerated sea level rise has put pressure on water resources and fisheries. She called on industrialized countries to reduce emissions by at least 30% by 2030; developing economies to work with affluent nations to develop their own climate solutions; and for an end to deforestation. Monifa Fiu, Fiji, spoke about the importance of sharing stories and amplifying them through action. She said that kinship must not be forgotten and recalled the connections both among ourselves and between ourselves and the ocean. She spoke about the resilience of the reefs in her lagoon, noting the “dramatic” changes she has witnessed. Ingrid Gabriela-Hoven, German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, stressed the need to bring a sense of urgency into COP23. She underlined the importance of the COP23 Presidency in supporting SIDS. Reporting on Germany’s development funding, particularly the recent EUR 37 million Blue Action Fund, she acknowledged that more must be done and called for closing the gender gap in the UNFCCC. Monifa Fiu, Fiji, said that like many attendees, she comes from a small island, but “we are connected by an ocean.” L - R: Carol Phua, WWF; Raumanu Pranjivan-Sharma, COP23 Presidency; and Elisabeth Holland, University of the South Pacific Carol Phua, WWF, stressed that climate change “doesn’t affect everyone equally,” but that women are leading by example in climate change responses. Contact: Mandy Jean Woods (WWF) | mwoods@wwfint.org Christian Holz (EII) | cholz@climateactionnetwork.ca   More Information: www.panda.org www.oceanwitness.org European Climate Policy After ParisPresented by the Climate Partnership of Alpine Municipalities within the Alpine Convention, the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) and the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) In this side event panelists discussed the Climate Partnership of Alpine Communities and strategies to engage local municipalities in their region. Andreas Pichler, CIPRA, moderated the session and stated that the Partnership, to be launched in 2018, would serve as an example for communities to adapt to and mitigate climate change. Helmut Hojesky, Chair of the Alpine Climate Board, introduced the Alpine Convention, which was signed in 1995 and has eight member states. He noted that involving communities in combatting climate change, an objective of the Board, is crucial, as communities have direct experience and are where impacts are felt. Pichler introduced the Climate Partnership of Alpine Municipalities, a bottom-up platform to connect communities. In underscoring what municipalities can do in addressing climate change, he noted three key efforts: a strategy on climate change adaptation and mitigation; an energy and climate management system; and evaluation and innovation mechanisms. Heike Summer, Office of Environment, Principality of Liechtenstein, stated that the government in her country worked closely with its communities to adapt to climate change. She noted that, with the overall goal of minimizing risks and increasing adaptation ability in all sectors, her Office promoted stakeholder involvement from an early stage. During the ensuing discussion, participants asked to what extent the Board and Partnership engage with similar geographic regions globally, such as the Himalayas and the Andes. Panelists also discussed best strategies for municipalities in moving forward on climate change adaptation, which included providing stakeholders with adequate information. Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary, BMUB, provided concluding remarks. He said that the COP is useful for the efforts of the Alpine Partnership and Convention, as it provides civil society and politicians with the opportunity to engage in dialogue. The session concluded with a film on Strengthening Climate Cooperation within the European Union, by the European Climate Initiative. Helmut Hojesky, Chair of the Alpine Climate Board, stated that Alpine countries feel the effects of climate change much more than other countries. Heike Summer, Office of Environment, Principality of Liechtenstein, said that though GDP and population are increasing in her country, GHG emissions are decreasing. A participant poses a question on the global reach of the Climate Partnership of Alpine Municipalities. Around the Venue