COP26 was a positive step forward in the fight against climate change, but as the UN Secretary General pointed out in his comments: “it is not enough. We must accelerate climate action to keep alive the goal of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.” The compromise deal reflects the interests, contradictions and political will in the world today.     

Alongside my team of experts, I attended COP26 to meet with activists, diplomats, ministers and mayors from the UNECE region and beyond to find common ground in areas including sustainable energy, water, forests, cities and urban development. Away from the conference hall, we delivered real action to move the dial on all these issues.   

During COP26, UNECE:  

• Launched a Carbon Neutrality Toolkit for policymakers to make informed decisions on how nations can accelerate the energy transition towards attaining carbon neutrality.   

• Convened a dialogue with Norman Foster, US Special Presidential Climate Envoy John Kerry and Mayors from around the world to showcase the power of climate action at the local level and foster the exchange of best practices amongst cities   

• Mobilized partners within and beyond the UN system around the findings of the #Housing2030 report to scale-up climate-neutral and energy efficient housing while ensuring inclusiveness and accessibility.  

• United all the UN Regional Commissions to provide solutions on how to bridge the gap in climate finance as a follow-up to our work on scale up carbon dioxide removal.  

• Spoke up for more ambitious water action and, as part of the Marrakesh Partnership, highlighted the importance of transboundary water cooperation to accelerate climate change adaptation.  

• Brought to the fore transboundary water cooperation as a requisite for meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement at the very first Water & Climate Pavilion and made the voices of basin organizations heard.  

• Advocated for placing forest management at the head of the international climate change agenda, and for recognizing the crucial role of Boreal forests, which account for 27% of the global forest area and constitute the largest terrestrial carbon storehouse in the world. 

• Established the High-Performance Buildings Initiative with 10 International Centres of Excellence, mobilizing partners to share best practices and inspire the next generation of energy professionals in Scotland (University of Glasgow), Northern Ireland (South West College) and beyond.  

• Provided solutions on how countries can reduce methane emissions with best practice guidance on undeveloped coal seams, operating coal mines, and mines out of operation.  

• Shaped global conversations about the net-zero energy mix of the future highlighting that climate objectives will not be met if nuclear power is excluded.  

• Teamed up with Ministers to prepare the adoption next year of the strategic document on Education for Sustainable Development for the Region, to strengthen implementation at national level and increase youth engagement.  

• Supported Climate and Clean Air Coalition Ministers’ strategy to significantly cut short-lived climate pollutants this decade, for which the Gothenburg Protocol will be central.  

• Adopted a proposal for a new legal instrument to ensure minimum durability of batteries fitted in electric vehicles, the first international effort to regulate the issue of battery degradation.  

At COP26, positive initiatives were announced on the four areas highlighted by the UK presidency as crucial to keep the world on course to 1.5 degrees: “Cash, coal, cars and trees”, as well as on other topics, in particular methane. From assessing alternatives to fossil fuels, to facilitating the uptake of electric and hybrid vehicles, supporting reforestation and strengthening forests’ role as carbon sinks, or providing guidance to reduce methane emissions, UNECE norms, standards, conventions and policy assistance, provide key tools supporting countries in their climate action.  

We need a new and inclusive multilateralism to be able to properly address climate challenge. To support this shift, UNECE will continue to offer a neutral platform for inclusive and transparent dialogue, exchanges of best practices and lessons learned to support all countries in the region to build resilience and to accelerate the transition towards carbon neutrality. The clock is ticking. We have no time to lose.