UNECE support for climate action
The UNECE region – stretching over North America right across Europe, covering the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia – is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, responsible for 34% of the world’s CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion.
From wildfires to flooding, heatwaves and drought, the region is increasingly forced to deal with the impacts of climate change, on homes and livelihoods, on food and water, on infrastructure and on ecosystems.
Faced with the climate emergency and to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals, CO2 emissions need to be halved between now and 2030, both globally and in the region. UNECE member States are taking important climate action in key areas. Through its norms, standards, conventions and policy assistance, UNECE provides practical tools to support countries’ efforts for both climate change mitigation and adaptation.