Climate change at the heart of the agenda: The prelude to COP 28 seeks solutions for adaptation and resilience
With each passing year, action against Climate Change becomes more urgent. And there is no longer a choice: to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) we have to step on the gas. With a view to the next Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention (COP28), to be held at the end of the year in Dubai, participatory and regional spaces are emerging to make further progress in the fight against climate change, such as the third edition of the Mediterranean Conference on Cooperation for Sustainable Development (MedCOP).
It is estimated that the Mediterranean will be one of the regions of the world that will suffer the most from the effects of global warming. At the end of last June, at the MedCOP, stakeholders from the region, including CEMAS, met in Tangier, Morocco, to share concerns and propose possible solutions to the consequences of climate change.
The meeting, organised under the High Patronage of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, by the Regional Council of Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima and the Mediterranean Climate House, was aimed at promoting Mediterranean integration and assessing solutions for the future of a more resilient Mediterranean in the face of the challenges of climate change.
The conference brought together experts, policy makers, businesses and civil society around eight thematic blocks, such as water security, the blue economy and the transition to green energy.
With an eye on future generations
At its opening session, the forum held 16 thematic conferences, a business forum and various side events. The main lines of reflection focused on the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, the implementation of the Gender Action Plan of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the deployment of the New Urban Agenda.
In his speech, CEMAS director Vicente Domingo stated: “We are living a transcendental historical moment. It is now, under the pressure of wars, the gradual abandonment of fossil fuels and the migratory movements resulting from climate change, that local governments must play a leading role in the emergence of knowledge, participation and dignity. It is the only window of opportunity if we want a life like the one our parents and grandparents dreamed of for our children and grandchildren”.
A decisive milestone on the global agenda
The best thing about this meeting? Without a doubt, the fact that it generated operational tools to accelerate the achievement of the COP28 objectives. This year’s major climate conference is pursuing ambitious outcomes to limit global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, increase climate finance for developing countries and urgently increase investments in climate adaptation.
In this regard, the results of the MedCOP meeting will be incorporated into the Mediterranean agenda and presented at COP28. Learn about some of the main commitments and recommendations that emerged from this meeting:
- An inclusive multi-level governance process is needed to establish a common vision and facilitate the co-creation of innovative solutions to increase ambition and strengthen resilience.
- It is important to support the role of cities and territories in the global agenda and include them as stakeholders in the negotiation process.
- Local energy savings should be treated as a new asset category in project financing to accelerate the energy transition.
- Marine areas, tourism, aquaculture, nature-based solutions and ecological services, waste management, water treatment, sustainable maritime transport and land and marine renewable energies must be protected. These efforts will help combat climate change and create jobs.
- To gain resilience to climate change, cities and territories must promote nature-based climate solutions, including biodiversity conservation, as well as actions to accelerate adaptation and resilience.
- Women are key actors in achieving a more resilient food system, so it is essential to have operational mechanisms to support them in accessing climate finance.
- Local and regional governments in the COP28 agenda must have an active participation in all climate agendas, either through their networks or their national delegations.
What would happen if the billions of people who inhabit this world worked together for our common future? Many things!