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UN Global Compact Russia

Events

Caring for Climate from Katowice

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A Polish town of Katowice has become an international climate capital on 2 to 14 December 2018: it hosted the 24th conference of the parties to the UN Climate Change Framework Convention (COP24). Key issues of this round of negotiations are methodological, technological and financial aspects of current cooperation of the Parties to the Convention/Kyoto Protocol, and also forming institutional and procedure mechanisms of enforcing Paris Agreement.


António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, during his opening speech appealed to decision-makers and asked to focus on four key things: stepping up climate action, according to a solid plan, with more funding, as a smart investment in the future of the planet.

‘The Paris Agreement is not a piece of paper. It is a historic compact among nations, a compact to ensure our survival. Here we must have a first step in Katowice but the coming year must put it to use to transform our economies, our minds, and our future’, stated António Guterres in his briefing to journalists.

Russian representation in Katowice was broad and multilateral. The Russian delegation, headed by Ruslan Edelgeriev, Adviser to the President and Special Presidential Representative on Climate Issues of the Russian Federation, also included representatives of main involved ministries and bodies – the Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring (Roshydromet), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of Economic Development, the Federal Agency for Forestry (Rosleskhoz), the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Transport. On the margins of the Conference there were functioning country pavilions, in which national events, devoted to climate agenda, took place. The Russian Pavilion had an extended programme, including events of governmental bodies, large business (UC Rusal, Arkhangelsk CBK, Gazbrom, EN+) and non-commercial organizations, among which was the Global COMPACT Local network in the Russian Federation.

On behalf of the Local Network, the session was lead by Elena Korotkova, Head of ESG of Severstal, who presented the results of research ‘Sustainable Development. Role of Russia’ with special attention to climate aspects. In particular, the research demonstrated that 1/3 of participating companies included the Goal on climate into the list of priorities, at the same time the level of awareness on Paris Agreement among companies taking part in the survey, was 69%. The research results were complemented by an analysis of climate disclosure in non-financial reporting of the Russian companies based on the RSPP register of non-financial reporting: the most amount of mentioned climate programmes and climate-related risks is contained in reports of mining and metallurgical Russian companies. Also there were presented examples of best practices of Russian business (RUSAL, Polymetal, Severstal) on implementing projects on reducing GHG emissions and disclosure on climate action.

Among the guests of the LN Russia session there was Keyvan Macedo, Head of Sustainability and Brand of a Brazilian company ‘Natura’; he presented experience of Brazilian companies through the lens of activities of Global Compact Network Brazil. Keyvan Macedo, in the context of overall state of climate affairs in Brazil, main challenge and achievements, commented on activities of Global Compact Network Brazil, including climate action, and what work in being undertaken in relation to the SDG 13. Among other thing, currently there is happening the second stage of integrating the SDGs into the energy system of Brazil, adaptation of value chains and healthcare systems to climate change and diagnostic analysis of the SDG 13. Keyvan Macedo also shared the experience of Natura, a Board member of the Global Compact Network Brazil, on climate change mitigation and enforcing a low-carbon strategy. He demonstrated evident results of the programme, sharing a graph with would-be carbon emissions in case of business as usual and the factual ones.

Global Compact Local Networks of other countries have also become active participants of the Conference. Organizers or participants of national events in country pavilions have become LNs of Poland, Brazil, Indonesia, Kenia, India and Chili.

All these sessions have formed a common Global Compact programme, for which climate is one of priorities. Its main event had become the High-Level Meeting of Caring for Climate initiative, convened on December 10 by the UN Global Compact together with UN Environment and UNFCCC secretariat.

 In her welcoming remarks, Lise Kingo, CEO & Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, encouraged leaders to identify concrete actions, partnerships and initiatives that the private sector can undertake to mobilize greater ambition and stronger leadership to address climate change. “At the UN Global Compact, we are calling on all companies — across sectors and regions — to set their science-based target with a new level of ambition — one that aligns with 1.5-degrees Celsius pathways,” she said. “As leaders are here in Katowice to build the rulebook for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, we need to stress the unique opportunity we have to engage in a positive reinforcement between bold business action and ambitious Government policy.”

 The speakers of the session have also become Ovais Sarmad, Deputy Executive Secretary of UNFCCC, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the 2019 Climate Summit, Ambassador Luis Alfonso De Alba, Andrew Steer, CEO of the World Resources Institute, Bertrand Camus, Group Deputy CEO for Africa, the Middle East, India, Asia and the Pacific at SUEZ, and other high-level representatives of ministries, international initiatives and business.


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