Media Advisory: High-level Caring for Climate Meeting Aims to Ramp up Ambition in Race to Net Zero Emissions

UNITED NATIONS, December 3, 2020 /3BL Media/— The eighth annual High-Level Meeting of Caring for Climate will take place Tuesday, 8 December 2020 from 09:00 - 10:40 am EST | 03:00 - 04:40 pm CET, bringing together leaders from business, finance, sub-national government, civil society, and the United Nations to reflect on progress and discuss ways to collectively ramp up climate action in the lead up to the five year anniversary of the adoption of the Paris Agreement.

“Visionary business leaders are setting 1.5°C-aligned emissions reduction targets to address climate change, while at the same time tackling the global COVID-19 pandemic. In the face of interconnected crises, this is the type of action needed to achieve transformative change. I urge all businesses to invest in a green recovery to reach net-zero emissions well before 2050 towards achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals,” said Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact.

About the Event:

On the eve of the five-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement, and four days before the Climate Ambition Summit at which national governments are set to take the stage to announce strengthened climate plans, leaders from across the economy and civil society will gather for  an interactive dialogue, taking stock of progress since the Paris Agreement, discussing strategies for a green recovery to tackle today’s twin crises of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, and exploring ideas for strengthening inclusive multilateralism to accelerate climate action in the decade ahead.

The Caring for Climate event will include a keynote address by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, welcome remarks by Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact and closing remarks by UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa, and include a three part dialogue, moderated by Gonzalo Muñoz, High Level Champion for Climate Action (Chile).

In the first panel, leaders such as Roberto Marques, CEO of Natura & Co and Sandra Wu Wen-Hsiu, Chairperson and CEO, Kokusai Kogyo Co., Ltd will reflect on the progress to date, discuss the reality that we are not on track to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, while noting the progress that has been made in a wide variety of sectors — more rapidly than anyone had projected. Significant progress has been made by the private sector, cities, states and civil society, as net zero commitments have doubled in 2020, with commitments increasing across all stakeholder groups, and deployment of zero carbon solutions growing exponentially as costs fall in key sectors. 

The second panel will reflect on 2020. In the face of the global health and economic crisis brought on by COVID 19, study after study have made clear that the only option for an inclusive sustainable recovery must put climate action at its core, investing in resilience and emissions reductions to drive innovation, growth and job creation. Among others, Marcie Frost, CEO, CalPERS, Omer Ahmed, CEO, Artistic Milliners, and Torben Möger Pedersen, CEO, PensionDanmark,  will represent the growing number of businesses, investors, cities, states and civil society taking action and calling for government policies to ensure an inclusive, green recovery. 

The final segment of the the dialogue featuring among others Alan Jope, CEO of Unilever and Satya Tripathi of UNEP will focus on the emerging concept on multi-stakeholder multilateralism, and how leaders in all spheres can think systemically and work together to accelerate implementation in ways that are inclusive, equitable, efficient and effective.

Media coverage is encouraged. Journalists can register to attend via this link: https://hopin.com/events/caring-for-climate

Journalists with questions about speakers, the event, the UN Global Compact and its Local Networks, please contact: koch@unglobalcompact.org and media@unglobalcompact.org

Journalists with questions about the Race to Zero and High Level Climate Champions, please contact: mphillips@unfccc.int 

About Race to Zero and Business Ambition for 1.5 C

The Race to Zero is a global campaign of the High Level Champions for Climate Action that brings together non-state actors from across society, all committed to ambitious net zero climate targets. This includes Business Ambition for 1.5°C, a campaign led by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in partnership with the UN Global Compact and the We Mean Business coalition. The latest number of companies committed to a 1.5°C future in line with achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 will be announced by the SBTi on 7 December - more than doubling the number of companies committed at the COP25 Climate Conference a year ago. By setting scientific, verifiable emission reduction targets these companies are sending clear signals to Governments, shareholders and employees that the private sector is already beginning to shift.

The full list of newly joining companies and updated numbers from the rest of the Race to Zero initiatives will be released on Saturday as part of the Dec 12 Climate Ambition Summit. 

These non-state actor commitments contribute to accelerating the ambition loop, in which bold government policies and private sector leadership reinforce each other, and together take climate action to the next level.  The 2020s, which have been dubbed the ‘decade of delivery,’ will require not only bold targets, but unprecedented collaboration by non-state actors and governments to drive implementation. 

About Caring for Climate

Launched in 2007, Caring for Climate is an initiative of the UN Global Compact, the UN Environment Programme and the Secretariat of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to advance the role of business in addressing climate change. It provides a framework for business leaders to implement practical climate change solutions and help shape public policy. Caring for Climate is endorsed by over 450 companies from 65 countries. 

About the UN Global Compact

As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Launched in 2000, the mandate of the UN Global Compact is to guide and support the global business community in advancing UN goals and values through responsible corporate practices. With more than 10,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and 69 Local Networks, it is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world. #UnitingBusiness