Beyond the environmental damage, the failure to stabilize global warming and address biodiversity loss undermines societies, biological and social protection systems, livelihoods, and resilience to development pathways. No continent has been left untouched by extreme weather events and climate-related disasters. As Simon Stiell, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary said during this year’s United Nations General Assembly, “Every single leader arrives from a country affected by climate impacts. We know it’s time to change course. Let’s stop the backsliding, regain momentum on climate change and get moving on the massive transformation that must happen this decade.”
Against this backdrop of multiple interconnected crises around the world, the green transition must include a rapid acceleration of climate finance and innovative technologies to prepare us for the future impacts we know are coming. The private sector is stepping up to deliver the necessary economic, social, and environmental benefits, acting as a catalyst in this vital decade of delivery. But for these actions to have meaningful impact, thinking outside the box with cross-sector and cross-border partnerships is required. Radical collaborations between both State and non-State actors and across sectors are needed to help direct climate solutions and innovative technologies to tangible outcomes by 2030.
On the sidelines of COP27, this event brought together key Government, Civil Society, and C-Suite leaders in climate innovation from across the planet to showcase path-breaking ideas and celebrate ground-shifting partnerships, catalytic technologies, innovative finance, and meaningful solutions that accelerate planetary-scale climate actions.