Initiatives for Action
The United Nations, governments, businesses and civil society are connecting in climate initiatives to speed up the pace of climate action. The UN’s role as a convener is needed more than ever to encourage all sectors to collaborate, be ambitious and take the actions required to tackle the climate crisis.
For more initiatives around the world, see the Global Climate Action portal.
Secretary-General’s initiatives
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has launched the following initiatives to accelerate concrete, credible action for a just transition that benefits all people everywhere:
Coalition initiatives
Initiated at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit, the initiatives below bring together various sectors to reduce emissions, tackle critical concerns such as jobs and gender equality, unlock finance, build sustainable infrastructure, use nature-based solutions, and advance adaptation and climate resilience.
Accelerating Renewable Energy Transition in SIDS: Thirty-six small island developing States and their partners have come together to share strategies and galvanize momentum in the transition to renewable and resilient energy systems.
Climate Action for Jobs: This initiative has developed a roadmap and regional strategies for climate action that puts people’s jobs and well-being at the heart of the transition to a green economy.
Cool Coalition: See how the world is coming together to deliver efficient, climate-friendly cooling for all, including through enhanced national climate plans. The coalition highlights promising innovations such as “cooling paper” that keeps temperatures down in buildings.
The Energy Efficiency Alliance: Three Percent Club: A coalition of government, corporate and non-governmental leaders, the alliance champions accelerated energy efficiency, helping individual countries prepare roadmaps to boost efficiency. The Three Percent Club sets a target of an annual 3 per cent improvement in energy efficiency.
Powering Past Coal Alliance: Countries, investors, utilities and cities are among those working on early retirement – from coal as an energy source. The alliance helps drive new political and industry consensus on phasing out finance for coal and the use of coal as a power source.
Action towards Climate-Friendly Transport: Over 100 organizations have forged the largest coalition ever dedicated to shifting all forms of transport to zero emissions. It researches issues like rural access and making the economics of decarbonization work. An online course helps urban leaders develop sustainable urban mobility solutions.
Decarbonizing Shipping: Getting to Zero Coalition: A powerful alliance of more than 150 maritime, energy, infrastructure and finance companies, the coalition has a moonshot ambition: commercially viable, deep sea zero-emission vessels operating by 2030. The Sea Cargo Charter defines benchmarks to decarbonize the transport of bulk shipping containers. Under the Poseidon Principles, 15 banks have disclosed how well shipping industry loan portfolios align with climate goals.
Leadership Group for Industry Transition: Aimed at net-zero carbon emissions from industry by 2050, the initiative has established industry groups and developed road maps for heavy industries where carbon emissions are difficult to abate. A transition tracker profiles industries in various countries.
Business Ambition for 1.5°C: This coalition of business and industry leaders calls on companies to set ambitious and science-based emissions reduction targets, aiming for net zero in line with a 1.5°C future. Over 700 companies with more than $13 trillion in market capitalization have signed on so far.
Coalition of Finance Ministers for Climate Action: Fiscal and economic policymakers from over 60 countries generating around 40 per cent of global emissions are calling for urgent climate action and investment, and a just transition built on the creation of millions of new jobs. Six Helsinki Principles guide measures such as effective carbon pricing and the integration of climate change into macroeconomic and fiscal policy, among other issues.
Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance: An international group of over 40 institutional investors with over $6.6 trillion in assets has made a bold commitment to transition investment portfolios to net-zero emissions by 2050. Members aim to align portfolios with a global temperature rise of no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. The alliance has set targets for as soon as 2025 and called for ambitious national climate plans.
A Call for Action: Raising Ambition for Climate Adaptation and Resilience: The call sets a higher bar for ambition on adaptation and resilience, with endorsement by 130 countries and 86 organizations. It urges reaching the vulnerable, rapidly scaling up finance and integrating climate risk into imagining our future. Learn more.
Coalition for Climate Resilient Investment: This initiative mobilizes the global private financial industry, in partnership with key private and public institutions, to integrate climate risks in investment decision-making. It now has 65 members with nearly $10 trillion in assets and has helped develop tools for modelling risk-informed cash flow and infrastructure priorities.
Coalition for Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure: Governments, UN organizations, multilateral banks, businesses and knowledge institutions are collaborating to build resilience to climate and disaster risks into infrastructure systems. A fellowship programme promotes research and innovation.
InsuResilience Group Partnership Vision 2025: The partnership helps strengthen the resilience of developing countries and protect the lives and livelihoods of poor and vulnerable people from disasters. In 2020, 218 projects in 101 countries provided financial protection against climate-related risks for more than 130 million people. It also tracks noteworthy gender-smart climate solutions through a centre of excellence.
LDC Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience: The group works for a climate-resilient future in the least developed countries. It has made strides in devising standards for climate adaptation in local communities along with a financing mechanism.
Risk-Informed Early Action Partnership: A coalition from the climate, humanitarian and development communities leverages knowledge, the exchange of solutions and new partnerships to reduce disaster risks, aiming to make 1 billion people safer by 2025.
Campaign for Nature: This growing coalition of more than 100 conservation organizations calls on policymakers to commit to a science-driven, ambitious new deal for nature. It hinges on protecting at least 30 per cent of the planet by 2030, backed by sufficient financial resources and the full realization of indigenous leadership and rights.
Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance: ORRAA connects governments, financial institutions, the insurance industry, environmental organizations and actors from the Global South to build resilience to ocean risk. It pioneers finance and insurance products aimed at incentivizing $500 million in investment in nature-based solutions by 2030.
Leadership for Urban Climate Investment: A coalition of governments, financial institutions, climate funds, city networks and think tanks has developed the LUCI framework to help 2,000 cities prepare and finance climate projects, realizing 20 per cent of this target so far. A City Climate Finance Gap Fund supports the process, drawing on collaboration with multilateral development banks and bilateral donors.