New framework launched at COP26 to help businesses and regions measure climate resiliency

A UN programme to get cities, regions, businesses and investors to improve approaches to resiliency has launched a new set of metric systems today (8 November) at COP26, to assist with a goal of making four billion people more resilient to an array of risks by 2030.


New framework launched at COP26 to help businesses and regions measure climate resiliency

Race to Resiliency has also confirmed that members to date have helped to increase the climate resilience of more than 2.3 billion people globally

The UN’s Race to Resilience was launched in January 2021 by the High Level Climate Champions as a follow-on from the Race to Zero campaign. The Resilience programme aims to unify non-state actors in improving strategic approaches to the resiliency of the public.

The programme has marked Adaptation and Loss Day at COP26 by unveiling a metrics framework that enables businesses, cities and regions to verify the climate resilience impact of their actions.

The High Level Climate Champions Gonzalo Muñoz and Nigel Topping said: “The Race to Resilience campaign has now taken a major step forward in creating knowledge on where there is greatest community need to build resilience to climate hazards.

“We are not stopping there though: the partners of the campaign have raised their level of ambition on creating climate resilience and are delivering actions today to build the resilience of communities so they can thrive, not just survive, in the face of a changed climate.”

The Center for Climate Resilience Research (CR2) joined the campaign as Technical Secretariat in mid-April 2021, and is responsible for conducting the work on metrics and for consultations with the Methodological Advisory Group (MAG).

To mark the launch of the framework, the Race to Resiliency has also confirmed that members to date have helped to increase the climate resilience of more than 2.3 billion people globally. The initiative is targeting four billion by 2030.

The programme has also improved more than 100 natural systems including mangroves, forests and coastal zones.

Additional launches have also taken place at COP26 to improve global resiliency. A Global Resilience Index, for example, aims to improve how the finance sector measures the resiliency of nations, corporates and supply chains. Elsewhere, the Global EverGreening Alliance and Climate Asset Management announced a partnership to deliver $150m for nature-based solutions in Africa.

Research has warned that even under a 1.5C scenario, almost half of the world’s population could be at increased risk to exposure to climate-related hazards such as heat stress, drought, flood, or water stress in the next decade. This is a 7% increase on today’s levels.

Commenting on the announcement, Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP, UK International Champion on Adaptation and Resilience for the COP26 Presidency and Secretary of State for International Trade: “The momentum, ambition and action mobilized by the Race to Resilience among non-state actors is fundamental to implementing effective and targeted adaptation action to protect the most vulnerable.

“At COP26 and beyond, I look forward to seeing these commitments turn into action, to tackle climate change head on and build local, national and global resilience to its impacts.”

On the ground at COP26, the UN’s High-Level Champion for Climate Action and leader of the Race to Zero campaign told edie that businesses must begin publishing credible five-year plans to progress towards net-zero targets off the back of the COP26 climate summit.

Speaking to edie’s content director Luke Nicholls in the COP6 Action Zone, Nigel Topping said firms should start moving through the four ‘P’s of the Race to Zero (Pledge, Plan, Proceed and Publish). 

You can watch the interview here.


edie’s Race to Zero partnership

edie is an official Accelerator of the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign as part of a concerted effort to build momentum for the global race to net-zero emissions off the back of the COP26 climate talks.

Led by the High-Level Champions for Climate Action, Topping and Gonzalo Muñoz, the Race to Zero campaign has so far mobilised 4,475 businesses, 799 cities, 35 regions, 250 financial institutions and 731 education bodies around a healthy, resilient, net-zero carbon recovery.

As an Accelerator of the campaign, edie has committed to amplify Race to Zero membership by supporting readers, event attendees and club members in their decarbonisation efforts and by spreading awareness of the Campaign through ongoing content and events. View all Race to Zero partner organisations here.

edie staff

Action inspires action. Stay ahead of the curve with sustainability and energy newsletters from edie

Subscribe