As an observer organisation accredited to the UNFCCC, the overall objective of Regions4 participation at UNFCCC COPs, and COP27, which was held from the 6th to the 18th of November in Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt, is to promote multilevel governance for increased ambition and effective action on climate adaptation through the key role of regional governments.

Regions4 brings forward innovative solutions that can be up-scaled and will present the role Regions4 and its newly reinforced initiative, RegionsAdapt, can play in supporting regional governments in raising their ambitions on adaptation and resilience.

Regions4 works closely with the Local Governments and Municipal Authorities constituency, as co-lead of their working group on adaptation with the Committee of European Regions (COR), to advocate for a multi-level action COP, in which collaboration at all levels of government is recognised, as the new normal, and taken into account in the announced new ambitions. Through the Race to Resilience campaign, Regions4 continues to provide further visibility to the actions of regions, as part of the non-party (national governments) actors’ community, developing and accelerating actions towards resilience.

Read here Regions4 COP27 Outcome Report to learn more about our activities at the conference.

Regions4 messages at COP27

Regions4 was present at COP27, to share the joint messages of regional governments towards climate resilience.

Regions4 resources for COP27

Regions4 submission to the Global Stocktake

Reporting on regional governments’ contribution to adaptation

Every 5 years the UNFCCC undertakes a global review of progress to implement the Paris Agreement, the Global Stocktake. Regions4 as co-lead with the Committee of European Regions (COR) of the working group on adaptation, for the Local Government and Local Authorities (LGMA) constituency within the UNFCCC, has submitted a joint contribution to inform progress from regional governments in achieving their adaptation objectives, and suggestions to inform the negotiations on adaptation, notably the Global Goal on Adaptation.

> Consult the submission here  and the submission of poster for the ‘poster session’ of GST at COP, can be consulted here

RegionsAdapt Progress Report 2021 – 2022

Regions progress report toward resilience
Based on the review of the contributions of regional governments through the CDP / RegionsAdapt annual reporting, this report reviews the progress and activities of more than 34 regional governments, in their progress toward adaptation and long-term resilience. The report is a one-of-a-kind report of the contributions of regional governments in shaping a resilient world and assesses trends, evolutions, and innovations for leading the way.

>> Read the report here

Declaration of Regions

Regional governments call to action for COP27: Driving action towards resilience
Regional governments gathered in June in Rabat Salé Kénitra to shape the Declaration of Rabat Salé Kénitra of  “Regions for a Resilient Future: driving transformative action for the planet, people & prosperity“. The declaration gathers the key messages of regional governments towards and for COP27, and its main commitments. It was endorsed by 48 regional governments up until the COP, which shared their key messages within the negotiations and Regions4 events. 

>>Read the declaration in English, French, and Spanish here

Outcomes

COP27 Outcome Activity Report

>>  The Regions4 Contributions and Outcomes at COP27 Report is available here.

Media Resources

• BEST PRACTICES AT A GLANCE

> Access our COP27 Best Practices here.

• PRESS RELEASES

>> Read our notes to the press here.

>> Read the official joint press release written by the European Committee of the Regions, ICLEI, Regions4, the United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), EUROCITIES, the Under2Coalition, C40 and the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) here.

• SOCIAL MEDIA KIT

>> Download our beautiful social media cards here. Don’t forget to tag @Regions4SD and #RegionsVoice

• PHOTO GALLERY     

>> Check out our Flickr photo album here.

• MEDIA CLIPPING 

>> Consult our Media Clipping here.

• PRESS CONTACT  

Ms. Alba Díaz de Sarralde adiazdesarralde@gabineteseis.es

• COMMUNICATIONS CONTACT

Ms. Analice Martinsson amartinsson@regions4.org

Regions4 leading events at COP27

For more details on each event:

• Resilience day:  A spotlight on states and regions’ contributions to the Global Stocktake –  ‘getting it done’

Organizers: Regions4, Under2 Coalition,  Government of Scotland

Date: Thursday 10th November

Time: 13.30 – 14.45 h – Egypt Standard Time (UTC+02:00)

Place: Multi-level Action Pavilion (Blue zone – Area B, Building 8, Pavillon 30 – ICLEI) (map) – Hybrid event

Description: This event, open to media, will help to fill the gap currently being left in terms of reflecting the ambitions and actions of state and regional actors in driving change, and being part of the solution, within climate conventions. It will also work to unite subnational groups and networks towards further future collaboration to elevate jointly the voice of regional governments and states with UNFCCC processes.

This event will also gather the voice of regional governments and present their expertise and progress towards implementing concrete actions on mitigation and adaptation, aiming to inform the Global Stocktake and provide recommendations, through the ‘Declaration of regional governments for COP27″ on how to accelerate action.

Agenda: Concept note available here 

To join remotely:https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81491120089?pwd=cHd0Z0czSUtYVStJR1pZTTErbldJUT09

Passcode: 088132

• Adaptation Innovation Lab

Organizers: Regions4, Climate-Kic, Government of Scotland

Date: Saturday 12nd November

Time: 16.30 – 17.30 h – Egypt Standard Time (UTC+02:00)

Place: Multi-level Action Pavilion (Blue zone – Area B, Building 8, Pavillon 30 – ICLEI) (map) – Hybrid event

Description: This ‘lab’ session, will be a workshop session for regional governments, states, and other regional and international actors, to reflect and exchange between peers, on what drives innovation in adaptation actions at the regional level, what are the enabling environments and methodologies, to drive progress.

Agenda: Consult concept note here 

To join remotely:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85985047835?pwd=V3c1ajFBc2haTCtmYVBZMUNVVk9JZz09,

Passcode: 45403

• Regions4 Networking Cocktail Reception

Organizers: Regions4, with the support of the Basque Country and Lombardy, in collaboration with the Government of Scotland.

Date: Saturday, 12th November

Time: 18:00-19:30 h – Egypt Standard Time (UTC+02:00)

Place: Multi-level Action Pavilion (Blue zone – Area B, Building 8, Pavillon 30 – ICLEI) (map) – In-person event.

Description: The reception is a networking event for Regions4 members, delegations and partners to meet, discuss and look at future collaborations, in the year of Regions4 20th Anniversary.

• Strengthening the capacity to increase resilience to climate change in West Africa (official side event)

Organizers: Regions4, Basque Center for Climate Change (BC3), Confederación
Española de Organizaciones Empresariales (CEOE)

Date: Monday 14th November

Time: 16.45 – 18.15 h – Egypt Standard Time (UTC+02:00)

Place: Room 3 (Blue Zone COP27 venue) (map) – Hybrid event

Description: West Africa suffers from severe climate-related hazards, which affect communities, livelihoods, and infrastructures, and hamper development and economic growth. This event will explore the collaboration between different actors for a climate-resilient and just development and present some of the current projects and experiences of regional governments and actors in this region.

Agenda: Concept note available here

To join remotely:

https://www.youtube.com/live/3x1Lg9I_IKU?feature=share

• Biodiversity day: Hearing the voice of subnational governments: learning from the Edinburgh Declaration for biodiversity

Organizers: Regions4, Edinburg Declaration partners, Government of Scotland

Date: Wednesday 16th November

Time: 12.00 – 13.00 h (local time) – Egypt Standard Time (UTC+02:00)

Place: Multi-level Action Pavilion (Blue zone – Area B, Building 8, Pavillon 30 – ICLEI) (map) – Hybrid event

Description: This high-level session will draw the links and connections from COP27 to COP15, highlighting the key common challenges, solutions, and recommendations, to allow to development of integrated nature-based and resilience solutions, at the regional and state level.

Agenda here

To join remotely: Launch Meeting – Zoom

Members and Partners side events at COP 27, with Regions4 participation

• Downscaling Climate Change Adaptation policies at the regional and local level

Organizers: Lombardy Foundation for the Environment, Lombardy Region, in cooperation with Regions4

Participants: Lombardy, Basque Country, Catalonia, Navarra, Guanajuato, Sao Paulo

Date: Friday 11th November

Time: 10.30 – 12.30 h – Egypt Standard Time (UTC+02:00)

Place: Italian Pavilion (Blue zone – Area C, Delegation Pavilion 4 – Pavilion 56) (map)

Description: This event will look at creating and drawing an international comparison between regional governments on the most recent and innovative initiatives involving local authorities in adaptation policies, through European planning, regional community programming for 2021-2027, regional plans and strategies of government: opportunities and criticalities.

Agenda here

• Navarra towards the energy transition

Organizers: Department of Economic and Business Development of the Government of Navarra, in cooperation with Regions4

Date: Friday 11th November

Time: 12.00 to 13.30 h – Egypt Standard Time (UTC+02:00)

Place: Spanish Pavillion (Blue zone – Area B, Building 8) (map) – Hybrid event

Description: this will be an excellent opportunity to network, exchange, and engage with our community of regional governments.

· Panelist 1 – Mikel Irujo. Regional Minister for Economic and Business Development. Government of Navarre

· Panelist 2 – Natalia Uribe. Secretary General. Regions4

· Panelist 3 – Gonzalo Sáenz de Miera. Climate change director. Iberdrola

• The world’s Mediterranean climate regions facing the climate emergency: lessons learned and shared solutions 

Organizers: the Government of Catalonia, the Climate Group, in cooperation with Regions4

Participants: Catalonia, South Australia, Under2 Coalition

Date: 11th November

Time:  13.45 – 14.45 h – Egypt Standard Time (UTC+02:00)

Place: Mediterranean Pavillon (Blue zone – Area B, Building 8) (map)

Description: the panel will explore how states and regions with Mediterranean climates worldwide are tackling the climate emergency. Given the similarities in the challenges, opportunities, and solutions put forward, joint action and project implementation are key to becoming more resilient. The panel will share transformative and effective solutions that are advancing climate change adaptation.

Agenda here

Connection link: General audience is to follow the session through the live-streaming links available at http://mediterraneanpavilion.com/

• Resilient communities – Shaping and achieving the Global Goal on Adaptation through sub-national action

Organizers: Committee of the Regions (CoR)

Date: Saturday 12nd November

Time: 11.00-12.00 h (Brussels time)

Place: virtual – join here

Description: The side-event would take a look at how resilient communities can be the building block for developing resilience on a global scale, how local examples can be scaled up to the regional levels and above, and how the EU experience can help shape and achieve an ambitious, but realistic Global Goal on Adaptation.

Agenda  here

• Actions After Impacts: Accelerating Action to address climate losses and damages

Organizers: UN High-Level Climate Champions Team, in collaboration with Regions4

Participants: Jalisco

Date: Monday 14th November

Time: 17:00 – 19:00 – Egypt Standard Time (UTC+02:00)

Place: Lotus Room, Climate Action Zone (map)

Description: Lab Vision – A world where we have reduced loss and damage by getting to net zero and building resilience, and they occur they are addressed and no one is left behind, especially women and girls in developing countries, and where all thrive by 2040

Agenda here

To join remotely:  here

• Energy day: Regions and the hydrogen economy: the hydrogen solution as a vector of energy transition: what role and what challenges for the regions?

Organizers: Organización de Regiones Unidas (Oru Fogar), Auvergne Rhône Alpes Regional Council, Association Internationale des Régions Francophones (AIRF), Regional Council of Rabat Salé Kénitra, in cooperation with Regions4

Participants: Oru-Fogar, RSK, AIRF (Rhones Alpes), Scotland, Paraná, Catalonia, Basque Country

Date: Tuesday 15th November

Time: 16.30 – 18.00 h – Egypt Standard Time (UTC+02:00)

Place: Multi-level Action Pavilion (Blue zone – Area B, Building 8, Pavillon 30 – ICLEI) (map) – Hybrid event

Description: While the implementation of renewable energies is not progressing at the expected pace and greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere continue to grow, regional governments intend to recall their role as territorial governments in the energy transition, in particular by their commitment to renewable energy. Green hydrogen is a vector for the future of this transition both for its electrical storage capacities and as a contributor to the energy sovereignty of the territories. Transport and storage infrastructures among regions are also key issues for the energy transition. Territorial networks are therefore key players in raising awareness of know-how and linking skills and needs. During the event, some regions members of Regions4 (and not only) will present their policies and plans around green hydrogen.

Agenda here

To join remotely: Launch Meeting – Zoom

• Urban Africa in Action at COP27 sessions – Building urban resilience in Africa: Harnessing nature-based solutions

Organizers: ICLEI Africa, in cooperation with Regions4

Participants: Kwa-Zulu Natal

Date: Wednesday 16th November

Time: 10.00 – 12.00 h – Egypt Standard Time (UTC+02:00)

Place: Multi-level Action Pavilion (Blue zone – Area B, Building 8, Pavillon 30 – ICLEI) (map) – Hybrid event

Description: There are increasing calls for African-led climate resilience solutions to be deepened and scaled. Solutions that are context-specific, solutions that benefit from indigenous and scientific knowledge. Kenya is an African country that, like so many others, faces severe climate change impacts. In response to this reality, the Kenyan State Department of Housing and Urban Development has developed the Building Climate Resilience for Urban Poor (BCRUP) Implementation Strategy, which aims to enhance both the adaptive capacity and the socio-economic transformation of the urban poor population. This session will unpack how an African country, working with partners and friends, has charted its own course for climate-resilient development that prioritises the urban poor. We will also hear from other leaders implementing cutting-edge and context-specific solutions on the African continent that build climate resilience

Agenda here

To join remotely: Launch Meeting – Zoom

• The economies of NbS for adaptation

Organizers: The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), in cooperation with Regions4

Participants: Yucatán

Date: Wednesday 16th November

Time:  18:00 – 19:30 h – Egypt Standard Time (UTC+02:00)

Place: LLA Pavilion (map)

Description: NbS can simultaneously help meet the three great interlinked challenges of our time: responding to climate change risks and impacts, protecting biodiversity and ecosystems, and ensuring human well-being and resilience. With the climate crisis putting billions of people potentially in danger, the stakes for making a case and success of nature-based adaptation are immense.

Agenda here

No link to join remotely is available.

•  Marrakesh Partnership, Implementation lab: Actionable Adaptation Plans

Organizers: High-Level Champions and the Marrakech Partnership, led by Cities Race to Resilience, WRI, Cities Climate Finance Leadership Alliance, High-Level Champions’ Team, in cooperation with Regions4

Participants: Sao Paulo

Date: Thursday 17th November

Time: 14.30 – 15.30 h – Egypt Standard Time (UTC+02:00)

Place: Lotus Room, Action Zone (map)

Description: This high-level round table will present case studies of cities and states and regions, that have joined the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience and that have had success in the implementation of adaptation and resilience-building actions, by a) understanding the challenges that cities, states, and regions, face in implementation, b) showcasing the importance of risk and vulnerability assessments for integrating aspects of resilience across urban planning and decision making, and c) demonstrating the importance of Multi-level Governance for enhanced collaboration and resilience building implementation

Agenda here

To join remotely:  here

As the first global initiative to support the acceleration of adaptation by regional governments, RegionsAdapt has been working since its launch at COP21 to strengthen the voice and actions of regions worldwide. Working on adaptation through capacity building, knowledge exchange and cooperation, the initiative has reported annually over 50 plans and 230 adaptation actions.

RegionsAdapt is a unique platform that inspires and supports regional government in developing ambitious adaptation strategies, implementing concrete actions, and transparently reporting on their progress, while actively contributing to building resilience for regions’ most vulnerable communities with a multi-level governance approach. With more than 70 signatory members impacting 300 million citizens RegionsAdapt is mobilising ambition on adaptation worldwide.

As a proud partner of the Race To Resilience, and lead initiative for regions within the campaign, we pledge to:

When regional governments engage with the RegionsAdapt initiative, they demonstrate their leadership in becoming part of the global solution to tackle climate change and automatically become part of the Race to Resilience.

To join the RegionsAdapt community click here, to join the Race to Resilience campaign as a regional government and learn about the commitments click here.

To learn how we can support your government, read the RegionsAdapt Strategy 2021-22.

#WhatsAtState Campaign

The #WhatsAtState campaign is a campaign launched by Regions4 and the Under2 Coalition at COP26 to look at the impact of climate change on regions, providing a voice for regional governments to share their concern and the urgency to act.

In its second edition, this year the campaign focuses on the response and solutions that regions are putting in place to answer the crisis, highlighting the leadership role they are playing in protecting their citizens and territories.

Follow us on Twitter @Regions4 #WhatsAtState campaign, in collaboration with the Under2Coalition, to learn more about regional governments’ actions towards resilience.

Consult our dedicated webpage here.