The Climate Action Roadmaps for Buildings and Construction side event, organized by GlobalABC and the Cooling Coalition in partnership with CTCN, UN-Habitat, and UNOPS, addresses the critical need for decarbonizing the buildings and construction sector, responsible for 37% of global CO₂ emissions.
The IPCC Climate Change 2023 Synthesis Report highlights that technologies to limit global warming to 1.5°C already exist; the challenge is in building robust National Systems of Innovation (NSI) to support research, development, deployment (RD&D), and effective technology transfer. In line with the Paris Agreement, collaborative RD&D fosters innovation through partnerships between technology providers and recipient countries.
The Gender Just Climate Solutions Awards celebrate and elevate the voices of frontline environmental defenders who champion gender equality and women’s rights as core elements in their response to the climate crisis. Held during global climate negotiations, this high-level event shines a spotlight on locally driven, gender-just climate solutions, with an aim to provide mentorship and scale-up opportunities in partnership with civil society and UN climate networks.
Innovation and technology are crucial for accelerating climate change mitigation and adaptation worldwide. While effective solutions are increasingly available, the focus must now shift to broad, rapid implementation.
The Borjomi-Kharagauli National Park in Georgia faces threats from uncontrolled forest fires, exacerbated by climate change. This project implements an integrated monitoring and early warning system for forest fire detection using innovative remote sensing tools. This aims to protect the park's ecosystems and biodiversity by enabling timely and effective fire prevention and response, enhancing the resilience to climate-related hazards.
Areas of Burundi are exposed to both floods during the rainy season and droughts during the dry season, both worsened by climate change and destroying crops. To address this, SLAMDAM, a low-cost, climate resilient, and easily replicable solution of water-filled rubber barriers was deployed, to stop damage from flooding and store water for use during droughts.
Mali faces a growing energy crisis as deforestation accelerates due to high reliance on biomass for cooking, particularly in rural areas. Women, who are primarily responsible for cooking, must travel increasingly longer distances to collect firewood, exposing them to dangers in areas with growing insecurity. The urban population also depends on wood and charcoal, placing an economic burden on households. This project introduces locally manufactured solar cooking technologies as a sustainable, cost-effective solution to this growing problem.
