On 12 December 2017, two years to the day from the adoption of the Paris Agreement at COP21, President Emmanuel Macron of France co-convened the One Planet Summit, in partnership with the World Bank Group and the UN Secretary-General. The Summit opened a new process of global knowledge-sharing, finance re-commitment, and climate-smart innovation, to speed the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
The Summit was attended by thousands of non-Party stakeholders and more than 50 heads of state and senior government ministers. The work product of the Summit was:
- The launch of a One Planet Coalition, to keep connecting and scaling up the work needed to meet the Paris Agreement’s goals.
- The delivery of 12 Transformational Commitments to innovate or scale up climate-smart finance through various strategies.
- The sharing of 20 Projects for Our Planet, through the Climate Agora, open to Summit attendees.
- The convening of Side Events and Working Sessions on issues related to the One Planet Summit’s areas of focus.
- The creation of new Climate Action Collaborations between attendees and Coalition partners.
Citizens’ Climate Education, the Geoversiv Foundation, and the International Centre for Dialogue and Peacebuilding, in collaboration with the Norwegian Nobel Institute and the Kingdom of Morocco, convened a Working Dialogue on Resilience Intel at the Embassy of Morocco in Paris, the day after the One Planet Summit.
Here, we outline in brief 12 transformational commitments announced at the Summit…
Commitment 1: Responding to Extreme Events in Island States
Rebuilding the Caribbean — Mobilisation of USD 3 billion in a public-private partnership within an 8 billion investment plan to make the Caribbean the first Climate Smart Zone.
Commitment 2: Protecting Land & Water Against Climate Change
- $300 million for the Land Degradation Neutrality Fund to restore deserted land — Press release – Land Degradation Neutrality Fund
- Launch of the “Tropical Landscape Financing Facility” — Press release – Tropical Landscape UNEP BNP Paribas
- A $650 million financing programme for research to help smallholder farmers adapt to climate change — Press release – Agronomical research, Gates Foundation
- Creation of the 100 Water and Climate Projects for Africa funding platform — Statement – 100 Water & Climate Projects in Africa
Commitment 3: Mobilizing Researchers & Young People to Work for the Climate
$15 million for the One Planet Fellowship for young African and European researchers
The Gates Foundation and the BNP Paribas Foundation are joining forces for $15 million over five years to enable young researchers from Africa and Europe to be hosted in international laboratories.
Launch of the “European Solidarity Corps” for the climate, with €40 million
The European Commission will fund a programme to encourage young European volunteers to participate in climate-related projects in Europe and around the world.
Commitment 4: Public Procurement & Local Government Access to Green Finance
Global Urbis — common framework for cities to simplify access to climate financing
Under the initiative of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the Global Covenant of Mayors, the European Commission and the European Investment Bank, the “Global Urbis” programme will provide easier access for cities and regions in Europe and the Mediterranean Basin to public and private funds to implement their climate plan and thus speed up their transformation to sustainable cities.
Alliance of cities and regions for low-carbon public procurement
The C40, a network of 90 metropolitan areas, the Global Covenant of Mayors, United Cities and Local Governments and Local Governments for Sustainability have joined forces to launch green public procurement contracts (sustainable infrastructures, green mobility, zero-emissions housing, energy efficiency etc.) in an agreed framework.
- Press release – Global covenant of Mayors
- Press release – Global covenant of Mayors and World Bank
- Urban Investment Support for Cities
Commitment 5: Zero Emissions Targets
Towards Carbon Neutrality coalition
16 countries and 32 cities commit to reach carbon neutrality by 2050, initiated by Marshall Islands and New Zealand
Launch of the Paris Collaborative on Green Budgeting
OECD and a group of countries including France, Sweden, Mexico and Canada will pilot a new framework for presenting budgets that indicate the ecology and climate aspects in all their forms — public expenditure for the ecological transition, clean taxes, green bonds etc.
Creation of a Climate Observatory in Space
To provide States and the scientific community with all the space data necessary for monitoring the health of our planet, providing access to interoperable space-based earth observation data will be a significant step forward in the earth monitoring system.
Commitment 6: Sectoral Shifts toward a Decarbonized Economy
- Powering Past Coal alliance — Statement – Powering past coal
- European Commission conversion fund for coal-intensive regions — EU – Structural Support Action for Coal and Carbon Intensive Regions
- International Solar Alliance — Aims to raise $1 trillion by 2030 from public and private investors. Two years after its unveiling by India and France at COP21, the International Solar Alliance came into force in December 2017.
Commitment 7: Zero Pollution Transport
8 countries and 10 partners commit to decarbonized transport and clean mobility solutions
Eight countries including Portugal, the Netherlands, Costa Rica and France, supported by the stakeholders of the Paris Process on Mobility and Climate (PPMC) platform, are creating an alliance to work together on roadmaps towards decarbonizing transport and increasing investment in clean transport.
34 countries pledge to reduce maritime transport emissions
The “Tony de Brum” declaration receives support of some 34 States, calling for ambitious progress on the International Maritime Organization to regulate CO2 emissions relating to maritime transport.
Partnership of eight western US states for electric vehicles
The partnership for the Regional Electric Vehicle Plan for the West (“REV West Plan”) brings together eight federated US states: Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.
Commitment 8: Toward Carbon Pricing Compatible with Paris Agreement Goals
Commitments by several countries to a more significant carbon price
The Environment and Climate Ministers of France, Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom welcome recent European Council agreements on reform of the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme. They also commit to examining, or even implementing in some cases, a significant carbon price in relevant sectors.
Launch of Carbon pricing for the Americas
Mexico launched a regional collaboration on carbon pricing in the Americas: Canada, Colombia, Chile, México and States of California, Washington, Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Quebec.
Announcement by China of the unification of its carbon market
Today, China launched its national cap and trade carbon market which stands as a major progress for carbon pricing worldwide.
Call by businesses for carbon pricing
A coalition of more than 40 companies led by the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) is calling for a carbon price in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement, in accordance with the recommendations of the Stern-Stiglitz High-Level Commission on Carbon Prices.
Commitment 9: Actions of Central Banks & Businesses
Commitment of 200+ businesses support the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD)
10+ central banks and supervisors launch the network “Greening the Financial System”
Commitment 10: International Mobilization of Development Banks
More than 30 public development banks commit to align their financing with the Paris Agreement
A Joint IDFC-MDB Declaration was adopted during the One Planet Summit between the 23 national and regional development banks from the International Development Finance Club (IDFC) (such as Brazil, China, France, Germany etc.) and multilateral development banks to increase funding dedicated to the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
These banks commit specifically to:
- further embed climate change considerations within their strategies and activities
- redirect financial flows in support of transitions towards low-carbon and climate resilient sustainable development
- support the implementation of national contributions and preparation of long term decarbonised trajectories by 2050
- promote the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, including through putting in place more explicit policies to significantly reduce reliance on fossil fuels and rapidly accelerate financing for renewables.
Commitment 11: Action by Sovereign Funds
Creation of the working group One Planet Sovereign Wealth Funds: 6 of the largest sovereign wealth funds create an ESG framework (environmental, social and governance) to guide their investment decision
Sovereign funds hold assets which could reach over $15 trillion by 2020. At the initiative of the President of the French Republic, Kuwait, Norway, Qatar, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are launching an unprecedented coalition of large sovereign funds in support of climate action. The initiative will be coordinated by France.
Commitment 12: Mobilizing Institutional Investors
Climate Action 100+ coalition
The “Climate Action 100+” coalition was launched during the One Planet Summit. It brings together 225 major institutional investors representing more than $26 trillion in managed assets to coordinate their actions as regards the 100 highest-emitting public companies.
$1 billion Energy Breakthrough Coalition
- At the One Planet Summit, Breakthrough Energy Coalition announces an expansion from its group of 27 individual investors to include a broad network of world leading banks, funds, energy producers, and technology companies committed to commercializing innovative zero-carbon energy technologies.
- Breakthrough Energy Ventures, the US$1 Billion fund created by the BEC, announced its initial technical focus areas for investment, which are Grid Scale Storage, Mini-Grids, Liquid Fuels, Building Materials, and Geothermal.
- Press release – $1bn Energy Breakthrough Coalition
Coalition of 10+ philanthropists working to improve climate action finance and to develop new investment mechanisms
During the One Planet Summit, some 15 philanthropists launched a task force to mobilize philanthropy to contribute to the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
