Interview with UN Climate Change's James Grabert Ahead of LACCF 2017
James Grabert, Director, Sustainable Development Mechanisms, UNFCCC
Success in addressing climate change will require a shift in investment toward clean infrastructure and technologies. Countries in adopting the Paris Climate Change Agreement recognized this, and now look more and more to the private sector and non-state actors for engagement. With less than three weeks to go before the start of this year’s Latin American and Caribbean Carbon Forum (LACCF 2017), UNFCCC Newsroom sat with James Grabert, Director of the Sustainable Development Mechanisms Programme and lead officer of the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action at UN Climate Change, to discuss this year’s event, its importance, and its place in the international response to climate change.
What is the LACCF and why is it an important event?
First let me express heartfelt sympathy and support for the people of Mexico after their recent terrible earthquake. It is a testament to the resilience of Mexico, and Mexico City, that LACCF 2017 will continue as planned. Perhaps its Mexico’s acute understanding of the personal and material cost of natural disasters that sees the country contribute so earnestly to the international response to climate change.
The event coming up in Mexico City is about finding, sharing and pushing for solutions to the central challenge in the international response to climate change: mobilizing investment in climate action, and finding projects worthy of that investment.
This is the eleventh year in a row that LACCF will bring together key people in the region, from the private sector, government and non-governmental organizations. The event brings everyone up to speed on the latest in carbon markets, investment in climate action, including opportunities, and how it all relates to the evolving negotiations under the UN.
I think the biggest benefit, perhaps more than the great plenary and workshop topics, is LACCF’s ability to bring people together – from the private and public sector, and investment community – to help them find one another, and then find their common interests and opportunities.
Again this year, the LACCF and the annual workshop of the Low Emission Development Strategies [LAC] Platform will be held back-to-back, to make Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week. Climate Week in New York just wrapped up. Now it’s time for Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week 2017.
How does the LACCF fit with the international climate negotiations, for example that led to the Paris Climate Change Agreement?
Countries made a breakthrough two years ago with their adoption of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. Countries agreed to keep global temperature rise to below 2 degrees Celsius, a number that science tells us is critical. Countries agreed to make public their individual commitments and plans for achieving those commitments, and, crucially, countries agreed to make their plans more and more ambitious over time.
The agreement is fantastic. However, without investment and private sector action there is little or no hope of success. Governments, the private sector and non-state actors need to understand one another – understand the challenges and how they can work together to solve them. LACCF is an important venue for that understanding to evolve, and real partnerships to form, leading to investment in climate action.
What can we expect from this year’s LACCF?
The LACCF programme [internal link to event programme below] is comprehensive. One plenary title perhaps sums it up best: Mobilizing private investment for climate action. LACCF participants will share the latest on market approaches and market-based mechanisms to incentivize investment, putting a price on carbon, climate action in various sectors, such as transport and agriculture, climate finance for sustainable development, for example in cities, such as through green bonds. As another session title sums it up: Climate finance unlocked.
Thank you
Thank you. I look forward to engaging with everyone at LACCF.
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Why LACCF 2017 is a must-attend event
The Latin American and Caribbean Carbon Forum will bring together for the eleventh consecutive year key players from the private and public sectors to share the state of the art around climate change mitigation, and reach out to cooperating agencies, potential investors and service providers. It is a space where climate aspirations turn into climate action.
Where, when and how
LACCF 2017 will take place at Hilton Reforma Hotel, Juarez Avenue 70, Colonia Centro, Mexico City, on 18-20 October. For more information, including the LACCF detailed programme and information on how to register, see here.
Latin America and Caribbean Carbon Forum Program 2017
Plenaries:
- Mobilizing private investment for climate action
- What role for carbon pricing for delivering on the Paris Agreement?
- Carbon pricing in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC): State and trends
- Getting down to business: Climate action under the Paris Agreement
- Towards achieving 2oC: Information matters!
- Finding and following the trillions: Climate finance unlocked
- Building the vision for climate action
Workshops:
Climate finance
- It’s pilot time! Climate finance and cross-border cooperation in practice
- The promise of REDD: Financing forest conservation and sustainable management
- Auctions for climate results and attracting private capital
- Green bonds and debt instruments: The promise and pitfalls for LAC
Carbon pricing
- Where carbon is taxed: a closer look in the Americas
- Emissions trading: prospects and challenges for linked carbon markets in the region
- Carbon markets under the Paris regime: defining transfer-ready mitigation outcomes
- CORSIA and the future of carbon offset mechanisms
Sectoral climate action
- Pathways for low emissions and sustainable metropolises
- Moving ahead of the curve: Clean mobility for LAC
- Agriculture and climate change: Strategies for resilience and sustainability
- Clean energy strategies in LAC: Keeping up the leadership in alternative energy
Transparency framework
- Implementing the transparency framework: Initiatives and lessons learned
- All in play: Understanding the impact of non-state actors
- From commitment to action: Making sense of climate finance flows
- Accounting and accountability: Towards a credible and robust carbon market
UNFCCC Roundtables
- The CDM in the future mechanism
- Supporting the adoption of carbon pricing instruments
- Strengthening regional collaboration for climate action
Co-organizers:
