Climate Ambition Summit
20 September 2023, United Nations Headquarters, New York
Against the backdrop of the worsening climate crisis, the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Ambition Summit aimed to showcase “first mover and doer” leaders from government, business, finance, local authorities, and civil society who came with credible actions, policies and plans – and not just pledges – to accelerate the decarbonization of the global economy and deliver climate justice in line with his Acceleration Agenda.
“If these first-doers and first-movers can do it, everybody can do it,” the Secretary-General said in his closing remarks, calling it a “Summit of Hope.”
By demonstrating that tangible and ambitious action to credibly cut emissions and deliver climate justice was possible and practical, the Summit showcased a way forward: the alignment of sectoral, local, national and international plans and policies with credible and scienced-backed targets to accelerate decarbonization, advance climate justice and fairness, with unprecedented levels of coordination and cooperation, and a renewed focus on credibility and accountability.
Chair's summary
Watch
10:00 a.m. EDT: Opening
1:15 p.m. EDT: Convening on Loss and Damage
2:00 p.m. EDT: Thematic Sessions
5:30 p.m. EDT: Closing
Thematic sessions:
Three tracks
The design and outcomes of the Summit will be delivered on three distinct but interrelated acceleration tracks – ambition, credibility and implementation.
Ambition
Government leaders (especially major emitters) will be expected to present updated pre-2030 Nationally Determined Contributions (as agreed in Glasgow); updated net-zero targets; energy transition plans with commitments to no new coal, oil and gas; fossil fuel phase-out plans; more ambitious renewable-energy targets; Green Climate Fund pledges; and economy-wide plans on adaptation and resilience. Finally, all main emitters and notably all G20 governments will be asked to commit to presenting, by 2025, more ambitious economy-wide Nationally Determined Contributions featuring absolute emissions cuts and covering all gases.
Credibility
Leaders of businesses, cities, regions and financial institutions will be expected to present transition plans aligned with the UN-backed credibility standard presented in the “Integrity Matters” report commissioned by the UN Secretary-General. This standard for voluntary net-zero pledges is the only existing one fully aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5°C degrees. It calls for 2025 and 2030 targets, coverage of scope 3 emissions, just transition plans to stop and phase out fossil fuels, actual emissions cuts without using offsets, and a commitment to publicly advocate for science-based climate action.
Implementation
Leaders of governments, international and regional organizations and financial institutions, the private sector and civil society will present existing or emerging implementation partnerships addressing challenges and opportunities related to accelerating the decarbonization of high-emitting sectors (energy, shipping, aviation, steel, cement) or on delivering climate justice (reform of the international financial system, early warning systems, adaptation, loss and damage).
A Chair’s Summary will present the main outcomes of the Summit.
Further Information
Now must be the time for ambition and action. I look forward to welcoming first movers and doers at my Climate Ambition Summit in September. The world is watching – and the planet can’t wait.”
ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, United Nations Secretary-General
