Olusegun Ariyo
At the UN Climate Change Conference COP29 held November 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the UNFCCC’s six Regional Collaboration Centers (RCCs) were recognized as key drivers of real-world climate action, thanks to their vital role in capacity building, technical assistance and strategic networking.
Participants at one of the RCCs events at COP29 in Baku. Photo credit: UN Climate Change
Through a series of 13 events at COP29, the RCCs brought together governments, private sector representatives, Indigenous Peoples and non-governmental organisations to share regional insights on addressing climate change and connect local needs with international policy frameworks.
These events included the RCCs Annual Global Forum, highlighting the achievements, challenges, and priorities of the work of all six RCCs in 2024 while setting the stage for regional priorities in 2025. A high-level event on engaging the private sector from different regions of the world focused on the implementation of national climate plans (nationally determined contributions, NDCs).
“For us to keep 1.5 alive, we need to turn the incremental progress we have seen so far into exponential climate action on the ground, in the real economy and in every country of the world,” said Noura Hamladji, UN Climate Change Deputy Executive Secretary, speaking at the high-level event.
“We simply cannot achieve the scale of transformation that is needed without the technical innovation, the financial capacity, the operational agility that the private sector brings to the table… After all, we know that implementation is always a collective task,” added Hamladji.
COP29 also included interactive sessions on NDC design and implementation in several regions, transformative adaptation in Asia-Pacific, the operationalisation of Article 6 in Latin America, and access to climate finance for African innovators.
Another Event at COP29 highlighted the work and achievements of the six RCCs in collaboration with the wider UN system and other multilateral, regional and local organizations, to support countries in boosting climate action, raising national ambition and increasing resilience.
RCCs: fostering climate collaboration and action at the regional level
For more than a decade, the six UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centres have helped drive climate action and enabled countries to develop and achieve their climate action goals through capacity building, technical assistance and fostering collaboration within their regions. The RCCs also bridge global strategies to local contexts and ensure that local voices are heard in global decision-making processes, promoting equitable, effective climate solutions.
“Isolated action cannot compete with aggregated and integrated action, which is why RCCs were originally created, in partnership with like-minded organizations, to support countries,” said James Grabert, Director of UN Climate Change’s Mitigation Division.
In 2024, the RCCs focused on fostering networks and engaging partners to organise regional events. This helped countries benefit from diverse fields of expertise, exchange information on specific topics to increase their knowledge base and receive targeted technical support.
“There is a lot of really incredible work happening with the RCCs, helping to be a bit of the glue at the regional level and bringing partners together in support for countries,” said Jennifer Baumwall, Head of Climate Strategies and Policy, UNDP.
“Regional collaboration has allowed for the emergence of solutions and the ability to learn from the experiences of other countries,” said Mirey Atallah, Chief of UNEP’s Adaptation and Resilience Branch, Climate Change Division.
By bringing together networks and partners, RCCs facilitate the Paris Agreement’s implementation and ensure that local voices are heard in global decision-making processes.
“We would like to see UN Agencies and other partners coming to our region – not to set up their programmes, but to support the ones we have already established, such as the Pacific Climate Change Centre and Weather Ready Pacific,” said Sefanaia Nawadra, Director General, Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.
By coordinating with regional entities, the RCCs have become indispensable agents for advancing climate action, supporting the application of global strategies to local contexts. The RCCs are ensuring that the Paris Agreement is not just a framework but an actionable plan for communities, driving real-world results. They prove that regional collaboration is more than a tool—it is a cornerstone of effective climate governance and accelerated action.
“The journey towards a resilient and sustainable future doesn’t only hinge on the regulatory frameworks but on dynamic partnerships that empower private enterprises to contribute meaningfully to our climate goals,” said Analiza Rebuelta-Teh, Undersecretary of the Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources, addressing the high-level event.
