Appendix


I. International fund for renewable energy development

  1. During the panel discussion, Eamon Ryan highlighted the need to massively scale up renewable energy investments in developing countries (like in the African continent), emphasising that only 2.2-2.8 trillion is needed annually and most is not currently being directed to developing regions.

  2. He also stressed the importance of addressing climate change at its roots through basic clean energy access provision for vulnerable communities in places facing climate impacts. Lastly, ambitious emissions reductions require every community and region to be empowered to be part of the climate solutions through investments in areas like renewable power infrastructure.

  3. Case study for reference: Global Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (GEEREF): Bringing clean power to developing countries and fighting climate change with equity investments. 

    Advised by the European Investment Bank Group, GEEREF is an innovative Fund-of-Funds designed to attract private sector capital for clean energy projects in developing countries and transitioning economies. Initiated by the European Commission in 2006 and launched in 2008 with €112 million from the European Union, Germany, and Norway, GEEREF invests in private equity funds focusing on renewable energy and energy efficiency in emerging markets. These funds target infrastructure projects that produce clean power using proven, low-risk technologies. GEEREF has invested in 15 funds across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. The investment period ended in May 2019, and it is now fully invested.

    Source: https://geeref.com/ 

  4. Case study for reference: Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI): African-led policy decision for Africa to increase and accelerate the domestication of the continent's renewable energy potential.

    Under the mandate of the African Union, approved by the Heads of State, AREI has a Board of Directors, chaired by H.E. President Alpha Condé, President of the Republic of Guinea, President Coordinator of Energy for the Continent.

    The initiative aims to achieve at least 10 GW of new and additional renewable energy production capacity by 2020, and to mobilize all partners to develop Africa's potential to produce at least 300 GW by 2030. Source: https://www.arei.info/infoandstrategy 

II. Public education campaigns

The UN Climate Change (UNFCCC) has published “5 Ways Changing Your Diet Can be a Climate Action” (source: https://unfccc.int/news/5-ways-changing-your-diet-can-be-a-climate-action). These principles can serve as the foundation for internationally recognized standards, guiding public education campaigns on sustainable dietary choices:

  1. Buy Local

  2. Grow Your Own

  3. Avoid Excess Packaging

  4. Eat Less Meat

  5. Measure What You Eat 

III. Synthetic fuel pathways and next-gen battery technologies

During the panel discussion, it was discussed how aviation, steel production and other industries need to switch to synthetic fuels, but no projects are currently operating at scale despite much discussion. 

Aviation and heavy industry significantly contribute to emissions yet rely on liquid fossil fuels. Existing technologies cannot power planes and ships sustainably. Transitioning these sectors off fossil fuels by 2030 supports the Paris Agreement's goal.

Sources of advancements:

  1. European Union: https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/projects/success-stories/all/developing-next-generation-batteries-electric-vehicles 

  2. UK Research and Innovation: https://www.ukri.org/news/creating-next-generation-batteries-for-electric-vehicles/ 

  3. SME: https://www.sme.org/technologies/articles/2023/august/developing-next-gen-ev-batteries-with-advanced-simulation-tools/ 

IV. Storytelling and public engagement. Understanding systemic factors that contribute to climate change.

During the panel discussion, Eamon Ryan defended that storytellers are needed to keep the public engaged and motivated to demand climate action from political leaders to achieve the scale of response that science says is required. He noted the tide of public interest in climate solutions fluctuates over time. So storytelling capacity is huge for sustaining momentum on ambitious climate policies and securing the large financing needs to tackle the crisis.

  1. The Global Climate Storytelling Initiative could take inspiration from organizations like Climate Outreach which provide training and resources for climate communicators worldwide.

  2. Climate Outreach are leading experts in climate change communications, aiming to ensure impacts are understood, accepted and acted upon across society (https://climateoutreach.org/) 

  3. Additionally, it is important to educate about the systemic factors that contribute to climate change, complicate efforts to address it, or disproportionately impact certain groups of people. Part of this education could involve illuminating systemic drivers of the crisis and how they exacerbate existing inequalities. 

    Although climate change poses risks to everyone, those most severely affected are often the least responsible for its causes and the least capable of protecting themselves: people in low-income and marginalized countries and communities. Tackling the health impacts of climate change necessitates a focus on equity: those contributing the most to emissions should shoulder the greatest burden for mitigation and adaptation efforts, emphasizing health equity and prioritizing vulnerable groups. Climate change is eroding many key social determinants of health, such as economic stability, equality, access to healthcare, and social support systems. These climate-sensitive health risks are disproportionately experienced by the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups, including women, children, ethnic minorities, impoverished communities, migrants or displaced individuals, older adults, and those with preexisting health conditions.

    Source: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health