DNV GL expert appointed to UN working group on climate change adaptation
Bente Pretlove, head of the Climate Change Programme in DNV GL’s Technology & Research unit says, “We are thrilled for Asun, and proud that a member of our team is active at the very highest level globally on climate change adaptation. This is a richly deserved appointment for Asun, who was a lead author for the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report. She has long experience on the interface between poverty, development and climate change, and currently works on climate change services for the private sector. Her appointment presents an excellent opportunity for DNV GL to share insights and strategies on key issues related to business and climate action.”
The UNFCCC Adaptation Committee
The Adaptation Committee, created in 2011, is the overall advisory body to the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on adaptation to climate change. It is tasked with promoting and supporting action on adaptation, including tasks such as providing technical support to countries, sharing of best practices, monitoring actions and review processes, and promoting synergies and strengthening engagement with multiple stakeholders.
The Paris Agreement, which entered into force on 4th November 2016, makes the work of the Adaptation Committee central for climate action. The Paris Agreement sets requirements for transparency and the disclosure of strategies for the identification of climate risks, as well as actions taken by governments to address those risks. This has led to the creation of a working group exclusively dedicated to the so-called “technical examination process” on adaptation.
Working Group for the Technical Examination Process on Adaptation
The Working Group for the Technical Examination Process on Adaptation (referred to as TEP-A) has the mandate to “identify concrete opportunities for strengthening resilience, reducing vulnerabilities and increasing the understanding and implementation of adaptation actions.”
This mandate will be fulfilled by:
Facilitating the sharing of good practices, experiences and lessons learned;
Identifying actions that could significantly enhance the implementation of adaptation actions, including actions that could enhance economic diversification and have mitigation co-benefits;
Promoting cooperative action on adaptation; and
Identifying opportunities to strengthen enabling environments and enhance the provision of support for adaptation in the context of specific policies, practices and actions.
The working group is composed of 8 members of the Adaption Committee and includes political representatives of different countries, representatives from key UNFCCC committees and representatives from each of three key non-state actor constituencies: research, civil society, and business and industry.
A central message of the first technical paper of this committee is: While the private sector is increasingly engaged in adaptation efforts, stronger linkages between the private and public sectors could further support the acceleration of adaptation action. Further work is also needed to improve the understanding of the private sector’s full potential in addressing adaptation (Adaptation Committee Technical Examination Process Paper 2016).
“As a business and industry (BINGO) representative in this committee I am especially aware of the need to reflect the interests of business as key actors in resilience and adaptation,” says Asun St Clair. “So far, there has been little interaction between the private sector and the UNFCCC community on adaptation. I see this is a great opportunity to bring into the discussions how business can contribute not only to their own resilience but societal resilience.”
