The programme aims to tackle challenges posed by climate change, sustainable urbanisation, growing emissions and explore viable adaptation potentials. Starting in Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda and Zimbabwe, the programme aims to spread to other countries/regions and strive towards long term cooperation between the partner countries and Swedish authorities.
The purpose of this global capacity development programme is to contribute to better official statistics on emissions and removals of green house gases (GHG) in the partner countries. It also aims at improving the capacity of relevant administrations to develop processes for inclusive planning of sustainable urbanisation with a climate and ecosystem service perspective. By strengthening the institutional capacity in relevant governmental institutions on climate mitigation and adaptation including sustainable urbanisation – particularly poor and vulnerable people are benefitted. Funded by Sida for an initial 4-year period (2019 – 2022) the programme takes its starting point in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Climate change and urbanisation are closely related due to the high level of urbanisation. Urban areas are important contributors to emissions of carbon dioxide. Several NDCs (National Determined Contributions) under the Paris Agreement refer to urban issues. In order to follow up the NDCs there is a need to collect data on a continuous basis. The better data there is, the possibilities of making more informed decisions are enhanced and reporting within the Paris agreement will be favoured.
These strengthened capacity is key element in mitigation, adaptation, urban planning and governance measures. The countries will be able to better choose their actions, apply for funding of measures and follow up on changes due to measures.
The participants belong mostly to those administrations with a mandate of producing climate resilience data, and promoting measures for climate change mitigation and adaptation in diverse sectors including the environment, agriculture, water management, urban planning, statistics, transport, energy, etc.
Besides SLU, the Swedish implementing partners include: the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Statistics Sweden, the Swedish Energy Agency, the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute; and the National Board of Housing, Building and Planning. The programme is closely linked to activities under the Partnership on Transparency in the Paris Agreement and to Cities Alliance.
The organisation of the programme is designed to fit the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and mostly the goals:
11 – Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
13 – Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
16 – Promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels
