December 2024 | CGIAR Climate Impact Platform informs global climate policy processes; briefs the UN Secretary-General, the International Court of Justice, and participates in the IPCC Scoping Meeting 0 CGIAR Climate Impact Platform informs global climate policy processes; briefs the UN Secretary-General, the International Court of Justice, and participates in the IPCC Scoping Meeting By Georgina Smith and Regina Edward – Uwadiale, December 2024 Module 4 of CGIAR's Climate Impact Platform focuses on driving change within global climate processes, a mission that closely aligns with Function 3 and Function 4 of the Platform aimed at enhancing the external visibility of CGIAR's climate science expertise and influencing global climate processes respectively. CGIAR Climate Impact Platform Impact Story 5 December 2024 | CGIAR Climate Impact Platform informs global climate policy processes; briefs the UN Secretary-General, the International Court of Justice, and participates in the IPCC Scoping Meeting 1 Contents Briefing the UN Secretary-General at COP29 on the science of climate change and agri-food systems ...................................................................... 2 Video Message to the UNFCCC on COP29 Official Food and Agriculture Day: Food systems and climate action must work hand in hand ............... 3 Briefing the International Court of Justice on matters relating to state’s responsibility on climate change .................................................................. 3 CGIAR scientists join the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scoping meeting for the new assessment cycle (AR7) .................... 4 UNFCCC appoints two CGIAR experts to formulate Global Goals on Adaptation ....................................................................................................... 5 Scaling impact through science-policy collaboration ................................. 5 December 2024 | CGIAR Climate Impact Platform informs global climate policy processes; briefs the UN Secretary-General, the International Court of Justice, and participates in the IPCC Scoping Meeting 2 At COP29 in Baku, the UN Secretary General, Mr. António Guterres met a delegation of climate and policy scientists including Prof. Sir Jim Skea, the Chair of IPCC, Prof. Jeffrey Sachs of Columbia University, Dr. Aditi Mukherji of the CGIAR among others. Global food systems are under immense pressure from climate change. Rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall, and extreme weather events are disrupting agricultural production, threatening food security, and destabilizing economies. Smallholder farmers, who produce a significant portion of the world’s food, are among the hardest hit, yet they often lack the resources to adapt. Addressing these challenges requires bridging the gap between scientific research and policymaking to implement effective, evidence-based solutions. In 2024, the CGIAR Climate Impact Platform supported efforts to close this gap by connecting scientific insights with global climate policy processes and contributing to these processes. Briefing the UN Secretary-General at COP29 on the science of climate change and agri-food systems As part of this effort, Dr. Aditi Mukherji, the Director of the Platform, briefed United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on the urgent need to adapt agri-food systems to climate realities. At the COP29 climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, the Secretary-General met with a delegation led by the IPCC Chair Jim Skea. CGIAR’s Climate Platform Director, Dr. Aditi Mukherji, along with other leading climate scientists (like Dr. Youba CGIAR Climate Impact Platform Impact Story 5 December 2024 | CGIAR Climate Impact Platform informs global climate policy processes; briefs the UN Secretary-General, the International Court of Justice, and participates in the IPCC Scoping Meeting 3 Sokona, the former Vice Chair of the IPCC, Dr. Adelle Thomas, a current Vice Chair of IPCC), economists and policy experts (like Prof. Jeffrey Sachs, and Lord Nicholas Stern), were a part of this delegation. During this hour-long briefing, Dr. Mukherji emphasized the role of agriculture in climate action, highlighting the need for sustainable practices to mitigate emissions and enhance resilience in food systems. She noted the importance of agriculture as both a challenge and an opportunity for adaptation, underscoring its importance alongside discussions on the emissions gap, carbon budgets, and climate finance. She also focused on the need for a just transition in agriculture, moving to low-emission production pathways while leaving nobody behind. Video Message to the UNFCCC on COP29 Official Food and Agriculture Day: Food systems and climate action must work hand in hand Dr. Mukherji spoke to the media team of the UNFCCC on Agriculture Day at COP 29 and emphasized the need for a just transition in the agri-food sector she said "One of the most important things I feel we need to do in the agri- food system is to move into a low-emission pathway but do it in a just and fair way. So that our smallholder producers and food consumers, who are often affected by higher food prices, are not negatively impacted. Anything that can protect smallholder producers in all countries would go a long way in creating a just and equal society that also deals with the climate crisis.” This video message was posted on the UNFCCC Youtube channel and garnered multiple views. Briefing the International Court of Justice on matters relating to state’s responsibility on climate change The International Court of Justice (ICJ) held landmark hearings from December 2 to 13, 2024, focusing on the legal responsibilities of states under international law to address climate change. This unprecedented process, led by small island nations facing existential risks, marks a significant step in global climate governance. Triggered by a UN General Assembly resolution, the hearings included representatives from 96 countries and 11 regional organizations. A group of IPCC experts led by Chair Jim Skea, provided critical evidence on climate change impacts, including risks to Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The IPCC scientists, led by IPCC Chair Jim Skea, include Robert Vautard (AR7 Working Group I Co-Chair), Nana Ama Browne Klutse (AR7 Working Group I Vice-Chair), Valérie Masson-Delmotte (AR6 Co-Chair of the Working Group I), Friederike Otto (AR6 Working Group I Chapter 11 Lead Author), Tannecia Stephenson (AR6 Working Group I Chapter 10 Lead Author), Aditi Mukherji (AR6 Working Group II Chapter 4 Coordinating Lead Author), Alaa Al Khourdajie (AR6 Working Group III Contributing Author) and William Lamb (AR6 Working Group III Contributing Author). The testimony highlighted findings from IPCC reports, emphasizing adaptation and mitigation options. The hearings coincided with criticism from Pacific island nations over the inadequate $300 billion annual climate finance target set at COP29. Dr. Mukherji also reiterated the importance of adequate climate finance in an interview with the DW News from the sidelines of the Baku Climate Conference. With deliberations now underway, the ICJ is expected to deliver its advisory opinion in 2025. While the opinion is not legally binding and cannot compel nations to act, it holds immense legal and political significance. It is poised to shape the trajectory of climate change litigation globally, particularly in cases where Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are pursuing compensation from developed nations for historical climate-related damages. https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/profile/nicholas-stern/ https://hdl.handle.net/10568/169070 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/169070 https://www.ipcc.ch/2024/11/25/ipcc-icj/ https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/02/icj-un-climate-change-case-pacific-nations https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/dec/02/icj-un-climate-change-case-pacific-nations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=555ijxkL4Ew December 2024 | CGIAR Climate Impact Platform informs global climate policy processes; briefs the UN Secretary-General, the International Court of Justice, and participates in the IPCC Scoping Meeting 4 CGIAR scientists join the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) scoping meeting for the new assessment cycle (AR7) 3 CGIAR scientists participated in the IPCC Scoping Meeting in Kuala Lumpur in December 2024. This meeting was attended by over 200 experts and scientists from around the world. CGIAR is an observer organization of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), granting it the right to nominate experts to participate in IPCC processes. Following the establishment of the CGIAR Climate Impact Platform, the Platform has been tasked with coordinating and managing this nomination process for CGIAR scientists. In January 2024, the IPCC approved the scope of scientific reports for its Seventh Assessment Cycle, including a report focused on revising the 1994 IPCC Technical Guidelines on impacts and adaptation, as well as adaptation indicators, metrics, and guidelines. The IPCC subsequently invited observer organizations to nominate experts to contribute to drafting the outline for the Working Group contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report (AR7). In response, the CGIAR Climate Impact Platform launched a transparent, CGIAR-wide call for expressions of interest, ensuring broad participation from CGIAR scientists and actively engaging the Climate Community of Practice. Scientists from over six CGIAR centers responded to this call and submitted their applications to the Platform for onward submission to the IPCC. Since the final selection of experts’ rests with the IPCC, the Platform’s role focused on facilitating a fair and inclusive internal nomination process. Of the ten CGIAR nominees, three scientists—Dr. Augusto Castro-Nunez, Dr. Mastawesha Misganaw Engdaw, and Dr. Aditi Mukherji—were selected by the IPCC to attend the AR7 Scoping Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from December 9 to 13, 2024. They joined over 220 experts and IPCC Bureau Members from more than 70 countries to develop the outline for AR7. This meeting marked a critical step in shaping the next global climate assessment, with CGIAR scientists playing an integral role in bringing key insights and research to the forefront. CGIAR’s contributions to the IPCC extended even before AR7. Dr. Aditi Mukherji, Director of the CGIAR Climate Impact Platform, has significantly contributed to IPCC efforts. In 2023, she served as the Coordinating Lead Author for the Water chapter in Working Group II of the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report (AR6) and was part of the core writing team for the Synthesis Report. Dr. Mukherji was one of six scientists who unveiled the final AR6 Synthesis Report at a press conference in Interlaken, Switzerland, on March 20, 2023, alongside Prof. Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC. The CGIAR Climate Platform has also coordinated CGIAR’s nomination process for the IPCC’s 2027 Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers (SLCFs). In December 2024, CGIAR scientist Sylvia Sarah Nyawira, from the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT, was selected as a Lead Author for this report. She https://www.ipcc.ch/apps/contact/interface/organizationall.php https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139555 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139555 https://hdl.handle.net/10568/139555 December 2024 | CGIAR Climate Impact Platform informs global climate policy processes; briefs the UN Secretary-General, the International Court of Justice, and participates in the IPCC Scoping Meeting 5 will contribute to Volume 4 (AFOLU), Chapter 5, focusing on Managed Soils, a critical area for addressing the impacts of short-lived climate pollutants in agriculture and land use. The report process, initiated at the 61st IPCC Session in Sofia, Bulgaria, will include four Lead Author meetings, beginning in Bilbao, Spain, in March 2025, and is set for acceptance in 2027. UNFCCC appoints two CGIAR experts to formulate Global Goals on Adaptation CGIAR also holds nomination rights to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), with the CGIAR Climate Impact Platform leading and coordinating this process. In 2024, the Platform employed its established transparent and inclusive approach, nominating two scientists and forwarding their applications to the UNFCCC for final selection. These two scientists—Dr. Aditi Mukherji of the CGIAR Climate Impact Platform and Dr. Lucy Njuguna of the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT —were among 78 experts appointed by the UNFCCC to refine the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) indicators. The GGA effort focuses on seven thematic targets and the adaptation policy cycle, aiming to establish robust metrics for measuring progress toward climate resilience. As part of this globally balanced team, they will help refine critical indicators for measuring progress towards climate resilience, ensuring the framework is inclusive, data-driven, and reflective of indigenous knowledge systems. Scaling impact through science-policy collaboration Through the Climate Impact Platform, CGIAR has established itself as an integral part of major global climate processes, including the UNFCCC and the IPCC. It leverages its science to inform decisions at the highest international levels, directly influencing global climate policy and actions. Building on these achievements, the Platform aims to expand its Climate community of experts, produce high- impact reports, and amplify CGIAR researchers' involvement in international frameworks like the IPCC and UNFCCC. By actively participating in these processes, CGIAR’s scientists are shaping the climate agenda, ensuring that CGIAR science and research contribute to the highest levels of decision-making to promote equity in policymaking. https://www.linkedin.com/in/aditi-mukherji-696bbb2b/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/cgiar/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlucynjuguna/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/bioversity-international/ https://www.youtube.com/live/eU2pvgum3vY https://www.youtube.com/live/eU2pvgum3vY December 2024 | CGIAR Climate Impact Platform informs global climate policy processes; briefs the UN Secretary-General, the International Court of Justice, and participates in the IPCC Scoping Meeting 6 Aditi Mukherji, Platform Director - Climate Adaptation & Mitigation Impact Area, A.mukherji@cgiar.org CGIAR is a global research partnership for a food-secure future. CGIAR science is dedicated to transforming food, land, and water systems in a climate crisis. Its research is carried out by 13 CGIAR Centers in close collaboration with hundreds of partners, including national and regional research institutes, civil society organizations, academia, development organizations and the private sector. www.cgiar.org We would like to thank all funders who support this research through their contributions to the CGIAR Trust Fund: www.cgiar.org/funders. To learn more about this Initiative, please visit this webpage. To learn more about this and other Initiatives in the CGIAR Research Portfolio, please visit www.cgiar.org/cgiar-portfolio © 2024 Climate Impact Area Platform. Some rights reserved. 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