This memo takes stock of the current state of climate action by sub- and non-state actors, focusing on efforts to orchestrate a groundswell of action in support of the UNFCCC process. It aims to give public and private funders an overview of the ‘ecosystem’ of actors and institutions around these efforts to inform funding strategies for the 2017-2020 timeframe in order to strengthen sub- and non-state climate action.
The ‘groundswell’ of climate action from cities, states and provinces, businesses, civil society groups, and other sub- and non-state actors has grown into a significant component of the international climate regime. In fact, it has been shown that these commitments have the potential to avoid as much carbon emissions into the atmosphere as all pledges made by national governments under the Paris Agreement. The recently formed Marrakech Partnership aims to channel this groundswell of climate action into a powerful tool for driving ambition in the UNFCCC process. It will do so by ensuring the coordination, orchestration, tracking and analysis of existing efforts, thereby maximizing the cumulative impact of all individual actions.
