Universities Network for Climate Capacity (UNCC)

DRAFT FOR FEEDBACK

Prepared and initiated by Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and University of Cadi Ayyad, Marrakech

Background

Article 11 on Capacity Building of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change which as adopted at the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21) in Paris, France in 2015, brought a new paradigm on capacity building to tackle climate change , namely an emphasis on the need for each and every country to build both awareness as well as capacity of its citizens to tackle the long term global problem of human induced climate change through both mitigation as well as adaptation actions. Hence the emphasis has now shifted from short term capacity building to long term capacity building. It further mandated the creation of the Paris Committee for Capacity Building (PCCB). At COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco in 2016 the PCCB was constituted and will have its first meeting in Bonn in May 2017. During COP22 in Marrakech the Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB) and the University of Cadi Ayyad in Morocco held a side event to discuss the role of Universities in implementing Article 11 of the Paris Committee. Also the Research and Independent NGOs (RINGOs) group, along with IUB and the UNFCCC Secretariat, held another side event on the same topic.There was overwhelming support from many students and faculty of universities from both developed as well as developing countries to set up a network of universitiesto support implementation of the Capacity Building Article of the Paris Agreement, as well as the PCCB.

Proposal

This proposal is to build on the situation described above and set up a Network of Universities from all countries to support the PCCB to be called the Universities Network for Climate Capacity (UNCC).

Proposed Objectives

1. To stimulate cooperation and collaboration among people in universities and other institutions that are engaged in capacity building on topics relevant to tackling climate change.

2. To enable those universities that need further capacity on any relevant topic, to acquire such additional capacity through collaboration with other network members.

3. To engage with and support the Paris Committee for Capacity Building (PCCB) of the UNFCCC as well as implement Article 11 on Capacity Building of the Paris Agreement

4. Develop and implement research, education, training and climate communication capacity building programmes that promote long term climate change response actions at local, national and international levels

Proposed organization of the network

The network will be led and managed by a Management team (to be decided)

 

Initial Proposed Management team

Name of the University	Contact Person	Country
Independent University, Bangladesh(IUB)	Saleemul Huq	Bangladesh
University of Cadi Ayyad	Mohamed Messouli	Morocco
University of Colorado at Boulder	Marilyn Averill	USA
Brown University	J. Timmons Roberts	USA
Oregon State University	Greg Walker	USA
Imperial College London	Alyssa Gilbert	UK
Johns Hopkins University	Naveeda Khan	USA
IIED	Clare Shakya	UK
Vermont Law School	Tracy Bach	USA
University of Waterloo	Marie-Claire Cordonier Segger	Canada
Makerere University	Mfitumukiza David	Uganda
Clark University	Elisabeth Gilmore	US
Addis Ababa University	Zewdu Eshetu	Ethiopia

Initial activities and timeline

Applying for membership

Any Individual at a University or Research Institute can join the network by sending an application to the contact person.

Secretariat

There will be a Secretariat located at ???

Website

To be developed

Resource mobilization

We will solicit contributions in both money as well as in kind from the network members themselves For the initial period then develop a proposal for funding longer- term activities .

Contact person for further information

Dr. Saleemul Huq
Director,
International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD)
at
Independent University, Bangladesh.
Email: saleemul.huq@iied.org