GCCA+ @ DEVCO Partnership Forum 2017 (July 6-7; Brussels) - Implementing the Global Climate Change Alliance Plus (GCCA+) EU flagship initiative: partnership on climate change

This session is taking place as part of the DEVCO Partnership Forum 2017 (July 6-7; Brussels). Taking place in Brussels on 6 and 7 July 2017, this event will bring together over 500 Civil Society Organisations, Local Authorities and Other Development and Human Rights actors along with European Institutions and Member States. It aims at generating constructive dialogue and gathering feedback on best practices to help the EU institutions further develop their Partnerships.

The GCCA+ specific session is facilitated by Etienne Coyette, Head of Climate Change Sector, Unit DEVCO C6 and Tanith Bello, GCCA+ Programme Manager  Thursday 6 July – 14:00-16:00 – Studio 4

Climate change vulnerability and sustainable development are determined not only by exposure to climate events, but also by social or institutional assets within a determined society.

This session will present the EU Global Climate Change Alliance Plus (GCCA+) flagship initiative and initiate discussion on the current and desired roles, further to the Paris Agreement, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the new European Consensus on Development (articles 70 and 71, in particular), that CSOs can play to promote climate change resilience (especially adaptation) at all stages of development processes, from local practices to integration into sustainable development planning and policy-making processes.

In its efforts to do more and better, the EU Global Climate Change Alliance plus (GCCA+) flagship initiative promotes multi-stakeholders engagement aiming at broadening the range of stakeholders involved in its activities and interventions and, is currently engaged in exploring how to enhance its cooperation with CSOs, proposed mechanism of cooperation in targeted vulnerable countries, mainly SIDS and LDCs.

Finally, this session will debate how the EU can concretely support integration of climate change and environmental issues into national development policies, plans and policy dialogue in partner countries via engagement with CSOs.

Possible topics for debate

• Role of CSO in supporting policy dialogue and implementation of climate actions: participation and follow-up, perspectives, organisation of programmes post COP22
• How to enhance knowledge and best practices sharing, channels for discussion
• Strategic approach to replication and scaling-up of successful CC strategies and actions and monitoring aspects (e.g. EU Climate action: type of financing mechanisms and programming requirements)

Key speakers:

• Mr. Marcus Oxley, Executive Director GNDR, Global Network of Civil Society Organizations for Disaster Reduction;
• Mrs. Maria Theresa Nera-Lauron, Co-chair, CSO Partnership for Development Effectiveness;
• Mrs. Catherine Kanabahita, Executive Director, Development Network of Indigenous Voluntary Associations (DENIVA)
• Mr. Wouter Boesman, Director, PLATFORMA 
• Mrs. Helen Jeans, Resilience and Climate Adaptation Unit Manager, Resilience and Climate Change Adaptation Adviser, Oxfam GB