Race To Resilience Launch - Karen Sack, CEO, Ocean Unite | #RaceToResilience

The High Level Climate Champions Race to Resilience — the sibling campaign to Race To Zero — was launched at the Climate Adaptation Summit on 25 January by Alok Sharma, COP26 President designate, after an opening statement from Ban Ki-moon, 8th Secretary General of the United Nations.

The campaign sets out to catalyse a step-change in global ambition for climate resilience, putting people and nature first in pursuit of a resilient world where we don’t just survive climate shocks and stresses but thrive in spite of them.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan, UK’s International Champion on Adaptation and Resilience, said: “We must take action to support those most at risk to the impacts of climate shocks. The Race To Resilience campaign will mobilise businesses, investors, cities and civil society to strengthen the resilience of 4 billion people in vulnerable communities by 2030. I encourage all those who want to play a part in supporting those most vulnerable to climate change to join this campaign.”

Led by the High-Level Climate Champions for Climate Action – Nigel Topping and Gonzalo Muñoz – Race to Resilience aims:

By 2030, to catalyse action by non-state actors that builds the resilience of 4 billion people from vulnerable groups and communities to climate risks

Through a partnership of initiatives, the campaign will focus on helping frontline communities to build resilience and adapt to impacts of climate change, such as extreme heat, drought, flooding and sea-level rise.

Urban: Transform urban slums into healthy, clean and safe cities

Rural: Equip smallholder farmers to adapt and thrive

Coastal: Protect homes and businesses against climate shocks

Dr Saleemul Huq, Director of the International Center for Climate Change and Development, said: “This decade is for action. Within 10 years, decisive action must catalyse change across the world and build the resilience of 4 billion people from groups and communities who are vulnerable to climate risks. Every company, city, university and NGO should be part of the Race to Resilience.”

Join the Race to Resilience

Non-state actor-led regional, national or global initiatives are invited to express their interest to join the Race to Resilience.

Initiatives must share the vision and goals of the Race to Resilience, and meet the following criteria:

Pledge: To translate new and existing targets, directly or indirectly, into the numbers of people from vulnerable groups and communities who will be made more resilient to climate risks

Plan: To use the best knowledge and scientific evidence, and share a clear plan by COP26 to take action towards this commitment with interim targets and milestones

Proceed: To take immediate action to pursue commitment in support of Race to Resilience, and has an active and functional secretariat able to request and monitor members

Publish: Agree to report back on progress annually starting at COP26

To register your interest please email resilience@climatechampions.team.

For more information on the criteria, please see here