On 18 – 20 October 2022, UN CC:Learn participated in the Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) Focal Points Academy, which was organized as part of the UNFCCC’s ACE Hub activities. The Academy aimed to provide a platform for exchange of good practices, views and lessons learned to National ACE Focal Points by covering three main topics: context setting, ACE national strategies and youth engagement.
On day 2, Mr. Angus Mackay, Director of the Division for Planet at UNITAR and Head of the UN CC:Learn Secretariat, delivered an interactive session about the topic of ensuring visibility of ACE Strategies. He drew examples from his successful experience in supporting countries to develop National Climate Change Learning Strategies (NCCLS) under the UN CC:Learn programme, particularly in Benin, Burkina Faso, the Dominican Republic, and Ghana.
Mr. Mackay walked participants through UN CC:Learn’s 7-step process to prepare a NCCLS but put an emphasis on the need of having alignment with key national policies – such as the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – political support to implement the strategy, and star power, which consists of harnessing support of prominent or famous figures at country level, to ensure good visibility to any climate change learning or ACE strategies.
“In Ghana, there was a green march through the city centre and a symposium for youth at the National Theatre, and celebrities includingmusicians and football stars taking part (…) And of course this drew the crowds and led to a media effect. Priceless …” – Angus Mackay, UNITAR
After the presentation, all National Focal Points were split into groups and asked to work together to come up with their own ideas to raise visibility of their ACE strategies.
Check Mr. Mackay’s presentation below.
