COP27 Global Innovation Hub Session 4: Assessing Avoided emissions and 1.5C Global Sustainability compatibility from enabling solutions
Mission Innovation’s NCI and the UNFCCC co-hosted the session on how data, transport and energy can and need to be transformed for a sustainable society. The panelists represented environmental agencies, IGOs, and the scientific community, all agreed of the need to address issues from a human-needs perspective in line with an expanded climate solution agenda, where the focus is on fulfilling access to transport, energy and data rather than trying to ‘fix’ current emissions sources.
Panelists:
Massamba Thioye, Project Executive, UNFCCC Global Innovation Hub; Aimée Aguilar Jaber, Team Leader, Climate Change Mitigation Team, OECD; Dennis Pamlin, Executive Director, Mission Innovation's Net-Zero Compatibility Initiative and Senior Advisor, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden; Gemma O’Reilly, Economist, Member of the Climate Change Advisory Council Secretariat, EPA, Ireland; Dr. Felix Creutzig, Climate Change Center Berlin Brandenburg, Scientific coordinator & CCC Coordinating Lead Author of the IPCC's 6th Assessment Report; Pourya Salehi, Head of Urban Research Team, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
Mission Innovation’s NCI and OECD launched a partnership for an expanded climate solution agenda, including a world premier for the first iceberg illustration linked to the expanded climate innovation agenda, based on OECD’s ‘iceberg approach’ to innovation, which will support a shift from “means” (e.g. GDP/transport) to “ends” (human welfare and flourishing lives).
Massamba Thioye from the UNFCCC Global Innovation Hub, introduced and stressed the urgency and benefit of a shift where innovation is linked to human needs instead of only improving existing systems.
Aimée Aguilar Jaber from OECD provided an overview of the full iceberg approach and how it is designed to move from addressing "means" (such as GDP/transport) to "ends" (human welfare). Aimée provided as specific case where the iceberg approach helped shift the focus from "transport" to "access to services for human needs" and highlighted the opportunities for transformative low-tech solutions.
Gemma O'Reilly from Ireland’s EPA explained how in Ireland they knew that something needed to be done to address the transportation problem, but simple electrification was not enough. By bringing in multiple stakeholders with a future focus it was possible to build a solution agenda focused on human wellbeing.
Professor Felix Creutzig, a lead author of the latest IPCCC report, provided scientific backing for the human need/welling being approach and an overview of the innovation potential for avoided emissions by delivering on human needs in new innovative ways.
Pourya Salehi ended the session by highlighting the opportunities that an expanded climate innovation agenda provides for regions and cities around the world.