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Race to Resilience

Race to Resilience is a campaign that aims to catalyse a step-change in global ambition and action for climate resilience, putting people and nature first in pursuit of a resilient world where we not only withstand climate shocks but thrive in spite of them.

GRP Areas of work: Policy Theme: Climate change

Building climate resilience means helping communities, businesses and economies better prepare for, recover from, and thrive in spite of the impacts of climate change. It means protecting and restoring our global commons – the air, water, forests, oceans and mangroves that keep us alive.

The Race to Resilience – a sibling campaign to Race to Zero – was announced by the High Level Climate Champions for Climate Action at the UN-convened Climate Ambition Summit on 12 December 2020. The campaign will be officially introduced at the Climate Adaptation Summit on 25-26 January 2021 (video of launch below).

Race to Resilience will work with partner initiatives to drive cities, regions, businesses, investors and others to build resilience by 2030 for 4 billion people who are susceptible to climate risks, such as extreme heat, drought, flooding and sea level rise. The campaign sets out to catalyse a step-change in global ambition for climate resilience led by non-state actor initiatives.

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

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

  • 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

Join the Race To Resilience

Non-state actor-led regional, national or global networks and initiatives are now welcome to join the Race To Resilience. Individual companies, NGOs or organizations are not able to join the Race To Resilience on their own, but can through the approved partner initiatives. These will be live from 25 January 2021 after launching at the Climate Adaptation Summit.

Initiatives must agree with the vision and goals of the Race To Resilience, and meet the 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 fill out this form and send it to resilience@climatechampions.team

For more information on the criteria, please see here.

*Text from this article was adapted from https://racetozero.unfccc.int/race-to-resilience/ and the UNFCCC Global Climate Action newsletter sent 22 January 2021.