IMMERSIVE ROLE-PLAY

RESOURCE PACK

Welcome to the UAE’s first Climate Ambassadors Programme – also known as CAP2023.
The Climate Ambassadors Programme is an initiative by the Ministry of Climate Change and
Environment. CAP2023 has been created to provide an immersive experience of what discussions
and negotiations at a real COP might look like.

For one impactful session, you’re about to possess the power that comes with being a nation’s
Ambassador for climate action; and much like a certain hero once said: with great power, comes
great responsibility.

Through a 2.5 hour session at Expo City Dubai, you will become an Ambassador for a selected
country, where you will learn about the impacts of climate change in your nation and work with
your fellow Ambassadors (other students) to find solutions for them by drafting and amending
action plans and negotiating a final consensus together.

Following the session, a report will be provided to each school covering the session Chairperson’s
feedback on the action plans drafted by you, along with the points of negotiation that were
particularly impactful.

This resource pack contains everything you absolutely need to know, everything that will take
place during your session, and what your role is as a country Ambassador.

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As you read through the pack, you may have questions. Did you read a technical word that you
haven’t heard of before? Found an acronym that looks like a string of random letters? Came across
jargon that is very UN specific? Not to worry! The last chapter of this resource pack is a CAP2023
glossary and it should help you build a very strong foundation that you can then layer with information.
If you still have unanswered questions, make a note of them so you can ask us when you meet
us. Prior to your session, we will have one virtual meeting together so you can say hello to the
organizing committee!

When you’re done with all the reading, remember that the learning doesn’t end here! Expand your
knowledge and carry out your own research on the various topics within this resource pack to
better understand our session.

This pack should help you draw a better picture of what is to come and ensures that you’re able
to enjoy the process of being a part of something bigger than yourself while also learning about
the real time events around the world.

Sincerely,

The CAP2023 Organizing Committee

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION TO COP.................................................................................... 4
WHAT IS COP?.......................................................................................................................................... 4
UNDERSTANDING THE UNFCCC........................................................................................................ 4
KYOTO PROTOCOL ................................................................................................................................ 5
PARIS AGREEMENT................................................................................................................................ 5
WHY IS COP IMPORTANT?................................................................................................................... 6

CHAPTER 2: STRUCTURE OF CAP2023................................................................................. 7

HOW ARE COP SESSIONS STRUCTURED?...................................................................................... 7
HOW WILL OUR CAP SESSIONS BE STRUCTURED?.................................................................... 7
OPENING THE SESSION...................................................................................................................... 7
PARTY GROUPINGS.............................................................................................................................. 8
ADDRESSING THE FLOOR.................................................................................................................. 8
DRAFTING THE ACTION PLAN......................................................................................................... 8
DISCUSSION AND AMENDMENTS................................................................................................... 8
REACHING A CONSENSUS................................................................................................................. 8
CLOSING THE SESSION...................................................................................................................... 8
POINTERS FOR AN EFFECTIVE SESSION........................................................................................ 9

CHAPTER 3: PARTY GROUPINGS............................................................................................ 10

G-77 + CHINA............................................................................................................................................ 10
ARAB STATES........................................................................................................................................... 10
EUROPEAN UNION.................................................................................................................................. 10
ALLIANCE OF SMALL ISLAND STATES............................................................................................ 11

CHAPTER 4: UNDERSTANDING THE AGENDAS AND KEY CONCEPTS............................. 12

TARGETS AND GOALS........................................................................................................................... 12
MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION......................................................................................................... 13
AGENDA 1: CARBON AND GHG MITIGATION................................................................................ 14
AGENDA 2: CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION..................................................................................... 14
AGENDA 3: LOSS AND DAMAGE....................................................................................................... 14
AGENDA 4: FOOD SECURITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE.............................................................. 15
AGENDA 5: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE.......................................... 15

CHAPTER 5: ACTION PLANS.................................................................................................... 16

WHAT MAKES IT A SMART ACTION PLAN?.................................................................................... 16

CHAPTER 6: CAP2023 GLOSSARY.......................................................................................... 20

IMPORTANT ACRONYMS...................................................................................................................... 20
IMPORTANT KEYWORDS....................................................................................................................... 22
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION TO COP

WHAT IS COP?
COP stands for the Conference of Parties and is an annual conference that takes place in a
different host city each year. In 2023, it will be taking place in the United Arab Emirates! There are
different Conferences of Parties or COPs for different issues, but the one that tackles climate
change is rooted in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The COP is the ultimate decision-making body responsible for monitoring and reviewing the
implementation of the UNFCCC. The 198 countries that meet for this conference are referred to
as Parties. They have met annually since 1995. In November 2023 they will meet once again at
Expo City Dubai, UAE.

As the host country of COP28, the UAE has two pivotal roles to play this year:

• First, we must welcome the 197 attending countries and bring them together to address the
real threat of climate change, bringing consensus and defining firm actions and next steps
to accelerate progress towards the world’s Net Zero climate goals.

• Second, as a member of the Paris Agreement, we must ensure that the UAE is making
substantial efforts to realize its commitments as a signatory.

UNDERSTANDING THE UNFCCC

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is a Convention,
which is a treaty or agreement that is signed by Parties (the countries) who agree to contribute
to fixing our climate system.

It entered into force in March 1994. There are currently 198 Parties to the Convention. The ultimate
goal of the UNFCCC and the Parties is to prevent dangerous human interference with the climate
system and to stabilize greenhouse gas (GHGs) concentrations in the atmosphere.

The 198 Parties to the Convention are split into two categories:

• The Annex I Parties consist of developed countries who are predominantly responsible for
acting on climate change as they are, in retrospect, responsible for starting it. They are
meant to lead the way for others and provide financial support for global climate action.

• Non-Annex I Parties consist of all the countries that don’t fall into the Annex I group, for
example, developing countries. These groups of countries are dependent on Annex 1
parties to help them tackle adverse effects of climate change.

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KYOTO PROTOCOL
The Kyoto Protocol is the product of the third session of COP in 1997, where all the involved
parties pledged to cooperate globally to fight climate change by signing a new treaty. It only
came into force in February 2005.

Out of the 198 Parties to the UNFCCC, 192 Parties are also Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. United
Arab Emirates ratified the Kyoto Protocol on 26 January 2005!
While the UNFCCC tells us how we, as countries, can reduce our GHG emissions, the Kyoto
Protocol makes sure we really commit to our pledge. It calls all Parties to reduce their GHG
emissions, but binds the developed countries and places a heavier burden on them since they
are largely responsible for the current high levels of GHGs in our atmosphere.

Along with the regular COP sessions, the 192 Parties also meet annually at the Meeting of the
Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP). When the Protocol was signed in 2005, the bound Parties
committed to reduce their GHG emissions between 2008 and 2012. In 2012, during the CMP in
Doha, the Parties extended this commitment period to go from 2013 to 2020. The Kyoto Protocol,
therefore, ran from 2005 to 2020.

PARIS AGREEMENT
The year 2015, when COP 21 took place, was monumental for climate action.

During COP 13, the Parties tried to launch a work plan towards a new climate change agreement,
but did not succeed in doing so. At COP 15, the Parties spoke about the work plan again but still
struggled to come to a consensus. Soon enough, there was a sense of urgency in the air to combat
climate change. In 2011, at COP 17, the Parties tried once again to strengthen the global climate
change regime and failed. However, this time, they set a deadline to agree on a universal, legally
binding agreement by 2015.

Come 2015, at COP 21, true to their commitment, the Parties entered into a landmark agreement
called the Paris Agreement which finally brought all nations into a common cause to undertake
ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects.
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It officially entered into force in 2016 and established two incredibly important long-term goals
for all the countries involved:

• To bring down global greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming to well below 2
degrees Celsius, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius in this century.

• To assist developing countries financially and to reduce climate change related issues and
become more resilient to climate change impacts.

Out of the 198 Parties to the UNFCCC, 196 Parties are also Parties to the Paris Agreement. United
Arab Emirates ratified the Paris Agreement on 21 September 2016!

Along with the regular COP sessions, the 196 Parties also meet at the Meeting of the Parties to
the Paris Agreement (CMA). The Parties submit their plans for climate action through a document
called the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs). These NDCs are submitted at least every 5
years and discussed at the CMA. In the NDCs, the countries communicate actions they will take to
reduce their GHG emissions and to build resilience to adapt to the impacts of rising temperatures.

WHY IS COP IMPORTANT?

COP is a very important platform for global nations to discuss and reach a consensus on how to
better protect our world.

According to the 2022 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, the world is
currently on track to be 3.3 – 5.7 degrees Celsius hotter by the year 2100 if no intervention is
made to combat climate change. The consequences of global warming and inaction are already
being felt worldwide, especially now, with the increasing number of natural disasters.

COP enables representatives on the frontline of the climate crisis, such as the Alliance of Small
Island States that are threatened by sea level rises, to directly address the world’s biggest emitters.
These arguments and discussions are key to increasing funding for climate adaptation. COP
brings together not just states, but non-state parties too. Millions of people through international
organizations, civil society, indigenous peoples, women, youth, academic institutions, non-
governmental organizations, and businesses also come together to demand urgent action against
climate breakdown.

Your responsibility as a climate action

Ambassador is crucial for the age we
currently live in. It may feel like pretend
for a day, but the understanding of global
climate issues and spreading the knowledge
you gain from your session is truly important.
World leaders today are at COP to discuss
your future. If you truly want it, you too could
be part of the parties someday.

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CHAPTER 2 STRUCTURE OF CAP2023

HOW ARE COP SESSIONS STRUCTURED?

At the actual Conference of Parties, whether it is the COP, CMP or CMA, there are two main
purposes that are meant to be achieved:

• To review the implementation of the Convention, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement

• To adopt decisions to further develop and implement these three instruments

To achieve this objective, the parties may negotiate and even adopt new legal instruments (like
adopting the Doha Amendment in 2012 or the Paris Agreement in 2015) or may even establish
new subsidiary bodies that are necessary to further progress.

This process of serious negotiation and establishment of bodies could take up to two weeks as
the parties review and propose measures for every single clause in the Convention.

HOW WILL OUR CAP SESSIONS BE STRUCTURED?

Our session will be 2.5 hours long – as you may have already realized, this is nearly not enough
time to run a full-fledged COP negotiation. However, in order to still keep the important aspects
of a COP negotiation session intact, we will have a flexible session that’s structured a little differently.
Think: Model United Nations Simulations but with a slightly different structure and with climate
action as our only priority.

Your role for the day is to be the Ambassador of a country or negotiating block (a group of countries
that share a similar position in the negotiations). Our role for the day is to facilitate your session
as Chair and Vice-Chair. When your school signed up for CAP2023, it received the agenda and a
list of countries for your class. Your class teacher will assign a country to you before you come in
for the session. This is done in advance of the session to give you time to look up and read about
the agenda and country so you are able immerse yourself into the role of being an Ambassador.

As the Ambassador, you will learn about the climate related issues that your country faces and when
you do come in for your session, you will work with your fellow Ambassadors to find solutions for them.

OPENING THE SESSION

CAP2023 will kick off with an introduction to COP and the agenda for the day will be revealed.1
Your session will be facilitated by us, and we will assume the role of the Chair and the Vice -Chair.
To help you along the way, you’ll also meet three of our country Ambassadors who will be on the
floor with you.

1 For more information on agendas and the key themes, please refer to Chapter 4: Understanding 7
the Agendas and Key Concepts
PARTY GROUPINGS
After the introduction, we will dive deeper into the agenda and understand its implications on the
countries present. You will be split up into four separate groups of countries.2

As a country group, you will be presented with information to read that highlights the different
problems your country is currently facing in relation to the set agenda.

ADDRESSING THE FLOOR

Now that you know your country’s climate related issues, it’s time to share them with everyone
else. After a quick roll call, Ambassadors will be invited to speak on the podium and present their
problems to the rest of the floor. You will hear from all four groups to get a complete understanding
of all the different global climate related issues that you need to tackle together.

DRAFTING THE ACTION PLAN

Once we have a comprehensive idea of the world’s climate problems, it’s time to find solutions!
You will spend time walking around and will have the chance to talk to other country groups. The
Arab States will join the G-77 and the European Union will join the Small Island States to draft the
two action plans together.3

DISCUSSION AND AMENDMENTS

Post drafting, each of the groups will present their action plans to the rest of the floor. The parties
are welcome to have a discussion and ask questions to the drafters if they wish to. Additionally,
the parties who are not presenting will be encouraged to provide friendly amendments to the action
plan and can share their ideas with the drafters.

REACHING A CONSENSUS
Once both the action plans are discussed and amended as needed, the parties will work together
to pool their opinions and reach a consensus on the action plan to follow through with. This final
action plan will be approved as the course of action for all parties present and the goals from the
plan will be considered the countries’ next steps forward.

CLOSING THE SESSION

After reaching a consensus, we, as the Chair and Vice-Chair will move towards closing the session
and will provide feedback on the plan created. You will have the opportunity to share your learnings
with your fellow parties and ask the committee any questions you may have. We will have moments
of reflection to understand the significance of the agenda and will then say our goodbyes.

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2 For more information on groups of countries, please refer to Chapter 3: Party Groupings
3 For more information on drafting an action plan, please refer to Chapter 5: Action Plans
POINTERS FOR AN EFFECTIVE SESSION
There are a few procedural parts of the session that you’ll have to be aware of so as to participate
effectively:

• You would have noticed a roll call that takes place before the Ambassadors address the floor.
A roll call is much like your roll calls in class, except here, the Vice-Chair will call out your
country and in response, you raise you placard and say “present” to signify that you are present
for this session.

• You may hear us, the Chairs, refer to the action plan drafting session as an unmoderated caucus.
Simply put, a caucus is a closed meeting with discussion and, as it is unmoderated, it will not
be regulated by the Chairs. This gives you the freedom to move about and discuss the agenda
with other parties, with the intention of coming up with goals and creating allies to share
responsibilities with.

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CHAPTER 3 PARTY GROUPINGS
At COP, countries usually don’t act on climate negotiations alone – they act in blocks or groups.
These groups present specific interests and a group of countries will jointly support certain policies,
targets, or points of views. There are many negotiating groups that act upon the UNFCCC and you
can learn more about them on the UNFCCC website.

For our session, all the parties at CAP2023 will be split into four of the existing country groups
to address the agenda. You will be a part of one of the four following groups:

G-77 + CHINA
This is a group of developing countries which started off with 77 countries when it was founded in
1964 and has expanded to its current size of 134 countries. They are the largest intergovernmental
organization of developing countries in the UN and promote south-south cooperation which ensures
that countries in the south are able to have their economic interests heard and enhance their
capacity to negotiate on major international economic issues. The G77 works as a collective to
make statements at committees of the General Assembly, but they also work as an individual
negotiation block within subsidiary committee meetings and at COP sessions.

ARAB STATES
This is a group of 22 members. These states band together to push forward their agenda for clean
energy transition to renewable energy, food security, water security, combating desertification, and
coastal resilience. While these issues have been significant in the region, Arab states have been
able to lead change and make headway in application for change using intergovernmental resources.

EUROPEAN UNION
The European Union (EU) was established in 1993 and is a party of the UNFCCC consisting of 27
members. The EU is itself a party to the UN but doesn’t have a separate vote to its members, i.e.
the EU votes as a collective party alongside its 27 members. Changes seen in the party structure
include the addition of Croatia in 2013 and the exit of United Kingdom in 2020 during BREXIT. The
EU aims to find multilateral solutions and ways to strengthen the UN-EU relationship.

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ALLIANCE OF SMALL ISLAND STATES
The Alliance of Small Island States is an intergovernmental organization formed in 1990, prior to
the first COP, and advocates for the environmental, social, and economic impacts faced by these
small island states. These states are among the lowest contributors to climate change yet face
issues such as sea level rise and coastal erosion, which are significant enough to render millions
of people stranded. International policy and means to address these issues of inequality in climate
change are what this group prioritizes.

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CHAPTER 4 UNDERSTANDING THE AGENDAS
AND KEY CONCEPTS
Your session will be themed around one key focus topic. This focus topic will be referred to as an
agenda. The discussions you participate in will be questions and answers that are formed around
the issues within this agenda.

There are five possible agendas that we may explore. Remember, your session will only be based
on one single agenda, but it could be any one of the five below:

• Carbon and Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

• Clean Energy Transition
• Loss and Damage
• Food Security and Climate Change
• Environmental Health and Climate Change

Understanding the agenda is important as this helps you frame your questions, find your issues,
and figure out your solutions for them. During our session, you will hear us refer to targets and
goals quite a lot.

TARGETS AND GOALS

All of the issues that you pick out for your particular country are what we want to resolve together
– this makes them our targets! These targets are what we aim to eradicate or adapt to via the
solutions we create. Therefore, the solutions we create are our goals.

In short, our climate change problems are targets and our climate action solutions are goals.

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MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION
Aside from targets and goals, you’ll also hear us say mitigation and adaptation rather frequently.
When the parties of the world got together to figure out how to properly tackle climate change,
they came up with two important concepts that could help us set our goals: Climate Mitigation
and Climate Adaptation.

Mitigation refers to reducing the GHG emissions and stabilizing the levels of the GHGs in the
atmosphere. Adaptation refers to adapting to the climate change that is already in the pipeline.
Both of these concepts are essentially climate action goals.

In short, climate adaptation is trying to fix the effects of climate change and climate mitigation is
trying to fix the causes of climate change.

Through the course of our session, we will explore the issues within an agenda by asking each
other what the climate mitigation and adaptation strategies are.

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AGENDA 1: CARBON AND GHG MITIGATION
To stop climate change, we need to stop the amount of GHGs from increasing. For the past 150
years, burning fossil fuels, cutting down forests, which naturally pull CO2 out of the air, and our
systems of intensive farming to provide high-yields of produce have caused GHG levels to increase.

There are two main ways to stop the amount of GHGs from increasing:

• We can figure out ways to stop adding them to the air.

• We can increase the Earth’s ability to pull them out of the air.

If this is your agenda, think of what the increase in GHG levels is doing to different countries
around the world – these are your targets. Have a think about how we could potentially reduce
these GHG emissions (these are your mitigation goals) and how we can all adapt to the impacts
that it has already had on us (these are your adaptation goals).

AGENDA 2: CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION

Our world is highly dependent on fossil fuels. From the lighting in our homes to the fuel in our
cars, the energy we use in our daily lives is primarily powered by fossil fuels — the main driver of
climate change. The burning of fossil fuels releases large amounts of GHGs into the air. In turn,
GHGs blanket the Earth and trap the sun’s heat, warming the planet with far-reaching consequences
for people and planet.

The key to tackling this crisis is to decrease our reliance on energy generated from fossil fuels and
instead transition into using cleaner, renewable sources of energy.

If this is your agenda, think of how countries are dependent and affected by fossil fuel consumption –
these are your targets. Have a think about how we can reduce these emissions and embrace
clean energy – these are your goals.

AGENDA 3: LOSS AND DAMAGE

Climate change is tackled by a thorough understanding of mitigation and adaptation measures.
However, when climate change-intensified disasters like hurricanes, wild fires, and floods, along
with slow-moving catastrophes like droughts and sea-level rise lead to a loss of life, culture, bio-
diversity, territory, and livelihoods – as well as damage to homes, hospitals, schools, and roads,
which often forces people to flee their homes – we refer to this as loss and damage because
adaptation and mitigation measures simply fall short.

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Most of the aforementioned disasters occur in countries with poor economies that are currently
developing. It requires a lot of funding and infrastructure to recover as a nation. But who is responsible?

If this is your agenda, think of how countries are affected by loss and damage – these are your
targets. Have a think about financial responsibility and who should pay for the world’s climate bills.
Is it the rich? Is it the polluter? How will we finance a climate bill where no single party is responsible?
Figuring out these answers are your goals.

AGENDA 4: FOOD SECURITY AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Global warming is influencing weather patterns, causing heat waves, heavy rainfall, and droughts.
Rising food commodity prices in 2021 was a major factor in pushing approximately 30 million
additional people in low-income countries toward food insecurity.

Additionally, the way that food is often produced today is a big part of the problem. It’s recently
been estimated that the global food system is responsible for about a third of greenhouse gas
emissions – second only to the energy sector. It is also the number one source of methane and
biodiversity loss.

If this is your agenda, think about how climate change is affecting farming and food security in the
near future – these are your targets. Adapting to smarter agriculture and unlocking key farming
strategies will be your goals.

AGENDA 5: ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Environmental health – of nature and us – is being threatened by climate change. We know air
pollution plays a big role in increased greenhouse gas emissions. But what about the other aspects
of waste and pollution?

Plastics play a large role in this cycle. Extraction, refining, manufacture, and eventually, incineration
of plastic are all carbon intensive activities. Plastic in the oceans also interferes with the ocean’s
capacity to absorb and sequester carbon dioxide. Climate change affects the social and environmental
determinants of health – clean air, safe drinking water, sufficient food, and secure shelter.

If this is your agenda, think about how the accumulated waste produced and the pollution caused
by the countries directly affect the health of our environment and us – these are your targets.
Understand why and how to not just tackle the impacts of pollution, but to also reduce and cut
off pollution entirely – these are your goals.

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CHAPTER 5 ACTION PLANS
Now that we understand our targets and goals, what do we do with this information?

If we’ve figured out the goals for our important targets – it is important we share these goals
with the other parties so everyone can contribute to achieving these solutions. We share these
goals by putting them down in an action plan.

An action plan helps us present our goals to the other parties at a COP. If you’ve participated in
a model UN simulation before, an action plan is almost equivalent to a draft resolution. It is a
document that has your list of solutions in a format that makes it accessible to everyone else on
the floor.

When drafting your plan, accountability is important. Try to answer the W questions surrounding
your goal. What do you want to accomplish with this goal? Why is this goal important? Who is
involved? Where is it located? Which resources are involved?

WHAT MAKES IT A SMART ACTION PLAN?

Drafting an action plan may sound like a daunting task. Use this SMART acronym to help you out.
S – SPECIFIC
M – MEASURABLE
A – ATTAINABLE
R – RESULT ORIENTED
T – TRACKABLE

SPECIFIC
You need to ensure that each of your goals are specific for a particular target. Having a generic
or vague goal may sound easier on paper, but would be very difficult to track and implement.
Understanding exactly what you require and being specific about how you want to achieve the
goal is key.

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MEASURABLE
Your goals need to be quantifiable. If your goal is to reduce GHG emissions, you need to be able
to show in quantity and numbers, as to how much needs to be reduced. All of our efforts to match
with the Convention and Kyoto (to reduce GHG emissions) and to match with the Paris Agreement
(global warming less than 1.5 degrees Celsius) are quantifiable and measurable factors. Therefore,
our solutions and goals must also be measurable so that we can track our progress and stay
motivated.

ATTAINABLE
Climate action is all about setting audacious goals. It is important to be ambitious with our efforts
to combat climate change, however, it also important to have reasonable and realistic goals. By
ensuring we put forth attainable goals, we break down the process to make it simpler and can
begin to see progress quicker.

RESULT ORIENTED
Your goals need to be able to translate into a desired result. Set your goals to reflect reaching
that desired result, as opposed to setting goals that are generic. It’s important to focus on the
outcome of your goal as there is a sense of urgency to combat climate change.

TRACKABLE
If you’re setting goals that you want to attain, it’s important for them to be trackable. You need to
be able to track your goal from the beginning to end. Through proper and regular tracking, you
begin to gain feedback on your progress and have the opportunity to learn from your learnings.
Find a tracking mechanism that works for your specific goal.

The action plan that you draft with your fellow Ambassadors will be two pages long. The second
page is what you will fill in with your solutions. The next page of this resource pack has a sample
action plan for reference.

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 This page of
the action
plan lets you
know to fill
out your part
y groupings
name and sh
ows you
the 3 priority
areas
that we will w
ork on.

The measures of
importance are your
adaptation strateg ies.
Bryan Scott

The means of
implementation are
measures to make sure
your adaptation strategies
are implemented properly.

The monitoring and reporting

are measures to make sure your
progress at achieving your
adaptations strategies are
being tracked.

18
 Responsible actors are the
fellow parties or organizations tha
You will work with t
to fig ure out you wish to hold
Ambassadors accountable to implement
ra te gi es that
4 adaptation st the adaptation strategies.
rit y ar ea A.
goes into Prio

Deliverables are
documents or
submissions that yo
u
want the responsib
le
actors to submit.

Timeline is your time

frame to achieve the
adaptation strategy.

You will work with

other parties to fig
ure
out 3 means of
implementing your
adaptation strategi
es.

You will work with oth

er
parties to figure out 3
ways to
monitor and track the
progress
of your adaptation str
ategies.

19
CHAPTER 6 CAP2023 GLOSSARY
This is your one-stop shop for all climate related jargon. You’ll likely find most climate action
acronyms or keywords accounted for below. If you do come across one that you’re not familiar
with and it is not represented below, write it down and tell us when you meet us!

IMPORTANT ACRONYMS
Get familiarized with the following acronyms, as you may hear these in your session:

• AOSIS – Alliance of Small Island States

• CAP – Climate Ambassadors Programme
• CCC – Convention on Climate Change
• CFCs – Chlorofluorocarbons
• CDM – Clean Development Mechanism
• CMA - Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement
• CMP - Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol
• CNG – Compressed Natural Gas
• COP – Conference of Parties
• EIG – Environmental Integrity Group
• ETF – Enhanced Transparency Framework
• EU – European Union
• G77 - Group of 77
• GCF - Green Climate Fund
• GHG – Greenhouse gases
• INDC – Intended Nationally Determined Contribution
• IPCC – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
• JI -Joint Implementation
• LALAC – Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean
• LDCF – Least Developed Countries Fund
• LDCs – Least Developed Countries
• LEG – Least Developed Countries Expert Group

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• LT-LEDS – Long-term Low GHG Emission Development Strategies
• NAP – National Adaptation Plan
• NAPA – National Adaptation Programmes of Action
• NDC – Nationally Determined Contribution
• NMM - New Market Mechanism
• OECD – Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
• OPEC – Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
• PPM – Parts Per Million
• RBF - Results Based Financing
• REDD - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation
• REDD+ - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation, Conserving Forest
Carbon Stocks, Sustainably Managing Forests and Enhancing Forest Carbon Stocks
• SIDS – Small Island Developing States
• UNEP – United Nations Environment Programme
• UNFCCC – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

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IMPORTANT KEYWORDS
• 1.5°C – central objective of the Paris Agreement to pursue efforts to limit the global average
temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

• Adaptation – changes in processes, practices, and structures to help cope with the effects
of climate change

• Alternative Energy – energy derived from nontraditional sources like CNG, solar,
hydroelectric, and wind

• Anthropogenic – made by people or resulting from human activities – usually used in the
context of emissions that are produced as a result of human activities.

• Biodiversity – wide range of living organisms, such as animals and plants, in an environment.
Biodiversity is essential for ecosystems to survive.

• Biofuel / Biomass – biomass is any organic matter that comes from plants and animals,
like cow dung or wood chips. Biofuel is the fuel derived from biomass.

• Carbon Capture / Carbon Sequestration – collection and transport of concentrated CO2 gas
from large emissions sources, such as power plants. The gases are then injected into deep
underground reservoirs.

• Carbon Dioxide – a naturally occurring gas, and also a by-product of burning fossil fuels and
biomass, as well as land-use changes and other industrial processes.

• Climate Action – stepped-up efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen
resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-induced impacts.

• Climate Change – the long-term changes in the Earth’s climate, or a region on Earth, including
variations in sea levels and amounts of snow and sea ice. It’s much more than just the Earth
getting warmer; it’s also changes in the atmosphere, the effects on our oceans, and to the
fate of all life on Earth- including us!

• Climate Finance – local, national or transnational financing that seeks to support mitigation
and adaptation actions to address climate change. The Paris Agreement calls for financial
assistance from those with more financial resources than those that are poorer and more
vulnerable.

• Climate Justice – looking at the climate crisis through a human rights lens instead of a
purely scientific one. It puts people and communities most vulnerable to the impact of
climate change at its heart.

• Emissions – in the climate change space, emissions refer to greenhouse gases released
into the air.

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• Energy Transition – the global energy sector’s shift from fossil-based energy production and
consumption to renewable energy.

• Environmental Health – facet of public health that focuses on the relationship humans have
with the environment.

• Extreme Weather Events – broad term to refer to an instance of severe weather with a high
potential to cause death and destruction.

• Food Security – when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient
safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and
healthy life.

• Fossil Fuels – sources of non-renewable energy, formed from the remains of living organisms
that were buried millions of years ago. Burning fossil fuels like coal and oil to produce energy
is where the majority of greenhouse gases originate.

• Global Average Temperature – an estimate of Earth’s mean surface air temperature averaged
over the entire planet.

• Global Warming – a gradual increase in the Earth’s overall temperature caused by increased
levels of greenhouse gases such as CO2, CFCs and other pollutants that absorb infrared
radiation.

• Greenhouse Effect – the trapping and build-up of heat in the atmosphere near the Earth’s
surface. Some of the heat flowing towards space from the Earth’s surface is absorbed by
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and is then redirected back towards the Earth’s surface.

• Greenhouse Gases – chemical compounds found in the Earth’s atmosphere, such as CO2,
methane, water vapour, and other human-made gases that absorb infrared radiation.

• Loss and Damage –consequences of climate change that go beyond what people can adapt to,
or when options exist, but a community doesn’t have the resources to access or utilize them.

• Mass Extinction Event – extinction of a large number of species within a relatively short period
of geological time, thought to be due to factors such as widespread environmental change
that occurs too rapidly for most species to adapt.

• Mitigation – actions to limit global warming by reducing human emissions of greenhouse

gases into the atmosphere and reducing their concentrations.

• Net Zero – the amount of CO2 emissions released on an annual basis is zero or negative.
• Renewable Energy – energy that comes from naturally replenished resources, such as
sunlight, wind, waves, and geothermal heat. Renewables don’t produce the greenhouse
gases that drive climate change.

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• Sea-level Rise – an increase in the level of the world’s oceans caused primarily by two
factors related to global warming: the added water from melting ice sheets and glaciers,
and the expansion of seawater as it warms.

• Water Scarcity – lack of fresh water resources to meet the standard water demand. Water
can be scarce for many reasons: the demand for water may be exceeding the supply, water
infrastructure may be inadequate, or institutions may be failing to balance everyone’s needs.

• Weather vs. Climate – weather refers to the short-term atmospheric changes in a small area.
Climate refers to the general atmospheric conditions of a large region. For example, parts of
Brazil with a humid and rainy tropical climate can have snowy weather on a given day.

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