Note from the High-Level Champions

1 *Unedited version 11 Nov 21 Note from the High-Level Champions The adoption of the Paris Agreement at COP 21 in 2015 was a watershed moment when nations came together to address climate change. In doing so, they also recognized the significant role that non-Party stakeholders play to support these global efforts and created the role of the High-Level Champions to accelerate action in the pre-2020 period. At COP 22, the High-Level Champions launched the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action as a framework to strengthen collaboration between Parties and non-Party stakeholders in pursuit of this mission. As the movement of global climate action continued to grow, there was a loud and clear message from the IPCC in 2018 of the increasing urgency to act. In response, the Champions made efforts for work under the Marrakech Partnership to focus on environmental, economic, and social systems transformation, promoting higher ambition from all stakeholders to collectively strive for the C temperature limit and building a net zero, resilient Since the adoption of the Paris Agreement and throughout the evolution of the Marrakech Partnership, there has been unprecedented growth of non-Party stakeholders taking ambitious action, as evidenced most recently through the significant increase and deepening of commitments and actions recorded on the Global Climate Action portal, including through the Race to Zero, Race to Resilience and the Glasgow Finance Alliance for Net Zero.

2 As well as wide-ranging endorsements of the Climate Action Pathways and eighteen sectors reaching the Breakthrough Ambition point of approximately 20 percent of key actors within the sector committing to achieve net zero by 2050 or earlier. This impressive growth demonstrates the willingness of cities, regions, businesses, investors, and civil society actors around the world to address the climate emergency and support the implementation of the Paris Agreement. However, we know that much more needs to be done. In response to the mandate given to us by Parties at COP 25 to explore how to improve the work under the Marrakech Partnership for enhancing ambition and after a thorough process to gather feedback from Parties and non-Party stakeholders, we have developed a 5-year plan under a 10-year vision for this decisive decade of implementation. This plan aims to make the Marrakech Partnership fit-for-purpose and to enable the community to accelerate immediate action at the scale and pace required by the science, and in turn, facilitate higher ambition from all stakeholders.

3 This not only takes forward the innovations that we have put in place over the past two years but, most importantly, builds on the strong foundations laid by our predecessors, Laurence Tubiana of France, Hakima El Hait from Morocco, Inia Seruiratu from Fiji and Tomasz Chruszczow from Poland and the tireless efforts of coalitions and initiatives across the globe. As High-Level Champions , we continue to build on their legacies, innovating and adapting to promote systems transformation and to enhance the credibility and contribution of non-Party stakeholder action. We will also make concerted efforts to broaden and deepen engagement in all regions to connect and help stakeholders taking ambitious action, highlighting the solutions and opportunities most appropriate to their context. 1 Work programme 2019-2020: *Unedited version 11 Nov 21 We would like to extend our deep appreciation for contributions and support throughout these past years and look forward to working with all of you to implement these plans.

4 As our predecessors have emphasized, the Marrakech Partnership does not belong to us as High-Level Champions , but rather it belongs to all of those across the globe who are passionately engaged in efforts to fight climate change. We are fully committed to support this community in whatever ways possible and to start this decisive decade with a sense of urgency, ambition, and transformational action. Gonzalo Mu oz High-Level Champion of the COP 25 Presidency Chile Nigel Topping High-Level Champion of the COP 26 Presidency United Kingdom *Unedited version 11 Nov 21 1 IMPROVED MARRAKECH PARTNERSHIP FOR GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION FOR ENHANCING AMBITION 2021 - 2025* *Unedited version 11 Nov 21 2 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. At the twenty-fifth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 25), Parties requested the High-Level Champions to explore how to improve the work under the Marrakech Partnership for enhancing ambition, taking into consideration feedback from Parties and non-Party stakeholders (NPS).

5 In response to this request and building on the work programme for 2020-2021, lessons learned and achievements over the past years, the High-Level Champions conducted an open process to gather written and oral feedback from Parties and NPS. Over the past two years, they have worked together with stakeholders to strengthen the collective work of the Marrakech Partnership and now present this plan for improving its impact in accelerating immediate action, enhancing ambition, and providing continuity for the period 2021-2025. 2. Based on their mandate from Parties, the High-Level Champions are one of the formal links between the UNFCCC process and immediate, near-term climate action from NPS. By guiding the work under the Marrakech Partnership, they play a unique role in encouraging NPS to accelerate immediate action and enhance ambition and in doing so support national governments in the implementation of their climate action plans.

6 3. To better leverage this role and implement their vision, the High-Level Champions intend to support the work of the Marrakech Partnership by organizing efforts around six key functions: a. Mobilizing and aligning NPS towards credible, transparent, science-based goals that maximize ambition; b. Supporting NPS to drive systems transformation around sector pathways with actionable short-medium- and long-term milestones that facilitate all stakeholders working collaboratively across sectors and value-chains towards a shared vision; c. Strengthening collaboration between national governments and NPS by identifying opportunities where climate action from NPS helps to create the conditions for enhancing ambition and accelerating implementation; d. Broadening and deepening engagement globally, with a particular focus on helping developing country stakeholders to identify opportunities and the solutions most appropriate for their context; e.

7 Tracking progress and enhancing the transparency and credibility of NPS action to build confidence and a shared understanding of the overall state of systems transformation and game-changing solutions to inform and accelerate action; f. Building a shared narrative to collectively understand the overall direction of climate action and inspire further action. 4. A number of different tools employed across these different functions, applied in a dynamic and cross-cutting way, will help the Champions and the Marrakech Partnership to achieve their goals. 5. The High-Level Champions , in close collaboration with the UNFCCC secretariat, have developed an enhanced architecture that aims to be even more effective in accelerating near-term action, *Unedited version 11 Nov 21 3 highlighting transformational solutions and opportunities to enhance ambition across all regions and enabling the climate action community to deliver at the scale and pace that is required in support of the intergovernmental process.

8 The Champions have worked to ensure the Marrakech Partnership remains an open, inclusive, and participatory platform that invites the participation of coalitions, initiatives and organizations who are ambitious, action-oriented, transparent and guided by the latest science. 6. To promote continuity and a predictable rhythm each year, the work of the Marrakech Partnership will leverage the milestones of the UNFCCC process to mobilize and amplify progress and the evidence of enhanced action, while at the same time maintaining the agility to innovate and adapt when required to drive immediate, near-term action and ensure the delivery of concrete outcomes throughout the year. The work will be guided by key principles for collaboration and criteria for participation, as outlined below. *Unedited version 11 Nov 21 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.

9 2 I. MANDATE .. 5 II. VISION .. 6 III. UNIQUE ADDED VALUE, FUNCTIONS AND TOOLS .. 7 IV. ORGANIZATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS .. 15 V. CYCLE AND RHYTHM OF ACTIVITIES .. 18 *Unedited version 11 Nov 21 5 I. MANDATE 1. At the twenty-first Conference of the Parties in Paris (COP 21), Parties welcomed the efforts of non-Party stakeholders (NPS) (businesses, cities, subnational regions, investors, and civil society) on mobilizing climate action and as a way of supporting national governments and accelerating pre-2020 action within the United Nations Climate Change process. Parties also decided to appoint two High-Level Champions to scale-up and introduce new or strengthened voluntary efforts, initiatives, and coalitions for collaborative climate Since 2015, there has been consistent growth in climate action globally, as reflected in the Global Climate Action Portal ( NAZCA), and through work undertaken by the Marrakech Partnership for Global Climate Action, as summarized in the Yearbooks of Global Climate 2.

10 As a result of the significant expansion of NPS climate action since COP 21, Parties at COP 25 acknowledged the important role of NPS in contributing towards progress in achieving the objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the goals of the Paris Agreement, in particular by supporting Parties in reducing emissions and adapting to the impacts of Parties also decided to continue appointing High-Level Champions5 until 2025, and specifically requested the Champions to explore how to improve the work under the Marrakech Partnership for enhancing 3. This new five-year period comes at a time when the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been clearer than ever on the need to take urgent action, and Parties are entering a crucial period for implementing their nationally determined contributions (NDCs), national adaptation plans (NAPs) and long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies (LT-LEDS).