CALP CVA Climate & Environment CoP (Americas Friendly Time)
The global impacts of climate change and environmental degradation are real and pose a huge immediate and long-term threat. Multiple ongoing and complex crises underline the fact that climate change is, and will likely remain, the main challenge confronting the humanitarian system. Urgent transformation is needed!
The dedicated chapter on environmental consideration in the CALP State of the World’s Cash 2023 report outlines a framework for exploring the potential roles of CVA throughout the disaster risk and humanitarian response cycle. It also summarizes existing evidence and looks at key gaps and questions, with some recommendations on next steps. Notable areas of focus include how organizations can mitigate the environmental impacts of their activities, and how CVA can be used to respond to, prepare for and adapt to climate and environment-based crises, including through anticipatory action and strengthening links with social protection systems.
This first webinar focused on mitigation of the impacts of CVA on the climate and environment. It featured different perspectives on greening humanitarian action and measuring the environmental footprint of CVA, including research analysing the carbon footprint of MEBs. Presentations and discussion identified opportunities and challenges, exploring how humanitarian practitioners can be more proactive in planning and implementing programming that is effective in meeting the needs of recipients, while contributing to the fight against environmental losses and climate change.
You can access the recording and presentation slide decks through the links below. The agenda and presenters were as follows:
Introducing the CoP and summary presentation of SOWC main findings on CVA and climate:
- Ruth McCormack – CALP technical advisor (co-lead on CVA, climate and environment)
- Céline Sinitzky Billard – CALP technical advisor (co-lead on CVA, climate and environment)
Presentations:
- Jesse McCommon – Leader, Humanitarian Advisory Group, [presenting findings from HAG’s latest research on greening the humanitarian system]. Contact her at jmccommon@humanitarianadvisorygroup.org and find the report here.
- Camille Evain – Action Contre la Faim, Head of Environment & Climate Unit, ACF [presenting findings of ACF’s analysis of the carbon footprint of MEBs] . More info contacting environmentrequest@actioncontrelafaim.org and find the report here.
- Tina El Khoury (Nexus Environmental Assessment Tool (NEAT+) project manager) and Diego Reyes (Associate Programme Officer) – UNEP/ OCHA Joint Environment Unit [presenting the NEAT+ and VEHA tools for integrating environmental assessments into humanitarian programme design] Contact them at diego.reyes1@un.org and tina.elkhoury@un.org and find the tools here: NEAT+ https://neatplus.org, VEHA https://ehaconnect.org/guidance/market-support/
Discussant:
- Clara Setiawan – ICRC, Global CVA lead