UN Climate Change Secretariat announces new members

The United Nations Climate Change secretariat announced the appointment of eight new members to its Momentum for Change Advisory Panel.

Through its Momentum for Change initiative, the United Nations Climate Change secretariat provides a public platform to highlight broad-ranging climate change actions that are already achieving impacts on the ground, in addressing both climate change and wider economic, social and environmental issues. By demonstrating that climate action is achievable and economically attractive, and enhancing efforts to drive sustainable development, Momentum for Change inspires decision makers and the public at large to support immediate and ambitious climate action.

The Momentum for Change Advisory Panel is tasked with selecting the Momentum for Change lighthouse activities prior to each United Nations Climate Change Conference. They also provide strategic guidance in further development and expansion of Momentum for Change, including potential additional pillars, and support the secretariat in outreach and marketing efforts of the initiative.

“I am extremely grateful to the current and incoming Momentum for Change advisory panel members. I am convinced that with their help, we will continue to recognize concrete mitigation and adaptation activities that are cost effective and provide win-win benefits for all.” UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Christiana Figueres.

“As Chair of the Momentum for Change Advisory Panel I am delighted to welcome these eight new members to the team. With the launch of the two new pillars in 2012 - Women for Results and Financing for Climate-friendly Investment - Momentum for Change has received more applications than ever before. We are very pleased to have the benefit of additional experts to take part in this year’s lighthouse activity selection process. I would like to extend a warm welcome to each new member and I am looking forward to working with the full Advisory Panel in selecting a new batch of lighthouse activities ahead of COP 19 in Warsaw.” Kelly Rigg, Executive Director of the Global Call for Climate Action (GCCA) and Chair of the Momentum for Change Advisory Panel.

Momentum for Change is proud to welcome eight new members to the 2013 Advisory Panel:

• Lorena Aguilar, Global Senior Gender Adviser, International Union for the Conservation of Nature;
• Hale Altan Ocakverdi, Deputy Secretary General, Turkish Business & Industry Association;
• Jamie Bechtel, Co-Founder and CEO, New Course;
• Joel Bolnick, Manager of the Secretariat, Slum/Shack Dwellers International;
• Juan José Daboub, Founding CEO of the Global Adaptation Institute;
• Martha Delgado Peralta, General Director, Global Cities Covenant on Climate Secretariat;
• Rabi Mohtar, Inaugural Director, Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute;
• Teresa Ribera Rodríguez, Senior Advisor for Climate and Energy, IDDRI.

About the UNFCCC

With 195 Parties, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has near universal membership and is the parent treaty of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol has been ratified by 192 of the UNFCCC Parties. For the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, 37 States, consisting of highly industrialized countries and countries undergoing the process of transition to a market economy, have legally binding emission limitation and reduction commitments. The ultimate objective of both treaties is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate system.