ACE- Action for Climate Empowerment

RITURAJ PHUKAN

The emissions of greenhouse gases are correlated to human behaviour and the action, inaction, decisions and deeds of people are significant drivers of climate action. That is the reason why educating, empowering and engaging people to tackle climate change is vital.

It remains critical that everyone, everywhere understands what’s causing climate change, as well as its environmental, economic and social impacts.

Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) is a term adopted by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to denote work under Article 6 of the Convention and Article 12 of the Paris Agreement.

ACE1 — Credit: Pexels/Karolina Grabowska

The over-arching goal of ACE is to empower all members of society to engage in climate action, through the six ACE elements – climate change education and public awareness, training, public participation, public access to information, and international cooperation on these issues.

The six elements of ACE

Education

Incorporating climate change across all aspects of formal and informal education is the starting point for effective climate action. Global poverty, social inequality, loss of biodiversity, and the depletion of natural resources are among the myriad issues intertwined with climate change, a complex global challenge that surpasses national borders. Understanding climate change and knowing how to foster an equitable, low-emission future are essential due to the multifaceted nature of this issue.

Education aims to bring about significant, long-lasting improvements in understanding, especially in the minds of youth. It entails creating educational curricula, educating teachers and trainers, and implementing suitable pedagogies. A successful program will eventually produce a populace that is deeply aware of the climate crisis and is more willing and able to take action at the federal level.

Public Awareness

Public awareness through ACE aims to reach people of all ages and from all walks of life. Raising awareness about climate change impacts and solutions extends well beyond formal education or training programmes. Public awareness campaigns allow a variety of viewpoints to be included in both local and global dialogues, even though their foundation is the dissemination of information as broadly as possible.

Initiatives aimed at raising public awareness aim to improve attitudes, increase general knowledge, and assist individuals in making climate-friendly decisions. Popular media, including social media and print, radio, and television, are some of the most crucial tools for outreach and communication. This means disseminating knowledge on the causes, consequences, and urgently needed innovative and practical solutions for climate change.

Training

Training refers to vocational training in key climate-related sectors to develop practical and technical skills for securing a just transition to a low-carbon, climate resilient future that leaves no one behind. Training initiatives aim to disseminate certain useful skills that are immediately applicable in the workplace.

The capacity to compile and analyze climate data, carry out national emission inventories, and recognize climate-friendly technology are a few examples. Training is about learning by doing, and continuing education is beneficial for people, groups, and organizations alike.

Initiatives for training also have a significant multiplying effect. Effective strategies and initiatives that prioritize training of trainers can facilitate the rapid dissemination of best practices from local to national and regional arenas.

Public Participation

Public participation in climate change decision-making is based on the idea that those affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process. Providing the public with an opportunity to share their views and perspectives in decision-making processes enhances the quality of decisions and often results in a high rate of compliance with the policy or regulation being implemented.

Governments should aim to incorporate civil society perspectives and engage the public by guaranteeing that individuals can engage in decision-making related to climate change and carry out actions for mitigation and adaptation. This will, in certain cases, force significant adjustments to the routines of political figures and government servants and inspire citizens to pay more attention to the formulation of public policy.

Public Access to Information

ACE reinforces the fact that information on the climate crisis should be readily accessible and freely available to the public, so they are equipped with the tools to play an active, meaningful role in climate policy and action. All residents may more easily access data, statistics, and knowledge about climate change thanks to technologies like the internet and databases.

Public access to information is not just about the dissemination of knowledge, but essential to creating and implementing successful policies as well as getting people involved in the process. The feedback loops and other systems that link practitioners, decision-makers, and people directly affected by the negative effects of climate change to exchange knowledge and experience are all included in the concept of public access to information.

International Cooperation

International cooperation can enhance support to national efforts, allow for aggregation and joint efforts and create opportunities for knowledge exchange to foster greater climate action. Strong international collaboration is needed to mobilize funds, know-how, and experience in order to progress public engagement, training, education and public awareness campaigns, and information access. International cooperation and exchange can play a major role in strengthening ACE efforts.

ACE is the foundation for a low-emission, climate-resilient and just future, thanks to its six interconnected elements and critical for building greater capacity, knowledge, and skills to address the challenge and identify solutions are prerequisites to achieving the radical transformation that the Paris Agreement goals require.

ACE and its six elements are foundational in securing inclusive and informed climate action and ensuring that future generations are equipped with the knowledge and skills to thrive.

05-09-2024

Rituraj Phukan; Founder, Indigenous People’s Climate Justice Forum; Co-Founder, Smily Academy; National Coordinator for Biodiversity, The Climate Reality Project India; Member, IUCN Wilderness Specialist Group; Commission Member – IUCN WCPA Climate Change, IUCN WCPA Connectivity Conservation, IUCN WCPA Indigenous People and Protected Areas Specialist Groups, IUCN WCPA South Asia Region and IUCN WCPA-SSC Invasive Alien Species Task Force; Member, International Antarctic Expedition 2013; Climate Force Arctic 2019; Ambassador, Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary