At the COP21 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, governments agreed that mobilizing stronger and more ambitious climate action is urgently required to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. To connect the work of governments with the many voluntary and collaborative actions taken by cities, regions, businesses and investors, nations decided to appoint two High Level Champions.
Over the past two years, the High-Level Champions for COP25 and COP26 — Gonzalo Muñoz and Nigel Topping — established the Climate Champions Team to help deliver on their mandate to enhance ambition and strengthen the engagement of non-state actors in supporting Parties, working with the Marrakech Partnership, to deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement.
At COP26, parties and non-state actors welcomed the progress and the plans for “Implementing the Improved Marrakech Partnership for Enhancing Ambition.”
In February, the Climate Champions welcomed Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin as the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for Egypt. Together with Mr Topping, Dr Mohieldin will help build on the legacy of their predecessors to engage with non state actors and activate the ‘ambition loop’ with national governments.
High-Level Champion of Egypt: Dr. Mahmoud Mohieldin
High-Level Champion of United Kingdom: Nigel Topping
Mr. Nigel Topping was the CEO of We Mean Business until December 2019, where he drove radical collaboration for climate action among NGOs working with the world’s most influential businesses. This coalition played a key role in bringing the constructive voice of business in support of the Paris Agreement and, under Nigel’s leadership has continued to drive ambition and action to accelerate the transition to a zero carbon economy.
Previously, Nigel was Executive Director of CDP, launching new programs and partnerships including supply chain, water, forests and cities. Nigel has 18 years’ experience in the private sector, including as a member of the management board of the world’s largest manufacturer of brake pads, TMD Friction.
Nigel is a commissioner on the Energy Transitions Commission and has been instrumental in the launch of many collaborative initiatives such as Science Based Targets, Business for Nature and the Global Commons Alliance.
He holds an MA in Mathematics from Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK and an MSc in Holistic Science from Schumacher College, Devon, UK.
Interview with the High-Level Climate Champions Nigel Topping and Mahmoud Mohieldin as they launch their work programme for 2022.
UN High-Level Climate Action Champions kick-started the non state actors climate action agenda with the launch of their 2022 work programme.
The Criteria Consultation Process is now well underway, and over 150 independent experts across eight working groups have gathered to discuss critical topics and help strengthen and clarify the Race to Zero starting line criteria, leadership principles, interpretation guide and lexicon.
The UN High-Level Climate Champions are excited to launch their programme for the first-ever Middle East and North Africa Regional Climate Week.
He was Minister of Investment of Egypt from 2004-2010, and most recently, served as the World Bank Group Senior Vice President for the 2030 Development Agenda, United Nations Relations and Partnerships. His roles at the World Bank also included Managing Director, responsible for Human Development, Sustainable Development, Poverty Reduction and Economic Management, Finance and Private Sector Development, and the World Bank Institute; World Bank President’s Special Envoy on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Post-2015 Development Agenda (later, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)), and Financing for Development; and Corporate Secretary and Executive Secretary to the Development Committee of the World Bank Group’s Board of Governors.