UGIH

UN Climate Change Global Innovation Hub

Emission Reductions

Purpose

Achieving core human needs and the Paris Agreement

OpenEarth is a proud partner of the UNFCCC. A key collaboration entails the design and development of the UNFCCC Global Innovation Hub, or UGIH. Launched in Glasgow's COP25, the UGIH provides a cross-disciplinary community of practice with both a physical and virtual hub to connect stakeholders searching to meet core human needs demands with best available climate and sustainability solutions. The key aim is to support meeting core human needs while supporting the 1.5 degrees goal of the Paris Agreement.

The Problem

Climate Ambition

Low Climate Ambition

Climate ambition in pledges is being set by what is perceived as possible, not on what is needed. Low ambition also leads to a low demand for climate & sustainability innovations.

Fragmented Innovation

Fragmented Innovation

Innovation is mainly leveraged to achieve incremental improvement in the form of reduction of the carbon footprint of products and services at the supply side. Moonshot thinking is not widely shared and innovations are often constrained to technology, without considering finance, policy and business models.

Sector Metrics

Beyond sector metrics

Addressing a decarbonisation pathway through sectorial metrics can lead to incremental and problem oriented innovations, rather that solution innovations based on core human needs.

Specifics

Fulfill Core Human Needs

The UGIH focuses on meeting core human needs for a thriving population, such as nutrition & health, shelter, clothing, access and leisure.

Match Supply & Demand

A key focus is to meet clear human and climate demands with a broad supply of sustainability solutions, and broadcast the need for new innovations if demand is not met.

Expand Innovations

By focusing on human needs rather than sectors, we can re-frame the innovation agenda and incorporate holistic clustering of technologies, finance, policy and business model innovation opportunities.

Benefits

Why

UGIH

matters

#Connects

Establishes a marketplace for demand and supply of climate and sustainability solutions to be connected.

#Fulfills

Is based on fulfilling what humans need, not what is perceived possible

#Reframes

Changes the innovation perspective: before building better cars, can we rethink how we access what we need?

#Ambition

Encourages to set Climate Ambitions based on what is needed rather than what is perceived possible.

COP26 Launch

UGIH Intro Video

Check out the introductory video for the UGIH, presented at the official launch in COP26 to consolidate the vision for this collaborative project.

An Open Forum at COP

Physical UGIH Hub

Starting at COP26, the UGIH will host a dynamic forum space for multi-stakeholder dialogue and presentations. It's been a pleasure for OpenEarth to participate in this process.

COP26 Sessions >
Digital Platform

Virtual Hub

OpenEarth is working with UNFCCC to design and develop the digital platform for UGIH, or Virtual Hub. This entails building an advanced urban and climate simulation platform, database & marketplace to help major non-party actors —such as cities— achieve a Paris-aligned transformation and fulfill core human needs.

Virtual Hub

UGIH Digital Vision

Alongside UNFCCC, we have prototyped the initial vision for the functionalities of the UGIH Virtual Hub, designed to help support cities and other key actors meet their core human needs by matching them with solution providers.

Product Video Link
UGIH Pilots

UGIH City Pilots

We have designed a high-level rationale for an urban pilot for UGIH, prototyping the concept of "climate solution clusters," using the city of Buenos Aires as case-study. These design iterations inform the conceptualization of the UGIH digital platform and its features.

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Collaborate

Learn more about the UGIH, its upcoming plans for COP28 and how you can participate

The UGIH, like OpenEarth, shares a spirit of radical collaboration and inclusion. Both the physical hub at the COP and the virtual hub are being designed to represent multiple stakeholders across state and non-state actors; accelerating innovation across policy, finance, technology, social networks and business models. Explore the concept note published by UNFCCC that further articulates the vision for the UGIH.