F20 Climate Solutions Forum 2021

Under the headline of “Green Recovery, Sustainable Finance, Just Transition: Putting Words into Deeds”, the Foundations Platform F20 and Fondazione Cariplo successfully concluded the F20 Climate Solutions Forum in Milan one month prior to the G20 Summit in Rome and the COP26 in Glasgow. The collaboration between F20 and its Italian partners was very constructive and trustful.

High-level experts from politics, science, business, civil society, and philanthropy elaborated how to shape the transformation towards a Green and Just Transition in line with the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The F20 Climate Solutions Forum put emphasis on the role of the G20 countries in keeping global temperature increase below the 1.5°C and the implementation of the 2030 Agenda with the 17 SDGs.

The first day focused on the food, biodiversity and climate nexus, and sustainable finance whilst the panels on the second day shed light on cities and communities which are the implementation ground of multilateral decision-making and key to safeguarding natural resources and the environment for future generations. With the event drawing to a close, representatives from local as well as international foundations discussed the role of philanthropy in advancing these topics. The single session and keynotes can be rewatched on YouTube.

The format of the event included several high-level keynote segments, insightful panel discussions and contributions from philanthropy representatives from across the globe. Among this year’s high-level speakers were Ban Ki-moon (former Secretary General of the United Nations and Deputy Chair, The Elders), John Kerry (US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate), Johan Rockström (Director, Potsdam Institute for Climate Research), Muhammad Al Jasser (Chairman of the Islamic Development Bank Group) and Princess Nouf bint Muhammad (Chief Executive Officer, King Khalid Foundation). The keynotes provided input for the subsequent panel discussions and interaction with the audience.

All representatives took a clear stance to hold the G20 accountable and confirmed the existing F20 Recommendations to the G20 countries as the basis of all future oriented programmes in order to build up resilience and strengthen the recovery of our societies. The recommendations list six concrete asks to the G20 to come up with their key role in implementing a transformation towards sustainable development. The G20 leaders must “put their words into deeds”, act on the global climate crisis and agree on concrete targets and tools on upscaling renewable energy, protecting biodiversity and the decarbonisation of the global finance markets.

As accentuated by Ban Ki-moon in his high-level keynote at the event, “through global, coordinated, and concerted action the G20 must now not only deliver on their promises but lead boldly with new commitments in line with the 1.5 degrees trajectory. Heads of State have an exceptional opportunity and obligation to do what is needed so the world can avert climate disaster and it is imperative that the G20 pull in the same direction on this critical effort.“

The hybrid event brought up a deeper debate on climate in Italy with participants on site and approximately 500 online participants from around the globe. It took place in Milan at the MEET Digital Centre of the Italian host foundation Fondazione Cariplo, and was well prepared together with the  Italian F20 partners and co-hosts Fondazione Unipolis, Fondazione di Comunità di Messina and Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo including the  support from the three Italian networks Assifero (Associazione italiana delle Fondazioni ed Enti filantropici), ASviS (L’Alleanza Italiana per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile) and ACRI (Associazione di Fondazioni e di Casse di Risparmio Spa).