UN Climate Change News, 26 June 2026 - Partnerships are essential to accelerating the development and deployment of climate technologies and supporting implementation of the Paris Agreement, participants heard at a UN Climate Change side event held during the June Climate Meetings (SB64).
The event, Accelerating Climate Action through Partnerships under the Technology Mechanism, brought together governments, climate funds, international organizations, research institutions and industry representatives to showcase how collaboration is helping scale climate technology solutions for mitigation and adaptation.
The Technology Mechanism - comprising the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) - serves as the technology arm of the UNFCCC, supporting countries in identifying, developing and deploying climate technologies needed to address climate change and advance sustainable development.
Opening the event, Sophie De Coninck, Director of the Means of Implementation Division at UN Climate Change, said, "No single institution alone can deliver the scale of transformation required by the Paris Agreement. Technology is essential to climate action. But technology does not deploy itself. Turning innovation into impact requires collaboration across policy, finance, capacity-building and implementation. This is precisely why partnerships are at the heart of the Technology Mechanism's work."
The discussion also highlighted how the TEC and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) are working with a diverse range of partners to implement the Joint Work Programme of the Technology Mechanism (2023-2027), fostering innovation and scaling solutions for both climate mitigation and adaptation.
"Partnerships enable us to connect governments, technology providers, financial institutions and practitioners around practical solutions that can be scaled and replicated, " said Ariesta Ningrum, Director of the CTCN.
Speakers shared practical examples of partnerships already delivering results. Dietram Oppelt, representing Germany's National Designated Entity (NDE), highlighted collaboration with the TEC to support industrial decarbonization, while the Republic of Korea showcased its support for the Technology Mechanism's AI for Climate Action Initiative - through the UNFCCC-KOICA Climate Future Partnership.
The event also highlighted the launch of the Technology Mechanism's AI for Climate Action Award 2026, which recognizes innovative applications of artificial intelligence that support climate action, particularly in developing countries.
Mikko Ollikainen of the Adaptation Fund emphasized the importance of strengthening links between technology support, innovation and climate finance, helping countries move from project concepts to implementation.
Anne Dekeukelaer of the Cement and Concrete Breakthrough Agenda, shared lessons from its collaboration with the CTCN to accelerate the transition of one of the world's most emissions-intensive sectors.
A key announcement during the event was that UN Climate Change and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) have joined the Digital Public Goods Alliance (DPGA), a global network working to advance open, interoperable digital technologies for sustainable development.
Speakers also explored how partnerships can help strengthen implementation of the newly launched Belém Technology Implementation Programme, adopted at COP30, which aims to enhance support for the technology priorities identified by developing countries.
As summarized by Moderator, Maria Misovicova, Chief, Resource Mobilization and Partnerships of UN Climate Change; "A key takeaway from the discussion was that technology alone does not drive climate action - partnerships do, by bringing together governments, multilateral development banks, climate funds, industry, innovators and research institutions to scale solutions and accelerate implementation."
Participants identified several priorities for the years ahead, including strengthening links between technology support, finance and capacity-building; expanding partnerships that support country-driven technology priorities; scaling digital and AI-enabled climate solutions; and increasing collaboration with climate funds and development finance institutions to support implementation.
Closing the event, TEC Chair Pedro Ivo Ferraz da Silva underscored the importance of partnerships in delivering climate action at scale.
"No single institution can deliver the scale of technology transformation required by the Climate Change Convention and the Paris Agreement. Progress depends on collaboration, connecting policy, finance, innovation and implementation to help climate technologies reach the people, communities and countries that need them most."
