Understanding UNFCCC's Action for Climate Empowerment Framework

The Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) framework, under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, aims to engage individuals and communities in climate change education, awareness, participation, training, access to information, and international cooperation. This paper seeks to understand how the ACE framework functions in practice by examining concrete examples on the ground. It analyzes the motivations, challenges, and opportunities of stakeholder engagement, with particular focus on the roles of national focal points and non-state actors such as NGOs, IGOs, and youth groups in both international spaces and at the grassroots level. The study also identifies gaps in collaboration between state and non-state actors, noting that ACE implementation often occurs in isolated silos. Recommendations highlight the need for inclusive, coordinated, and well-supported climate initiatives that are fully integrated into national policies and international agreements to ensure sustainable and effective climate governance. Data for this study were collected through literature review, conference observations, interviews with ACE stakeholders, and a questionnaire distributed at the SB60 ACE gallery.