My thanks to Bruce Horton for pulling this together. The Conference of Parties (COP) meeting in Marrakech (COP22) ratified the Paris agreement and also produced a wide range of really useful and interesting reports and initiatives for those in the water and energy sectors.

At COP22 in Marrakech, the Paris agreement (which has been ratified by the UK) entered into force.

1. There was a day dedicated to highlighting the role of water in providing solutions to climate change.

In a first for United Nations climate change conferences, a special day was devoted to action on water issues, providing stakeholders gathered in Marrakech, Morocco, for COP 22 an opportunity to spotlight water as a way of providing solutions to help implement the Paris Agreement.

“Water is one of the most impacted resources, but water also provides solutions to these challenges,” stressed the President of the World Water Council, Benedito Braga, who said today in a news release issued by the meeting, formally known as the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Water is critical for successful climate change mitigation, as many efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions depend on reliable access to water resources. To read more click here

2. $14bn water risk to business   Also at COP22, new research revealed a $14bn water risk to business. This report reveals:

• Water risks are rapidly materializing for business;
• Year-on-year trends show that companies are not moving fast enough to address the sustainable management of water;
• Water could make – or break – the low carbon transition;
• A pivot towards water stewardship is underway; and
• This year’s Water A List includes 24 companies. This is 16 more than last year.

3. Other initiatives announced at COP22 included new funding for clean technologies, building capacity to report on climate action plans, and a business coalition that committed to reduce their emissions by at least 80 percent by 2020.

4. According to a new report by UNEP, emissions reductions pledges set out in Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) currently fall 25% short of the 2 degrees warming target enshrined in the Paris Agreement.