Huq inspires COP29 hub for climate action
A new platform to bridge the gap between climate science, policy and practice, and named after renowned IIED researcher Saleemul Huq, was launched at COP29 on 12 November.
Saqib Huq, ICCCAD managing director and son of Saleem, launches the Saleemul Huq Action Research Exchange Hub at COP29 (Photo: Ritu Bharadwaj, IIED)
The global fight against climate change requires a new approach that integrates research, policy and action in ways that are responsive to the urgent challenges faced by communities vulnerable to climate impacts.
The Saleemul Huq Action Research Exchange Hub (SHARE Hub) was launched at COP29 by the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD). The innovative platform is designed to bridge the gap between climate research, policy formulation and real-world practices.
Named after ICCCAD director Huq, a globally recognised climate scientist and advocate for climate justice who was also an IIED senior associate until he died in October 2023, the hub aims to foster collaboration among researchers, policymakers and practitioners to accelerate climate resilience and adaptation.
The SHARE Hub will be a focal point for action-oriented research that informs and supports climate policy at national and global levels, while also driving local implementation.
By prioritising locally led adaptation (LLA) and participatory approaches to address climatic impacts such as loss and damage, the hub will ensure that solutions are inclusive, context-specific and aligned with the needs of the most climate-impacted communities.
IIED executive director Tom Mitchell attended the launch of the hub and said: “The SHARE Hub is a credit to the memory of Saleemul Huq, who taught us all about the value of collaboration and learning from the experiences of those most affected by climate change.
“Along with the recently launched ALL-ACT Loss and Damage Research Observatory, the hub provides a collaborative space to not only showcase action research projects and explore opportunities, but to share knowledge and build partnerships for global climate resilience.”
The event to launch the SHARE Hub highlighted a variety of critical themes including capacity building, co-creating knowledge, loss and damage, children, health, finance and investment, and more. It focused on Huq’s legacy of leadership, showing how his work in advocating for least developed countries and advancing loss and damage funding has paved a path for climate justice, challenging disparities between nations of the global North and South.
IIED will be participating in a variety of further events at COP29, many of which will discuss how to foster collaboration and to ensure climate finance reaches the level it needs to for locally led adaptation, loss and damage and more.
