About

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) formed the High Ambition Coalition in run-up negotiations at the UNFCCC to the Paris Agreement in 2015. The HAC helped to secure key elements of the deal, including the 1.5C temperature goal, the net zero global emissions pathway by the second half of the century, and a five-year cycle for updating mitigation contributions. The science has only become clearer since Paris—keeping global temperature increase below 1.5C is imperative to avert the most severe impacts of climate change.

Dubbed “The Justice League of Climate Diplomacy” by CNN, the HAC was nurtured over several months through small and intimate meetings of progressive developed and developing nations to discuss common positions, strategy and messaging. The original purpose of the HAC was to galvanize a broad coalition in support of building momentum towards a strong agreement at COP21.

Throughout Paris, the gatherings of the HAC grew, involving a majority of vulnerable country ministers and engagement from a number of larger emitters. By the second week of COP21, the HAC involved more than 30 ministers representing groupings made up of about 100 countries.  Rolling Stone magazine noted that “perhaps the greatest surprise in Paris was that one of the most important players in the negotiations came from one of the world's smallest nations: the Marshall Islands.”

The HAC again played a key role in promoting ambition in the run up to COP-26 in Glasgow. With the support of 50 countries at COP-26, the HAC launched its Leaders’ Statement. This statement heavily influenced the outcomes of the Glasgow Climate Pact, especially on adaptation financing, NDC timelines, and fossil fuel subsidies and coal. At COP-27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, the HAC pushed for the end of the fossil fuel era, and a Loss and Damage Fund.

At COP-28 the HAC steered the fight for a Global Stocktake outcome that signaled a transition away from fossil fuels, the phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, and tripling of renewable energy goals. At COP-29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, the HAC launched a Leaders’ Statement called for increasing ambition on climate finance and special circumstances for Small Island Developing States and Least-Developed Countries that strongly influenced outcomes of the New Collective Quantified Goal on climate finance.

RMI continues to serve as the official convener of the HAC today, with support from Independent Diplomat.