As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to disrupt much of our daily and economic reality, CDP is aware that our stakeholders worldwide are facing serious challenges to their operations. We will be providing further insights on the implications for our work and our plans over the coming weeks and months.

At a time of such uncertainty, the need for global collaboration in response to global crises is clearer than ever. On World Water Day and International Day of Forests, we celebrated those companies working to fight deforestation and water insecurity. Protecting these vital resources is integral to our global efforts to build a resilient, climate-safe future, and brings real business benefits.

World Water Day 2020 drove home the message that we urgently need to protect water resources for a climate-safe future and to keep people safe during global pandemics. Our latest blog by Cate Lamb (Global Director, Water Security) explores how a growing number of business leaders are stepping up.

Urgent progress is needed to prevent deforestation, a key climate change driver presenting real business risks. Yet in 2020, over 400 companies with major impacts on deforestation will fail on key pledges. Read our latest blog by Daniel Turner (Global Head of Corporate Engagement & Reporter Services), introducing the new CDP forests analytics tool to support companies in tackling deforestation.

Africa accounts for the smallest share of global greenhouse gas emissions, at just 3.8%. Yet the continent is particularly vulnerable to climate change, and is working to tackle climate hazards head on. This year, CDP is working with 48 African cities reporting their environmental data, representing 31% of the continent's total population. The new CDP Africa Report benchmarks progress towards climate safe cities, states and regions across the continent.

In 2019, several African cities reported that inadequate waste management was likely to multiply the risks posed by climate change. For all these cities, waste and water management are fundamentally interconnected to the city’s capacity to adapt to climate risks. Find out what African cities are doing to tackle the challenge.

Featuring Pandora Batra, CDP’s Africa Engagement Manager, with distinguished guests from ICLEI Africa, ADEME and C40, this podcast provides cities, specifically within the African context, with a high-level overview of risk and vulnerability assessments. Cities cannot build resilience against the impacts of climate change without first assessing and being aware of these impacts.

How can African cities access more funds and what do they need at a project level to unlock climate finance? Find out more in our latest podcast on climate finance, featuring Adrian Lotter, of the Climate Change, Energy & Resilience Division at ICLEI Africa.