Action for Climate Empowerment (ACE) refers to efforts that empower all members of society to understand the climate crisis and engage in climate action. This is included in both major international climate policies: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.

ACE includes six elements – climate change education, public awareness, training, public participation, public access to information, and international cooperation. Libraries of all types are important partners for ensuring ACE is lifelong and community-wide, so the benefits can reach all members of society.

Advocating internationally

IFLA works to raise awareness of the role that libraries play in climate empowerment. We engage with the UNFCCC ACE team, including by contributing to workshops, consultations, and programmes at the annual June Climate Conference.

We also have been engaging in the UN Climate Change Conference (COP) for several years. Our partnerships, including with the Climate Heritage Network, have been important for raising the profile of the culture sector.

We are a member of two Activation Groups within the Global Climate Action Agenda pillar of the Paris Agreement, contributing to work on information integrity and cultural heritage protection for climate action.

Building capacity in the sector

Within the library sector, we have been working to link green library efforts to ACE – highlighting the important ways libraries impact on wider development goals. We have conducted research and produced tools to help library professionals understand climate policy and position themselves as partners.

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