Many “non -state actors” - e.g. regions, cities, companies and whole sectors - have committed to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These activities become increasingly important next to nationally driven actions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The exact impact of these efforts on current and future emissions is unknown and under-researched. Mitigation activities of regions, cities and companies that are independent of national action are currently not comprehensively reflected in the projection of greenhouse gas emissions of Germany, which form the basis for its greenhouse gas targets.

The aim of this study is to quantify the potential impact of a selected number of actions by non-state actors and partnerships on Germany’s GHG emissions.  We focus chiefly on the impact of such initiatives on the 2020 emissions gap, although our analysis also extends to longer-term targets (2030 to 2050) wherever such pledges exist.