Tracking, evaluation and comparison of climate change mitigation policies and actions from a wide range of national, subnational, corporate and civil society stakeholders.
Action to combat climate change is diverse. National governments, as well as regions, cities, companies and individuals embark on the challenge to reduce emissions. We monitor those players’ actions and develop and apply methods to compare them between peers and to the objective of holding global warming below 2/1.5°C.
NewClimate Institute staff has years of experience in evaluating mitigation commitments and policies and identifying their impact on emissions. We connect to policy makers and researchers all over the world to identify best practice options and understand differences between geographical regions and stakeholders. Besides government policies, we also monitor activities of companies and other institutions.
Associated projects
Climate Action Tracker
Climate Action Tracker provides regularly updated information on countries’ emission reduction policies. It reflects the latest status of the progress being made at international climate negotiations on mitigation commitments. The Climate Action Tracker is a science-based assessment that provides regularly updated information on countries’ emission reduction proposals and policies. It reflects the latest status of… Read More
Mitigation responsibilities under a 2015 international climate agreement
Analysis of options for mitigation commitments post-2020 under the new international climate agreement to be finalised in 2015. Return to all expertise and projects A new international climate agreement is to be finalised in 2015. It is to enter into force in 2020 and to include – besides other aspects such as finance and adaptation-… Read More
Modelling climate policies of major emitters
Technical background report on analysis of current and potential climate policies for enhancing mitigation ambition in the major emitting countries. Return to all expertise and projects This project identifies important climate policies of the major emitters and estimates their impact on emissions. The analysis, conducted together with PBL, IIASA and Ecofys for the European Commission,… Read More
UNEP emissions gap reports
Since 2010, UNEP synthesises information on the gap between current trend in greenhouse gas emissions and where they would have to be in order to stabilize global temperature increase at 2°C.
How much more could Germany achieve through non-state action?
Quantifying the possible contribution of International Cooperative Initiatives to the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions in Germany
The contribution of energy efficiency to reducing the cost of decarbonisation
How can energy efficiency policies lower the costs of decarbonisation?
Climate Policy Database
Assessment of good practices in the implementation of climate change policies. NewClimate Institute analyses which major emitting countries are implementing good practice policies or policies from a policy menu to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Top 30 emitting countries which cover 82% of global GHG emissions are analysed. The project first establishes a package of… Read More
Mitigation impacts of energy efficiency and renewable energy actions under the One Gigaton Coalition
Quantifying GHG emission reductions resulting from renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives and programmes in developing countries. NewClimate Institute, together with Yale University, has set up a comprehensive framework to quantify the impact of energy efficiency (EE) and renewable energy (RE) actions in developing countries that are attributable to the One Gigaton Coalition. The One… Read More
International Cooperative Initiatives (ICIs) outside the UNFCCC
Evaluation of the impact of global, regional and national initiatives outside UNFCCC on greenhouse gas emissions. The German Environmental Agency (UBA) commissioned a consortium of NewClimate Institute, Öko-Institut and Fraunhofer ISI to analyse the impact of international, regional and national initiatives outside the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on greenhouse gas emissions.… Read More
Climate Transparency
Climate Transparency is an open global consortium with a shared mission to stimulate a ‘race to the top’ in climate action through enhanced transparency. For this purpose, comprehensive, comparable and credible information about government climate action is spread by bringing together the most important actors in assessing and communicating climate action for the benefit of key influencers and decision makers.
What the Paris Agreement means for Germany’s climate action
Translating the goals of the Paris Agreement into the German context. Return to all expertise and projects The long-term global climate goals of the Paris Agreement adopted by nearly 200 countries in December 2015 imply the necessity for enhanced efforts for greenhouse gas emissions reductions in Germany. The phrasing of the long term goals of… Read More
The potential of business initiatives in emission reduction
How individual companies are contributing to emission reduction. Return to all expertise and projects Aside from national and sub-national governments taking action against climate change, large potential for emission reductions exists in the corporate sector. More and more companies are making commitments to contribute to the long-term targets of the Paris Agreement. These include, for… Read More
What the Paris Agreement means for climate action in the Netherlands
Translating the goals of the Paris Agreement into the context of the Netherlands. Return to all expertise and projects The long-term global climate goals of the Paris Agreement adopted by nearly 200 countries in December 2015 imply the necessity for enhanced efforts for greenhouse gas emissions reductions in the Netherlands. The phrasing of the long term… Read More
Developing guidance under ICAT – non-state and subnational actors
Providing policy makers with tools and support to measure and assess the effects of their climate policies. Return to all expertise and projects Under the umbrella of the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT), an initiative aimed at providing policy makers with common tools and support to measure and assess the effects of their climate… Read More
Climate Action Tracker – Decarbonisation Module
Tracking sectoral decarbonisation indicators for over 30 countries. Return to all expertise and projects In a consortium with Climate Analytics and Ecofys, NewClimate Institute contributes to the “Climate Action Tracker” (CAT) Data Portal, which is a database of decarbonisation indicators on sector- and country-level for over 30 countries. Tasks under this work include (a) maintaining,… Read More
Implementation of future GHG mitigation goals: Framework conditions and transformative challenges in selected focus countries
Return to all expertise and projects To hold temperature increase to the levels agreed on in the Paris Agreement, countries will have to revisit their mitigation plans and identify options to strengthen them. Additionally, industrialised countries in particular will have to identify areas where cooperative solutions with developing countries and emerging economies can be most… Read More
2018 Global Climate Action Analysis Project
Return to all expertise and projects The 2018 Global Climate Action Analysis Project and report, led by Data-Driven Yale in collaboration with NewClimate Institute and PBL, and supported by ClimateWorks, will quantify the scope and aggregate impact of global non-state action, and include five to ten case studies focused on non-state climate action within specific… Read More
Pathways and entry points to 1.5 °C (PEP1p5)
Return to all expertise and projects This project, jointly developed by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change (MCC) and NewClimate Institute, aims to develop a scientific and policy relevant assessment of the long-term goal to limit global temperature increase to 1.5°C in the… Read More
Climate Change Performance Index
The Climate Change Performance Index is an instrument to enhance transparency in international climate politics. It aims to encourage countries which have, up to now, failed to take ambitious actions on climate protection as well as to highlight countries with best-practice climate policies.
Climate governance assessment
Developing a framework for assessing countries’ readiness to implement ambitious climate policy.
Climate Action Tracker – Scaling Up Climate Action
In a consortium with Climate Analytics and Ecofys, NewClimate Institute contributes to the Climate Action Tracker’s Scaling Up Climate Action country series. The first round of our analysis covers South Africa, the European Union, Indonesia, Turkey, Argentina, and Australia.
Further reading
A research roadmap for quantifying non-state and subnational climate mitigation action Dec 2018- In this paper, we make recommendations regarding five main areas of research and methodological development related to evaluating nonstate and subnational climate actions.
Are the G20 economies making enough progress to meet their NDC targets? Dec 2018- This study compares projected GHG emissions in the G20 economies under current climate policies to those under the GHG targets outlined in the nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
The Climate Change Performance Index 2019 Dec 2018- Developed by NewClimate Institute, Germanwatch and CAN, the index ties in with the global Climate Change Performance Index by Germanwatch, a rating of the 58 largest emitters of GHG emissions globally that has been published annually since 2006.
Greenhouse gas mitigation scenarios for major emitting countries – Analysis of current climate policies and mitigation commitments: 2018 update Dec 2018- This report provides an overview of projected greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 25 major emitting countries/regions up to 2030, taking into account the emission trajectories based on current policies and the implementation of nationally determined contributions (NDCs).
The Emissions Gap Report 2018: A UN Environment Synthesis Report Nov 2018- This is the 9th edition of the UN Environment Emissions Gap Report. It assesses the latest scientific studies on current and estimated future greenhouse gas emissions and compares these with the emission levels permissible for the world to progress on a least-cost pathway to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. 
Short term policies to keep the door open for Paris climate goals Jul 2018- This article shows how a strengthening of existing plans by a global roll-out of successful, regional sector policies can ease the implementation challenge of reaching the Paris climate goals.
Reducing global GHG emissions by replicating successful sector examples: the ‘good practice policies’ scenario Jun 2018- This article shows the potential impact on global GHG emissions in 2030, if all countries were to implement sectoral climate policies similar to successful examples already implemented elsewhere.
The EU can increase its climate targets to be in line with a global 1.5°C target May 2018- This project analyses best practice policies across Europe and how far extending them to all EU member states could support EU Greenhouse Gases (GHG) and energy targets. It finds that the EU can go much further than its current commitments in terms of GHG reductions: it has the potential to reach -55% to -62% below 1990 by 2030, consistent with the Paris commitment of staying “well below 2°C, pursuing 1.5°C”.
Update: GHG mitigation scenarios for major emitting countries – an overview of recently adopted policies Apr 2018- NewClimate Institute, PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency and IIASA present an overview of on climate and energy policies in 25 major emitting countries and regions that have been adopted since July 2017. The policy information compiled by in this document supplements the earlier 2017 update report on the projected greenhouse gas emissions under currently implemented policies and mitigation commitments in 25 countries and regions. Not only the qualitative descriptions of policies but also their possible implications on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions projections in 2030 are provided whenever available. Ten key short-term sectoral benchmarks to limit warming to 1.5°C Dec 2017- This article identifies and quantifies the 10 most important benchmarks for climate action to be taken by 2020 – 2025 to keep the window open for a 1.5°C-consistent GHG emission pathway.