Browse publications

This technical note describes the State of Climate Action series’ methodology for identifying sectors that must transform, translating these transformations into global mitigation targets primarily for 2030, 2035 and 2050 and selecting indicators with datasets to monitor annual change.

For the Mexican power sector this publication explores finance needs for phasing-out gas and building-out renewables and discusses how, drawing on international experience, the social just transition could be supported.

This article assesses the status, robustness, and potential impact of GHG emission reduction targets set by the 60 largest steel producer companies. Full implementation of existing targets would lead to 38-53% reduction of CO2 by 2050 from 2019 levels.

The State of Climate Action 2023 provides the world’s most comprehensive roadmap of how to close the gap in climate action across sectors to limit global warming to 1.5°C. It finds that recent progress toward 1.5°C-aligned targets isn’t happening at the pace and scale necessary and highlights where action must urgently accelerate this decade to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, scale up carbon removal and increase climate finance.

This primer explores the relevance of the high-hanging fruit of climate change mitigation projects and the role that voluntary climate finance can play to support these projects.

We evaluate the progress of the global steel sector towards decarbonisation through identifying and monitoring key progress indicators aligned with latest literature and assessing, and quantifying emission reduction targets and implementation plans of steel companies.

This report assesses progress across 40 indicators of systems change and finds that none are on track to reach their 2030 targets.

This study aims to assess available technologies to decarbonise the heating supply of Ulaanbaatar. Based on already existing research identifying decarbonisation technology portfolios heavily reliant on electrification, we investigate which additional novel heating technologies with lower electricity consumption are available for extreme cold climates, and what implications those technologies would have on the Ulaanbaatar power sector. In doing so, we aim to clarify whether high electricity intensive heating technologies with lower capital costs would be more economically beneficial compared to lower electricity-intensive heating technologies with higher capital costs. We do so through the development of three scenarios representing different technology portfolios in 2050, for which we derive electricity consumption and cost estimates.

The two reports aim to obtain enhanced understanding of nascent but rapidly growing non-state and subnational actors’ action on GHG emissions reductions in China and India.

Combatting the climate crisis requires us to rapidly transform the systems that propel our economy, including power generation, buildings, industry, transport, land use, and agriculture—as well as the immediate scale-up of technological carbon removal. But by how much? And how can decision-makers unlock the transformational change that is required? The State of Climate Action 2021 identifies 40 indicators across key sectors that must transform to address the climate crisis, and assesses how current trends will impact how much work remains to be done by 2030 and 2050 to deliver a zero-carbon...

This study investigates the techno-economic potential of green hydrogen production in Mongolia, and its application in three hard-to-abate end-use sectors - namely heavy-duty transport in the mining sector, public transportation in Ulaanbaatar, and decentralised space heating and cooking. Based on the results, the GHG emission reduction potential is estimated, followed by an analysis on potential policy options for the introduction of green hydrogen in the Mongolian context. Main findings: Despite Mongolia’s rich renewable energy resources, some hard-to-abate sectors are technically...

The National Cooling Action Plan (NCAP) shall serve as input to Grenada’s NDC process, by providing quantitative and qualitative analyses on mitigation actions related to space cooling in buildings. Main findings: The NCAP aims to assist Grenada in the achievement of the country’s commitments under the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol and the Paris Agreement, and to contribute to the accomplishment of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. At present, buildings are responsible for 54% of total GHG emissions in Grenada and the refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) sector accounts...

This study provides new and additional insights on the specific link between residential cooking solutions, climate change, health impacts and associated sustainable development objectives in Kenya. It builds on the 2019 National Cooking Sector Study and uses scenario modelling to present different possible development pathways for the Kenyan residential cooking sector, estimating their respective impact on GHG emissions and human health, and additional analysis on fuel use, energy demand and fuel expenditure as well as deforestation. Main findings: Scenarios Based on five cooking sector...

The EU cement sector has made progress to reduce emissions in the past three decades, yet there is a long way ahead for the carbon-intensive industry to decarbonise. In this study, potential decarbonisation pathways are developed and analysed based on different highly innovative technology routes. Based on the results, challenges and opportunities related to specific technologies are identified, informing policy recommendations for the near-, mid- and long term. Main findings: The characteristics of the traditional cement production process, with its major part of emissions originating from...

The Climate Action Tracker explored a new approach to understanding opportunities for sectoral decarbonisation, using the example of the transport sector in India. To hold global average temperature increase to 1.5°C, global CO2 emissions need to reach net-zero by 2050, with rapid decarbonisation in all sectors. Global transport emissions have continued to steadily increase, with transport emissions accounting for 24 percent of direct CO2 emissions from fuel combustion. In this study we look specifically at how India can decarbonise its transport sector, its fastest-growing source of carbon...