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Browse publications
Climate targets by major steel companies: An assessment of collective ambition and planned emission reduction measures
Publication date 19 Jan 2024

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.

Decarbonisation in the global steel sector: tracking the progress
Publication date 02 Dec 2022

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.

CAT Global Update: Massive gas expansion risks overtaking positive climate policies
Publication date 10 Nov 2022

New Climate Action Tracker analysis finds that the goldrush for gas continues and is counterproductive to the Paris Agreement.

Climate Action Tracker Global update - Glasgow’s 2030 credibility gap: net zero’s lip service to climate action
Publication date 10 Nov 2021

Glasgow has a credibility gap between talk and action. In this briefing, the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) has calculated that if all governments met their 2030 targets, we would have 2.4˚C of warming in 2100. But right now, current policies put us at 2.7˚C. Summary In Paris, all governments solemnly promised to come to COP26 with more ambitious 2030 commitments to close the massive 2030 emissions gap that was already evident in 2015. Three years later the IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C reinforced the scientific imperative, and earlier this year it called a climate “code red.” Now, at the...

Twenty years of climate policy: G20 coverage and gaps
Publication date 02 Nov 2021

In this Climate Policy publication, we show that the number and coverage of climate change mitigation policies have increased in the past twenty years, but important policy adoption gaps remain. Despite this increase, slow progress towards reducing global emissions and meeting the collective Paris climate goals calls for more comprehensive climate change mitigation policies. Filling policy adoption gaps presents a concrete strategy to improve sectoral, national and global climate policy. Main findings: The number and coverage of climate change mitigation policies have increased in the past...

Climate Action Tracker Global update: Climate target updates slow as science ramps up need for action
Publication date 15 Sep 2021

In these briefings, the Climate Action Tracker (CAT) introduces its new rating methodology, which now rates more elements than before – mitigation targets in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), policies and action, and climate finance. We’ve also added a methodology for assessing net zero targets. These briefings provides an overview of the development in climate action over the last year and illustrates the new CAT assessment of the countries we analyse, based on our updated method. Summary Code red: The new IPCC report on climate science has reinforced the absolute urgency of closing...

NDC Design
Publication date 08 Jul 2021

As part of the Paris Agreement, countries are mandated to update and enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) every five years — increasing their ambition with every cycle. The first round of NDCs were submitted starting in 2015 as intended nationally determined contributions and countries have submitted or are finalizing their updates for the new cycle in 2020/2021. The purpose of this report was to develop a methodology to systematically assess the design of NDCs and to apply it to 20 NDCs. Main findings: While there are several tools that analyze NDCs, they are comprehensive...

Greenhouse gas emission scenarios in nine key non-G20 countries: An assessment of progress toward 2030 climate targets
Publication date 01 Jun 2021

This study published in the "Environmental Science & Policy" journal assesses if nine key non-G20 countries meet 2030 GHG targets with existing policies. Main Findings: This study compares greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions projections in 2030 under current policies and those under 2030 mitigation targets for nine key non-G20 countries, that collectively account for about 5 % of global total emissions today. These include the four largest non-G20 fossil CO 2 emitting Parties to the UN climate convention pre-Paris Agreement (Iran, Kazakhstan, Thailand and Ukraine) and one of the largest land-use...

A possible 2050 climate target for the EU
Publication date 23 Sep 2019

This study assesses the EU's 2050 target, i.e. halving global emissions by 2050 to be in line with 2°C, in today's setting to evaluate if the target, which was set ten years ago, is still appropriate and/or sufficient. It offers recommendations for the EU to aim for more ambitious targets. Key findings: The EU’s 2050 greenhouse gas reduction target of 80% to 95% from 1990 levels adopted 10 years ago is outdated as its basis has changed substantially. The global goal agreed in Paris in 2015 is more ambitious and pathways to that goal are now steeper not only because of the more ambitious goal...

Nordic opportunities to provide leadership in the Global Climate Action Agenda
Publication date 22 May 2019

The Global Climate Action Agenda (GCAA) covers a wealth of cooperative action between governments, cities, businesses, non-governmental organisations and citizens. Non-state climate initiatives under the GCAA represent a key means to rapidly bridge the gaps in current climate action. This report identifies some 300 international cooperative initiatives worldwide, noting Nordic stakeholders among the most active participants within these initiatives. The analysis recommends continued Nordic support for initiatives with strong commitments to effective and transparent action. It also filters out...

Realizing the promise of Paris: Roadmap to a safer climate
Publication date 23 Jan 2019

In this policy brief, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and NewClimate Institute assess 24 practical and realistic actions to implement between now and 2030 as key elements to cut greenhouse (GHG) emissions significantly by 2030. They include such actions as deploying more renewable energy, transitioning away from coal, boosting energy efficiency, accelerating electric vehicle deployment, and ending deforestation. Main findings: The world can get on a 2℃ pathway by 2030 with “On Track” and “Scale Up” actions The implementation of just 19 of these actions can put the world on track...

Countries start to explain how their climate contributions are fair: more rigour needed
Publication date 07 Nov 2017

In the lead-up to the Paris Agreement, every country was invited to submit an intended nationally determined contribution (INDC), and indicate how it is fair. We analyse how countries have explained the equity of mitigation and adaptation in 163 INDCs, providing a bottom-up analysis of equity to complement a literature that has focused on top-down allocations. While no single indicator of equity was used by all INDCs, a menu of quantified indicators or tiered approaches could provide bounded flexibility across different national circumstances. The most common equity indicator used in...

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