This paper develops a qualitative assessment framework that allows policy makers to understand the complexity of power sector transformation and to analyse their country’s position in the transformation process, including key challenges impacting the integration of vRES and examples for technically feasible solutions. Introduction: The global energy sector is undergoing a rapid and radical transition in the way energy is produced, distributed and consumed, a shift is motivated by the urgency to ensure secure energy supply, achieve sustainable development and limit climate change. Around two...

Ahead of the UN Climate Action Summit 2019, UNEP with support of NewClimate Institute has released an advance chapter of the flagship 2019 Emissions Gap Report, which notes that G20 members, who account for around 80 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, are not yet taking on transformative climate commitments at the breadth and scale necessary. The chapter titled “Bridging the Gap: Enhancing Mitigation Ambition and Action at G20 Level and Globally” notes that “the majority of G20 countries are not yet taking on transformative climate commitments at the necessary scale—if this does not...

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 Key findings: The EU’s 2050 greenhouse gas reduction target of 80% to 95% from 1990 levels adopted 10 years ago is outdated as its basis has changed substantially.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...

The world is not on track to limit warming to 1.5°C and meet the Paris Agreement goals. The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) estimates that under current policies, the world will exceed 1.5°C of warming around 2035, 2°C around 2053, and 3.2°C by the end of the century. If governments fully achieve the emissions cuts they have committed to, warming is likely to rise to 2.9°C – almost twice the 1.5°C limit they agreed in Paris. Under both of these scenarios, there is a 10% chance of exceeding 4°C by the end of the century - and even up to a 25% chance based on the higher end of the current policies...

This report is the second global analysis of local and regional government and corporate climate contributions, updating “Global Climate Action from Cities, Regions, and Companies” launched at the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit. The 2018 report established the strong potential of subnational and non-state actors to help avoid climate change. This year, we aim to inform the September 2019 UN Climate Action Summit on how mitigation by cities, regions and companies could help national governments boost their ambition beyond their current targets, to come in line with the Paris Agreement’s...

The ambition call provides concrete recommendations for the European Union for immediate climate action in response to the UN Secretary-General’s request for countries to: 1) present concrete, realistic plans that are compatible with the latest IPCC Special Report on global warming of 1.5°C, 2) enhance their NDCs by 2020 and 3) reduce GHG emissions by 45% over the next decade, and to net zero by 2050. Recommendations for other countries can be found on the Climate Transparency website . Abstract: The three recommended actions for the European Union are: Adopt goal of net-zero greenhouse gas...

The Paris Agreement's Article 6 establishes a new framework for using international car-bon market mechanisms. The primary objective of the approaches under Article 6 is to facilitate voluntary cooperation between Parties, to allow for higher ambition and to pro-mote sustainable development and environmental integrity. Moreover, Article 6.4 establishes the concept of delivering an "overall mitigation in global emissions" (OMGE). This paper addresses questions that have been raised in relation to OMGE. It draws on a study conducted by Lambert Schneider and NewClimate Institute.

The objective of this guidance document is to provide Contracting Parties of the Energy Community with a concise and simple guidance on how they could consolidate their multiple climate change and energy planning processes and international obligations into one single process, ensuring efficiency and alignment. Introduction: Energy Community Contracting Parties –Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo*, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine– have committed to monitoring and reporting in the areas of renewables, energy efficiency, and greenhouse gas emissions by...

The paper formulates 10 points for mitigation ambition and includes recommendations on ways to support ambition raising through international cooperation. Introduction: All governments have committed to the long-term goal of the Paris Agreement. The findings of IPCC 1.5 Special Report (IPCC 1.5SR) illustrate the climate impacts and risks associated with exceeding 1.5°C and clearly underscore that greater ambition is urgently needed to achieve this limit as current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are inconsistent with Paris compatible pathways. This has implications for the role of...

To reach the long-term temperature goal of the Paris Agreement, most countries will need to reduce emissions to net-zero in 2050 or shortly thereafter. This report considers this challenge from a sector perspective, examining decarbonisation from several different angles. For the following five key sectors: power, industry, transport, buildings, and agriculture, forestry and other land-use, it highlights the leading mitigation options and their implications for longer-term planning. The report further describes how modelling and developing scenarios can support mitigation planning, and how...

This document presents an overview of climate and energy policies mostly adopted between July 2018 and May 2019 in 25 countries and regions. The policy information compiled by NewClimate Institute, PBL and IIASA in this document supplements the December 2018 report on the projected greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under currently implemented policies and mitigation commitments (Kuramochi et al., 2018). Key findings: This document provides an overview of about 50 policies that were adopted or under development between July 2018 and May 2019 in 25 selected countries and that may have significant...

This case study presents the potential impact of lower battery and renewable energy costs projections in Canada's NDC emissions target. Main findings The costs for renewable electricity generation and electric vehicles have dropped since the NDCs were developed, and future cost projections also decreased as a result. Wachsmuth and Anatolitis (2018) suggest a simple method to estimate increased RE capacities and EV penetration resulting from these cost decreases. The method assumes that lower battery costs lead to a higher market uptake of EVs and that the savings from decreased RE capacity...

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...

The project that is summarised in this report had a twofold objective. First, it aimed to conduct a detailed analysis of the provisions related to market mechanisms of the Paris Agreement (Article 6), and to identify issues that should be taken into account when elaborating the rulebook for the Paris Agreement. Second, it switched the perspective from a global discussion towards country-specific research with an aim to answer the question whether different countries are ready for engaging with market mechanisms under the Paris Agreement. To answer this question, the focus was placed on three...