The inaugural report of the 1 Gigaton Coalition, entitled Narrowing the Emissions Gap: Contributions from renewable energy and energy efficiency activities, is now available, and details the emissions saved after analysing nearly 6,000 renewable energy and energy efficiency activities in developing countries. They show the potential for further emissions reductions if programmes and initiatives are supported further to replicate successful projects more widely. The report is based on the current level of activities in renewable energy and energy efficiency in the energy sector. However, after...

The Global Good Practice Analysis is a joint initiative by the International Partnership on Mitigation and MRV and the UNDP Low Emission Capacity Building Programme and documents examples of mitigation-related good practice worldwide which demonstrate how INDCs, LEDS, NAMAs and MRV systems are being effectively designed and implemented across a range of national contexts. In the second edition of the Global Good Practice Analysis (GPA2.0) a new selection of cases was examined by a consortium led by NewClimate Institute and including the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN), The...

The transition from fossil fuels to cleaner, safer energy technologies is under way. To pinpoint where decarbonization is happening most rapidly—and to extract lessons and best practices that can be applied to other areas of the global economy where progress is needed in the fight against climate change—this study by ClimateWorks, NewClimate Institute, Ecofys, and Climate Analytics compares past projections with actual developments in renewable energy, coal consumption, and passenger vehicles. Key findings include: Decarbonization of the power sector is happening faster than predicted. Reduced...

This sixth UNEP Emissions Gap Report provides a scientific assessment of the mitigation contributions from the submitted INDCs. As in the previous reports, it then compares the resulting emission levels in 2030 with what science tells us is required to be on track towards the agreed target of a global average temperature increase below 2°C by 2100. The Report also provides data for the aspirational target of keeping the temperature increase below 1.5°C. In addition, the Report presents selected areas where enhanced action can be taken, accelerated and scaled up to close the emissions gap. The...

The international community is negotiating a new global climate agreement to be applicable from 2020 onwards. Parties aim at signing the agreement in December 2015, at the Conference of Parties (COP) in Paris. Until then, countries are already preparing proposals for their individual contributions, their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). The INDCs will, besides other elements, include mitigation contributions as central elements. Negotiations under the ADP have advanced and more concrete discussions are taking place, with the objective to finalise the new climate agreement...

This paper provides an overview of options to assess mitigation commitments before Paris and beyond. This includes a review of current activities to assess individual INDCs as well as a discussion of some of the attributes and requirements such assessment needs to fulfil. The paper goes on to explore options of how the assessment could be carried out and linked to the UNFCCC process, followed by a discussion of methodological approaches to assess the ambition of mitigation contributions. In conclusion, it provides some recommendations on a feasible and realistic way forward drawing out...

This study compared recommendations for good practice climate change mitigation policies from various institutions with the current status of application of these policies by countries. In an initial attempt, a broad set of climate mitigation-related policies covering all sectors were analysed for the 30 major emitting countries that comprise 82% of global GHG emissions. The database that is the basis for this report is available at www.climatepolicydatabase.org .

The preparation for the new international climate agreement has advanced national policy making even before the agreement is adopted. NewClimate Institute in cooperation with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), assessed the extent to which the preparation of intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) has catalysed enhanced national climate change mitigation capacity and action, beyond the preparation of the INDC itself. The survey and...

This report studies the development of criteria for assessing the compatibility of financial investments with the international goal to limit global temperature increase to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels. The findings are intended as a starting point and a key input for a longer term process to develop consensus-based 2°C investing criteria. The focus here is placed on investments in projects and physical assets, in particular of development and climate finance organisations. In order to limit global temperature increase to 2°C, global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will have to be...

This focus study presents evidence on the impacts of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). This includes a quantitative assessment of the mitigation impact of the CDM that occurs as a side effect of the current depressed market conditions . This mitigation impact is unintended and undesirable, possible because under the current market conditions mitigation activities originally designed for generating emission reduction credits under the CDM continue to operate their mitigation equipment but discontinue issuing offsets. Using the data generated by the extensive survey of 1,310 CDM projects in...