Paris Agreement — Climate Smart

Climate Policy Databases: Understanding National Governments’ Progress in Achieving Paris Agreement Targets

The central objective set by the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to well below 2°C, preferably 1.5°, compared to pre-industrial levels, also required countries to create plans for action, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs). The United Nations Environment Program’s (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report notes that current NDCs are highly insufficient and make it likely that warming will exceed 1.5° while making it harder to limit warming to below 2° after 2030. The results of the next global stocktake will help governments understand the emissions gap in achieving the Paris Agreement goals and facilitate more ambitious NDCs in the next round of climate change deliberations.

Climate Policy LabJuly 26, 2023Author - Zdenka Myslikova, Author - Soyoung Oh, 2023, Climate Policy, Paris AgreementComment

South-South Coal: If Recipient Countries Go Green, so Would the BRI

China’s recent pledge to achieve ‘net-zero’ emissions by 2060 garnered much international attention. Europe and Japan are already committing to net zero targets that phase out most coal usage by 2030, and a re-entry of the United States into the Paris Agreement will mean greater pressure on China to exit from coal. China’s top academic experts are suggesting the country’s coal use needs to fall to 5 percent or less by 2050, unless coupled with carbon capture and storage. While China’s pledge covers emissions within its own territory, it continues to accumulate a major footprint overseas with its financing of coal-fired power plants. China’s external financing of coal is likely to face greater scrutiny as well with a growing number of countries and international institutions pledging to stop the funding of coal projects.

G-20 Stimulus 101 - Focusing on Buildings to Build Back Better

When leaders of the G20 met this weekend, they appeared to focus heavily on the major challenge to the global economy: a second wave of the global pandemic and the possibility of breakthrough vaccine. But always in the wings of any global economic discussion is the longer-term challenge of tackling the climate crisis. As G-20 countries consider additional economic stimulus to tackle both crises, our research shows that energy efficiency of buildings (BEE) is a comprehensive solution that can both create new, green jobs while providing a major step towards decarbonizing economies. Both the United States and China have targeted BEE in past stimulus spending. With the G-20 countries pledging to enhance their commitments under the Paris Agreement, including BEE would offer countries multiple benefits.

U.S. Election Results: Now What for Climate?

The website “Restoring American Leadership” which chronicles the transition plans of U.S. President Elect Joe Biden includes a vision specifically on climate change. It calls on the United States to go further than just rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement to build “a more resilient, sustainable economy – one that will put the United States on an irreversible path to achieve net-zero emission, economy-wide, by no later than 2050.” The plan references multiple ways to accomplish net zero goals including promoting climate smart agriculture, building greener and more resilient public transportation infrastructure, and decarbonizing the power sector as well as creating additional union jobs via a major program upgrading existing buildings.

The transition planning, as described, misses the opportunity to put U.S. actions into a global perspective. We offer some suggestions for the new administration, based on the Climate Policy Lab’s research, on how to marry national domestic climate policy with international challenges and opportunities.

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