While widely respected as one of the world’s most important sources of energy data and analysis, the IEA has consistently underestimated the actual growth of renewable energy in these reports for at least a decade.
These are the intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) that have been officially submitted to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Essential details on the Secretary Kerry’s announcement today on the finance the US is scaling up towards climate adaptation and quotes in response to this announcement from relevant experts and advocates.
Adaptation is a set of actions and policies designed to help communities prepare for and respond to unavoidable climate impacts. Read on for more on its role in the international climate talks.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released its annual report on the rate of global progress in cutting greenhouse gas emissions at 3:30AM ET on Friday, November 6. So far, 156 countries have submitted climate action plans (also known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions, or INDCs), covering almost 87 percent of global emissions. The UNEP Emissions Gap report is expected to indicate that the INDCs, combined with current global policies already in place, would result in substantial reductions of greenhouse gas emissions, moving the direction of the global economy significantly closer to the cost-optimal pathway for holding warming under 2˚C.
There are limits to adaptation. Some climate impacts are already exceeding the the abilities of affected populations to adapt, causing loss and damage. The question of how to address these losses and damages is a key issue in the international negotiation process.
One of the big questions facing the negotiations is whether the agreement arrived at in 2015 should direct climate action for decades to come, and if so, how. This question has become starkly relevant as it is now clear that the recently submitted Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) will only direct global action for 10 years, and will only push global action part of the way towards the 2˚C pathway.
One big question for negotiations at COP21 is whether to develop a long–term global goal for climate action, and if so, what that goal might look like. While all the long-term goals aim to avoid catastrophic climate change, each one proposes a different way to get there. Navigate the maze here.
The term “climate finance” refers to public and private mechanisms established to help fund countries in their efforts to reduce emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Read on for details of the Green Climate Fund–the current focus of this work–and other finance initiatives.
Over 3.2 million people worked in clean energy jobs according to the 2023 U.S. Energy & Employment Report, which uses data from 2022.
Introduction The World Bank Group (WBG) and International Monetary Fund (IMF), also known as the “Bretton Woods institutions,” are global financial power brokers dominated by US and EU interests. Their prominent role in the multilateral, public financing landscape reflects their …
Background Climate finance will be center stage during November’s 27th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Egypt. Rich countries’ governments will be urged to spend much more money in the developing world and follow through on unfulfilled …
Advancements in technology have enabled consumers to install solar panels on their roofs more cheaply than ever before. This presents utility companies—which have for decades monopolized the energy markets—with new challenges.
Sources Cumulative National Emissions Rankings (2014) 6 Graphs Explain the World’s Top 10 Emitters, World Resources Institute GHG per capita rankings, GHG per capita (2011) CAIT 2.0, World Resources Institute CO2 per capita rankings, CO2 per capita (2013) Global Carbon Atlas China has made several announcements this …
EU Announcement Builds Momentum Toward Lima, Paris Early this morning, the European Union pledged to cut emissions by at least 40% from 1990 levels by 2030. This marks the first public target by a major global emitter before the 2015 United Nations …
