Today’s UN Climate Summit brought together more than 125 heads of state and government officials—the largest-ever climate meeting of world leaders. Leaders clearly demonstrated their understanding that the impacts of climate change are real and costly, and that they no longer have to choose between economic growth and climate action—they go hand-in-hand.
Momentum for action took a massive leap forward in the last three days – with cities, companies from many sectors, and national governments announcing new actions to shift away from fossil fuels to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy. Marches around the world provided a clear mandate for leaders to stay engaged all the way to the Paris Summit in December 2015.
WRI’s experts were in New York for all the action. While the outcomes from the Summit are still evolving, here’s our first look at progress made and next steps.
International Climate Action
A wide number of countries, the private sector, and civil society groups voiced support for a clear, long-term goal to shift from fossil to clean energy, potentially by phasing out greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by mid-century.
Many countries reaffirmed their commitment to make their post-2020 emissions-reduction offers by the first quarter of 2015, a critical milestone in securing a global climate agreement by the end of 2015. There was also growing support amongst countries, companies, and civil society for a long-term transformational goal. This is captured in the Secretary General's Chairman's Summary. Key global leaders like U.S. President Barack Obama and China’s Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli signaled their clear intent to take ambitious action, showing that even the biggest economies are ready to shift to a low-carbon growth path. Developing countries like Colombia, the Philippines, and Vietnam stated their readiness to act now, independent of what others do, due to the severe impacts their countries are experiencing. These countries could achieve even more with support from the international community. And with 700,000 people around the world participating in climate marches ahead of the Summit, it was clear that a new public voice can hold leaders accountable.
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Ten years after committing to phase out fossil fuel subsidies, G20 countries still subsidise coal, oil and gas to the tune of around USD 150 billion annually. Peer review of fossil fuel subsidies help push the G20 forward on this issue, but these reviews need to be followed by action. Subsidy reforms could free up resources that could be channeled back into government programmes and on accelerating a clean energy transition.
Adapting to climate change and strengthening resilience are becoming priorities for the international community – however, they require greater ambition in climate policy. 107 governments and numerous international organisations have endorsed a call for action on raising ambition at the United Nations Climate Change Summit on 23rd September 2019. Following the summit, the Global Commission on Adaptation will begin its Year of Action to meet the climate challenges ahead. The Year of Action is here to accelerate climate adaptation around the world, to improve human well-being and to drive more sustainable economic development and security.
A new form of organized crime has recently been emerging in the Amazon: illegal mining. Miners fell trees, use high-grade explosives for blasting soils and dredge riverbeds. But the impacts go beyond environmental damage, bringing with it a slew of other social problems. Peace researcher Adriana Abdenur urges policymakers to improve coordination and argues that diplomacy may help prevent further conflicts, corruption and crime.
Access to water can be a critical resource for cooperation, but also a source of tension. Identifying risks before their onset is crucial for the efficiency and economic feasibility of intervention strategies, but how can these risks be measured? To address this conundrum, adelphi together with several partners convened a side-event at World Water Week, which connected experts developing analytical tools to policy makers in the water sector.