Solar farm, Región de Antofagasta, Chile

April 2019

Centred on science – how the IPCC can guide mitigation action

Prof Dr Michiel Schaeffer, Dr Robert Brecha, Bill Hare

The IPCC Special Report on 1.5°C contains the best available science to guide the development of Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS), which are due to be submitted in 2020 under the Paris Agreement. One essential function of LT-LEDS is to provide a long-term 1.5°C consistent trajectory as an essential guide for increasing the level of mitigation ambition in the updating of NDCs, also due in 2020. Coupling the process of developing full LT-LEDS and submitting these by 2020 will make the process of further ramping up NDCs more coherent in the years to come.

March 2019

A Green New Deal in the United States – fantasy or necessity?

Dr Robert Brecha

The Green New Deal (GND) is currently only in the form of a “resolution” introduced by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey; any actual legislation that results from the resolution will be taken up by the respective chambers of Congress – and likely will not be done as a whole package. Having said that, the GND is a rare example of proposing how to tackle a societal-scale set of challenges not by looking at individual components but by presenting a vision for the whole system.

February 2019

The inadequate in pursuit of the out-of-date: Germany’s coal exit must be revised by 2020

Dr Carl-Friedrich Schleussner

Germany's Coal Commission has ignored essential review guidelines of the national climate targets with regard to the Paris Agreement. The commission's plan must be revised already by 2020, alongside the EU's and Germany's targets.

(Article also available in German)

December 2018

Progress on Loss and Damage in Katowice

Dr Olivia Serdeczny

As far as Loss and Damage is concerned, the Katowice climate talks delivered a solid outcome. Developing countries were calling for the inclusion of Loss and Damage in the transparency framework and the Global Stocktake. We can now say: they succeeded.

December 2018

Beyond offsets? Market mechanisms under the Paris agreement

Dr Carl-Friedrich Schleussner, Bill Hare

One aspect of the Paris Agreement rulebook that hangs in the balance at COP 24 is the role of market mechanisms. Market mechanisms, or more broadly emission trading schemes, have been around for a long time, including, for example the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol. Ongoing negotiations on the rules for markets under the Paris Agreement provide an important moment to reflect on what we want markets to deliver, and to design a system that goes beyond simple offsetting.

Decarbonisation targets and 1.5℃ pathways

May 2018

Taking stock of the Global Stocktake

A comprehensive five-yearly assessment of progress on climate action – the Global Stocktake – is an essential part of the Paris Agreement’s ‘ratchet up’ mechanism for keeping the 1.5°C limit and other Paris Agreement goals within reach. How are we faring?

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Decarbonisation targets and 1.5℃ pathways

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