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Climate change: we have reached a critical milestone but our work is far from over

Thursday, 10 November 2016 16:19 GMT

* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.

By adopting the Paris Agreement last December and ratifying it less than one year later, nations helped the world reach an important milestone in tackling climate change.

There is now unprecedented political support for mitigating global greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to a changing climate. The swift ratification of the Paris Agreement is a testament to the sense of urgency and broad political support among nations.

Yet by no means can we coast along from this point forward.

To date, nations have collectively committed to actions that are expected to reduce global emissions by 2.8 gigatons in 2025 and by 3.3 gigatons in 2030. This is respectively equivalent to the emissions from 815 and 960 coal-fired power plants in one year.

This is certainly progress, but it is not nearly enough. We cannot assume the world is well on its way towards tackling the current climate crisis.

In fact, there is a substantial gap between national climate action plans submitted under the Paris Agreement and the emissions reductions needed to keep the global temperature rise at or below 2 degrees Celsius, and trending towards 1.5 degrees, as targeted in the Paris Agreement.

A recent analysis by the United Nations Climate Change Secretariat show that current national commitments offer this reality: in 2030, global emissions will be 22 gigatons higher than the level needed to stay on track toward the 1.5-degree target and 15 gigatons higher than the level needed to achieve the 2-degree scenario. 

The other reality we must face is that climate change is already happening. This means that adaptation and resilience building are urgently needed – particularly in cities that are highly vulnerable to its effects.

At this point, the mean global temperature has already risen to at least one degree above pre-industrial levels, and the latest scientific findings forecast more frequent and intense heat waves, storms and an accelerated rate of sea level rise with disproportionately high impacts on urban areas. This projection holds even if anthropogenic emissions stop completely.

At this time, further political will is needed to implement national commitments quickly and effectively. Nations need to accelerate their efforts and raise their ambitions, taking concrete steps to carve out strong budgets, establish innovative programs, reform climate policy, integrate climate goals into longer term development plans – or some combination thereof.

These efforts need to be carried out in collaboration with local and subnational governments and with provisions that ensure they receive adequate support. Although national governments officially adopted the Paris Agreement and are bound by international law to implement it, local and subnational governments need to be central protagonists in this battle.

LOCAL MAKES A DIFFERENCE 

After all, local and subnational governments manage our cities and metropolitan regions, which are responsible for 70 percent of global energy-related emissions. Clearly, their efforts can make a significant difference – and they are already. Local and subnational governments reporting to the ICLEI-managed carbonn Climate Registry have collectively committed to reducing their emissions by more than one gigaton by 2020.

Many cities are also highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. In fact, three-quarters of large cities are located on the coast and are thus exposed to climate adverse events. Cities are where the effects of climate change are most acutely felt, and are well positioned to help nations maintain a focus on and understanding of pressing and evolving issues on the ground.

WHAT CAN CITIES DO?

So what can and should cities do now to help win the battle against climate change? The answer lies partly in direct and immediate action they can take and partly in how they voice their needs and interests from now:

  • Establish local commitments: It is essential that local leaders define their mitigation and adaptation commitments as nations have done under the Paris Agreement. Such commitments are the entry point to joining global coalitions like the Compact of Mayors, which use hard data to show how cities contribute to global climate goals. This is an important advocacy tool when it comes to securing funds and other and mechanisms of support.
  • Advocate their interests in international fora: Local and subnational governments must be an increasingly central and consistent voice in important national and international political discussions on how best to operationalise the Paris Agreement. By actively participating in international fora like the annual United Nations Climate Change Conference, local leaders have an opportunity to outline their specific need
  • Pursue sustainable and innovative financing mechanisms: Climate finance is critical to rapid and successful implementation of local climate action. However, climate finance is not always readily accessible to cities, and where it is available, it can be highly complex. Local and subnational governments must therefore be proactive, looking at innovative ways to self-finance, such as through green bonds, or to proactively better position themselves to attract financing. They can, for instance, join initiatives like the ICLEI-managed Transformative Actions Program (TAP), which aims to catalyze and improve capital flows to local and subnational governments and improve their capacity to access climate finance and attract investment.
  • Seek innovative, multistakeholder partnerships that offer complementary knowledge and resources: Partnerships with academia, businesses and residents foster innovation and data-driven decision making to address urgent local needs and priorities. Academic expertise helps local and subnational governments track, assess and address their evolving issues, while collaborating with the business sector from the point of concept to delivery opens the door to innovation. Residents themselves also have a valuable and nuanced understanding of neighborhood-scale issues and resources that can inform strategic planning decisions.
  • Strengthen internal capacity and knowledge: Local and subnational governments must also identify, access and develop resources to strengthen the full cycle of climate action planning and implementation. They may advocate new capacity building programs be delivered at a national scale, tap into resources available through local and subnational government networks and look to their peers for examples and knowledge transfer.

If nations raise their ambitions, while local and subnational take these steps with frameworks in place to support their actions, we will be far better positioned to achieve global climate goals. The potential is there. We now need to foster and use it.

Gino Van Begin is secretary general of ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability
 

 

 

 


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