The road to Paris: INDC tool shows effect of emission reduction proposals

Emission reduction proposals submitted to date could reduce emissions by 2.5 Gigaton CO_2-equivalent by 2030

A new international climate agreement will be negotiated in December in Paris under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). In the run-up to the Paris climate summit next December, 13 parties (including the European Union) have so far submitted their post-2020 proposals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the so-called INDCs. Together, they represent about 32% of global emissions in 2010. Added up, these INDCs could reduce emissions by 2.5 GtCO₂e by 2030, compared to the level under current policies. This is roughly 15% of the 19 GtCO₂e needed to close the gap between current and planned policies and global emission levels needed to achieve the climate target of 2 °C.

Interactive tool shows the effect of emission reduction proposals

Among the countries that already have submitted their proposals and policies are the USA, the European Union, Russia and Japan. An  interactive tool developed by PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency  tracks the INDCs and analyses their effect as they come in. At the touch of a button, users can see the impact of the emission reduction proposals and policies, per country, on greenhouse gas emission projections for 2020 and 2030. The tool will be regularly updated with new figures in the run-up to Paris.

The tool shows the effect of:

• Pledges: national and global greenhouse gas emission projections for 2020, assuming that countries’ pledges will be fully achieved;
• Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs): national and global greenhouse gas emission projections for 2030, assuming that countries’ INDCs will be fully achieved;
• Measures: the impact of the most effective national climate and energy policies, such as carbon taxes, feed-in tariffs, or standards on emission levels of 2020 and 2030, for 19 major emitting countries and regions.

The projections show total emissions per country, emissions per capita, and emissions per unit of income. The different indicators provide countries with information on how their contribution compares to those of others (Review). These projections are further compared with emission reductions needed to keep global warming within the internationally agreed 2 °C limit.