Energy & Renewables News
New Energy Transitions Commission Briefing Paper Six Actions To Limit Global Warming To 1.5°C
The Energy Transitions Commission (ETC) set out actions which nations and companies could take to deliver the Paris agreement and limit global warming to 1.5°C. Current national decarbonisation pledges or NDCs fall far short of those needed to prevent global warming from exceeding 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
ETC’s report Keeping 1.5°C Alive: Closing the Gap in the 2020s, describes technologically feasible actions which could close that gap to a 1.5°C pathway and which could be catalyzed by agreements at the upcoming COP26 climate summit in November in Glasgow.
“To keep the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degree alive, the world must act now to halve emissions over the next decade, and work towards net zero by the middle of the century,” said COP26 President-Designate, Alok Sharma. “This report sets out a clear and credible action plan of achievable emissions to get us on a 1.5 degree pathway. Ahead of COP26, we urge all countries to submit enhanced plans to reduce emissions and take action on coal, cars, trees and methane.”
“Current national commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are a useful step forward but far from sufficient to limit global warming to an acceptable level,” said Adair Turner, Chair of the Energy Transitions Commission.“But we have the technologies to achieve far faster reductions, often at nil or low cost, and this report shows how. And much of what needs to be done does not require comprehensive international agreements, but can be driven forward by coalitions of leading countries and companies. COP26 must be the catalyst to seizing this opportunity.”
UK High Level Climate Action Champion, COP26, Nigel Topping, said: “The ETC highlights the critical actions for nations and companies to Keep 1.5°C. Alive. Rallying leadership and global support is at the heart of the Race to Zero and the ETC’s recommendations demonstrate that it is technically and economically feasible to achieve collective action in the next decade. Momentum is building and it is now crucial that we focus on rapid deployment in the 2020s, if we are to limit global warming to 1.5°C.”
The six categories of action identified are:
• Reinvigorating energy and resource efficiency
• Accelerating the electrification of road transport
• Accelerating supply decarbonisation in buildings, heavy industry, and heavy transport
• Significant and rapid reductions in methane emissions
• Halting deforestation and beginning reforestation
• Decarbonizing the power sector and accelerating the phase out of coal
Sumant Sinha, Chairman and Managing Director, ReNew Power, said: “Country NDCs fall well short of what is needed to limit global temperature rise by 1.5°C. More ambitious goals with targeted actions in the energy sector, with specific actions across electricity, transport, industries and buildings are needed. These must be backed by speedy deployment of zero-carbon power, proven emission reduction technologies, creation of the right policy environment to ensure technology diffusion in all sectors. The steps we take now will determine the kind of planet we leave as our legacy.”