To fully leverage sustainability practices as an advantage in a community, it is important to fully understand the local opportunities and risks at any given point and time. It is of particular importance to be able to look across all local operations, community sectors and the supply chain to determine and track the use of energy, raw materials, water and natural resources as well as GHG emissions and waste. In recognition of this important fact, GHG Accounting offers comprehensive and proven sustainability management solutions to enable local communities everywhere to achieve and track improved Sustainability Performance.
Tag: Local GHG Solutions
New Report Confirms the Significant Contribution of Cities, States, Regions and Businesses to Meeting Paris Climate Commitments
A new report released on August 29, 2018 has found that climate action by cities, states, regions and businesses makes up a significant contribution towards meeting the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. However, more support from national governments is needed to hold the global temperature increase to well below 2°C, while working towards limiting it to 1.5° C. The report (authored by experts at Data-Driven Yale, NewClimate Institute, PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, in partnership with CDP) is the most comprehensive assessment to date of city, region, and company commitments to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG). In particular, the report examines the impact of international cooperative initiatives addressing climate change, and lists the Under2 Coalition as offering the greatest potential for reducing emissions by 2030, as well as a significant contribution from RE100.
Key findings from the report include:
- By 2030, global GHG emissions could be lowered by as much as twice the size of Canada’s 2016 GHG emissions through the actions of nearly 6,000 cities, states and regions, and over 2,000 companies.
- In the European Union, city, region and company commitments could reduce GHG emissions by 230 to 445 MtCO2e/year – roughly equivalent to Italy’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2016.
- In the United States, full implementation of the reported city, region and company commitments could provide at least half of the emissions reductions needed to meet America’s Paris pledge.
- In China, these actions could reduce emissions by up to 155 MtCO2e, roughly equivalent to what the country’s industrial processes generated in 2014.
According to the report, global GHG emissions in 2030 would be approximately one-third (15-23 GtCO2e/year) lower than what will be achieved through national policies alone if international cooperative initiatives like the Under2 Coalition and Global Covenant of Mayors grow their membership, meet their goals, and add to existing action. This report will inform deliberations at that Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS), which will be held in San Francisco from September 12-14, 2018. The summit will showcase the climate leadership of states, regions, cities, businesses, investors and citizens and serve as an opportunity for them to announce significant new commitments to climate action across topics such as zero emission vehicles, net-zero buildings and land use.
As the report demonstrates, cities, states, regions and businesses all have a crucial role to play in meeting the commitments under the Paris Agreement and as such, will be key drivers for bending down the emissions curve by 2030.