Conclusion

Our study shows that committed action from existing non-state climate initiatives involving cities, regions, companies and sectors could deliver emission savings of 2.9 GtCO2e, with a range of 2.5–3.3 GtCO2e, additional to what will be delivered by currently implemented policies and measures. For comparison, the impact of government pledges in 2020 is 5–7 GtCO2e. We estimate that the overlap between the impact of pledges and the impact of nonstate commitments is less than 1 GtCO2e. These reductions are a contribution in their own right to closing the gap of 8–10 GtCO2e between global GHG emission levels consistent with the 2 ˚C target and the emission levels expected if country pledge cases are implemented. However, these non-state initiatives can also play a role in raising the level of ambition of governments by demonstrating what is possible with concerted action.

Sustainable Development Goals:

Climate Action