29 January 2017: National efforts to shift energy investments and improve information on national climate plans are further signals that the transition to renewable energy continues to forge ahead, advancing the implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Several initiatives by national and sub-national governments are underway to accelerate the transition to renewable energy systems and improve land management to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. After already meeting its target to reduce emissions by 42% by 2020, Scotland announced ambitious plans to reduce its emissions by 66% by 2032. A renewable energy strategy is in development to support this target, focusing on greening the electricity grid and transportation and home heating sectors. [Scotland’s Climate Change Plan: draft Third Report on Policies and Proposals 2017-2032]

Saudi Arabia is also seeking to diversify its energy mix. At the 7th session of the General Assembly of the International Renewable Energy Agency’s (IRENA), the Kingdom reiterated its commitment to generate 9.5 GW capacity from renewable sources and progress in siting its first nuclear power station. Such investments in alternative energy sources could make hydrocarbons an engine, rather than the engine, of the Saudi economy. [Statement to IRENA’s 7th General Assembly]

While Scotland and Saudi Arabia stand poised to increase their investments in renewable energy, Ireland took steps to remove fossil fuels from its sovereign wealth fund. Ireland’s parliament voted to divest from fossil fuels in its Ireland Strategic Investment Fund work €8 billion (USD$9 billion). This vote could make Ireland the first country in the world to divest its sovereign wealth fund from oil, gas and coal holdings. [Climate Home News Story]

Investments in renewable energy and divestment from fossil fuels are policy choices that are appropriate for countries seeking to transform their energy systems and diversify their economies to reduce GHG emissions. For other countries, the most appropriate and effective mitigation strategies lie in the land-use sector. The Government of Equatorial Guinea has launched an 18-month project to develop its national investment plan for the forest sector. This plan will help put Equatorial Guinea in a position to participate in REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries) initiatives. With technical support for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) and funding from the Central African Forest Initiative, Equatorial Guinea is working to build consensus around a REDD+ strategy and low-carbon development strategies. [FAO Press Release]

Using the NDC Explorer Tool, researchers, policymakers and others can explore the wealth of information in the NDCs and compare the plans that countries seek to achieve.

The diversity of mitigation actions and investment strategies are mirrored by the plans put forward by countries under the Paris Agreement. The (intended) nationally determined contributions (INDCs), or for those countries that ratified the Paris Agreement, nationally determined contributions (NDCs), vary widely in terms of the information, priorities and plans they set forth. The German Development Institute (DIE), working with the African Centre for Technology Studies and the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), with support from by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), launched an online platform to help analyze and compare the (I)NDCs put forward to help realize the goals of the Paris Agreement. The ‘NDC Explorer Tool’ collates the information that countries included in their (I)NDCs in an open-access knowledge tool. Using the NDC Explorer Tool, researchers, policymakers and others can explore the wealth of information in the NDCs and compare the plans that countries seek to achieve. These plans provide important signals to markets about the energy systems, land management strategies and priorities countries seek to implement. [UNFCCC Announcement NDC Explorer Tool] [NDC Explorer Tool]

This information is also important for the development community and donors to help provide useful support tailored to countries’ priorities. The World Bank Group has assembled a group of leaders to provide support for the World Bank Group’s climate change agenda. The three leaders are: Kofi Annan, founder and chairman of the Kofi Annan Foundation, former UN Secretary General and Nobel Peace Laureate; Christiana Figueres, former UNFCCC Executive Secretary and Vice Chair of the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy; and Feike Sijbesma, CEO and Chairman of the Managing Board of the Sciences Company Royal DSM and Co-Chair of the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition. Together, these leaders seek to provide guidance as developing countries seek to catalyze political and market opportunities to design and implement low-carbon development strategies. [World Bank Announces Prominent Leaders]