The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published an analysis of climate change mitigation policies in 44 countries, which finds that governments in these countries must significantly enhance their climate change policies in order to realize their intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) and achieve the goal of limiting the temperature rise to 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
20 October 2015: The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published an analysis of climate change mitigation policies in 44 countries, which finds that governments in these countries must significantly enhance their climate change policies in order to realize their intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) and achieve the goal of limiting the temperature rise to 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
The report, titled ‘Climate Change Mitigation: Policies and Progress,’ examines mitigation targets and goals, carbon pricing instruments and key domestic energy and other sectors in 34 OECD countries and ten emerging economies (Brazil, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Indonesia, India, Latvia, Lithuania, the Russian Federation and South Africa), which together account for more than 80% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The analysis shows that, while most countries have implemented policies such as carbon pricing, reduced fossil fuel subsidies, and invested in research and development for green technologies, the aggregate impact of these measures on GHG emissions falls short of the reductions required. All countries have to significantly step up their annual rate of emissions reductions to meet their post-2020 targets.
The report shows, for example, that the US would have to increase its reduction rate from 1.6% per year in 2005-2012 to 2.3-2.8% per year, whereas the EU’s reduction rate would have to increase to 2.8% from 1.8%. Emerging economies, whose emissions still increase in absolute terms, would require an accelerated rate of decoupling economic growth from GHG emissions in order to avoid locking in high carbon pathways.
The report contains sections on: the state of play in climate change mitigation policies; targets and goals for climate change mitigation; carbon pricing; and policies in energy and other sectors. The publication is accompanied by an online tool for the visualization and comparison of country profiles. [OECD Press Release] [Publication: Climate Change Mitigation: Policies and Progress]