The Paris agreement will come into force in 2020 and to be successful, a foundation of trust, ambition and fairness is needed. This requires that governments—especially those of developed countries—implement their current pledges and increase their overall mitigation ambition. Ambitious action from sub-national actors is a step in the right direction, but concrete policies and actions from governments is key.
The good news is that there are several ways governments can act to close the gigatonne gap, including (but not limited to): a massive expansion of renewable energy, greatly improved energy efficiency, a shifting of subsidies from fossil fuels to renewables, sustainable agricultural practices and developing zero carbon infrastructures. ECO calls for governments to pay full and due consideration to all these options. Yes, all of them. So don’t procrastinate.
Additionally, ECO believes the technical examination process should continue to and beyond 2020. The Convention’s technology and finance bodies should prioritise mitigation action with sustainable development co-benefits.