Assessing the missed benefits of countries’ national contributions: Quantifying potential co-benefits

This report assesses the co-benefits that a selection of countries could realize by achieving the emission reduction targets in their INDCs, and the additional co-benefits they could achieve through more ambitious targets. First it provides an overview of the general co-benefits that climate action may have, and how they could be used to incentivize further ambitious greenhouse gas reductions. It then provides illustrative results for the forgone or missed benefits that could have been achieved through action to meet a trajectory towards 100% renewables by 2050, compared with the current policies and INDCs. The countries/regions considered are Canada, Chile, China, EU, India, Japan, South Africa, and USA.