Update: We’re pleased to share a Spanish language version of the report, which you can download here.

Non-state actors (NSAs) are fundamental agents to help achieve both national and international development goals. While  climate actions by non-state actors do contribute towards filling the greenhouse gas emissions gap, there are further benefits to be gained by improving the coordination and vertical integration of these subnational climate actions.

Following the 2007 publication of the IPCC’s Fourth Assessment Report (AR4), there was a notable increase in national climate change legislation and the formalization of national climate policies. But these efforts, as the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) concluded in 2014, have not resulted in an appreciable change in the trajectory of global emissions. The overall recognition that current mitigation pledges by national governments will not limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5^o– 2oC above pre-industrial levels has highlighted the importance of “enhancing actions, and scaling up new efforts to bring untapped mitigation potential to fruition.”

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change offers two main channels for encouraging its members to commit to emissions reductions: the first was the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) process in the run-up to the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris. The second highlights the role of subnational governments, the private sector and civil society in implementing additional climate actions to drive new partnerships and green growth.

Although the aggregate INDCs may be inadequate for a 1.5^o– 2oC trajectory, there is hope that the climate leadership of mayors and businesses will continue to create new “bottom-up” climate initiatives and additional greenhouse gas emission reductions.

This report, The coordination and vertical integration of climate actions, summarizes principal themes and observations that have emerged during the past two years of activities from the Subnational Integration Working Group of LEDS GP. It also highlights informative subnational and vertical integration themes from the Millennium Development Goals and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Download the report here:

English version: The coordination and vertical integration of climate actions

Spanish version: La coordinación e integración vertical de acciones climáticas