Climate Analytics is a non-profit organization based in Potsdam, Germany. Climate Analytics has been established to synthesize climate science that is relevant for international climate policy negotiations.
The organisation aims to provide scientific, policy and analytical support for vulnerable developing countries, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders in the ‘post-2012’ climate negotiations.
The Climate Analytics team is backed by science-based models to assess and synthesize climate science, and to provide real time strategic, policy and analytical support to negotiators, NGOs and others stakeholders at international climate negotiations.
The Climate Action Tracker is a science-based assessment system jointly developed by Climate Analytics, Ecofys and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) that regularly provides updated information on countries’ greenhouse gas reduction proposals. The Climate Action Tracker was launched in November 2009 and assesses both developed and developing countries emission reduction pledges.
Current emission reduction pledges, after the close of the Cancun climate conference, fall short of what is needed to get the world on track for limiting global warming to 2 and 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. Both of these warming limits are mentioned in the agreement.
To keep warming limited to these targets, global total emissions need to drop below 44 billion tonnes CO2eq per year by 2020. After adding up reduction proposals of individual countries and taking into account accounting provisions, expected global emissions leave a gap of 12 billion tonnes CO2eq/yr by 2020.
In Cancun, countries discussed a wide range of options that influence the size of the gap. If countries would implement the most stringent reductions they have proposed with most stringent accounting, the remaining 'reduction gap' would shrink to 8 billion tonnes CO2eq/yr.
The Climate Action Tracker reveals major differences between the ambition levels of countries when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In the lead are the Maldives, which have proposed to become climate-neutral by 2020.
At the high end of the scale are Bhutan, which proposes to stay carbon neutral and Costa Rica, which proposes to become carbon neutral by 2021 if international support is provided. They are followed by Brazil, Japan, Norway, Papua New Guinea and South Korea, which are proposing to reduce their emissions significantly. In the 'medium' range are developing countries such as Chile, India, Indonesia, Mexico and South Africa. Many of them propose to reduce the growth of their emissions by the 2020s.
The EU is a special case. Its unconditional commitment of 20% reduction is rated 'inadequate'. However, the adoption of the 30% reduction target would move the EU into the 'medium' range and very close to 'sufficient'. China is rated 'inadequate', because its recently announced target falls short of the ambition level that was expected from the implementation of the current national policies.
Between the middle and the bottom of the scale is the United States, whose target is 'inadequate'. At the very bottom end of the scale are countries that have yet to propose substantial action beyond 'business as usual'. Among them are Russia and Moldova.
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