Closing the gigatonne gap in Workstream 2

12 June 2014

Further and greater emissions reductions between now and up until 2020 are needed if we want to keep the possibility of limiting global warming to below 1.5°C. That’s why ECO is looking forward to the discussions in Workstream 2, and on renewable energies (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) today. In order to achieve a 100% renewable energy future with sustainable energy access for all by 2050, at the latest, we need to act now. Here are a few suggestions from ECO

Let’s continue the technical expert meetings in 2014 and beyond until we have closed the gap. We need to also structure them so that they can lead to concrete outcomes though. These meetings should focus on identifying best practice policies, existing barriers and needs. Results from the meetings should be summarised in policy menus that countries can use to indicate what they’re already implementing, and which additional ones they could implement if the necessary support is provided by developed countries.

Existing institutions, like the TEC, CTCN, GCF, GEF and NAMA Registry, all need to be put to work, to scale up RE and EE. It is clear that Workstream 2 needs to prepare the COP decisions that will provide the necessary guidance, for example ensuring that the Green Climate Fund’s mitigation window prioritises investments in RE and EE solutions in the pre-2020 period. This will require additional finance that has to be provided by developed countries in a predictable way. Workstream 2 should officially recognise those international initiatives that bring together pioneers to provide significant additional mitigation.

In the end, Workstream 2 is all about closing the gigatonne/mitigation/ambition gap. In reality, ECO believes that this is a leadership gap and we expect true leaders to step forward and propose ambitious new action to grow RE, improve EE and provide the necessary finance.