Multilateral Assessment, Part II – We’ve Got More Questions for You

9 December 2019

ECO is excited to see Annex I Parties participating in the multilateral assessment for their biennial reports. ECO welcomes the participation and thinks the multilateral assessment can be a great place to share lessons learned and experiences with other Parties in a constructive environment. We look forward to hearing your presentations and Q&A sessions throughout the day. 

Since ECO can’t ask questions during these workshops, we figured we’d share our questions with you anyway:

• To all Parties:
  • Can you provide an update on any action taken to strengthen policy-making processes? In particular in relation to public access to information and public participation; so as to improve climate responses and promote policy coherence in the context of progress made towards meeting your commitments under the UNFCCC.
• Luxembourg:
  • What reductions in car use (and consequently, CO2 emission reductions) do you expect to achieve from your initiative to make public transport in Luxembourg cost free for users beginning in April 2020? Could you elaborate on the steps taken to secure the political support for the necessary investments in public transport? 
• New Zealand:
  • The 2019 Greenhouse Gas Inventory shows that New Zealand’s gross emissions increased by 2.2% between 2016 and 2017, continuing a trend of average annual growth in gross emissions of 0.8% per year since 1990. When are your gross emissions forecasted to trend downwards to reverse this trend?
  • According to New Zealand’s Third Biennial Report, under current policies you are only projected to reduce your emissions by 6.4% from 2005 levels by 2030. With new mitigation measures under consideration, what is the proposed plan to achieve the 2030 NDC target of 30% reduction from 2005?
• Portugal:
  • Portugal has a very ambitious carbon neutrality roadmap for 2050 with a considerable number of measures for 2030, which have, as an example, anticipated the end of coal in the electricity sector by 2023. How is it that Portugal may stop fossil fuel extraction, since existing contracts for natural gas searching and drilling have not been canceled?
• Switzerland:
  • Emissions in g CO₂/km from newly sold cars rose recently and are now the highest in Europe. How does Switzerland plan to incorporate cleaner cars into the fleet?
  • The climate impact of airplanes departing from Switzerland now accounts for more than 10% of your total emissions, when aviation is included. What is your intended approach to addressing aviation emissions?