New tool to track initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

15.10.15 | News
As the world is working on solutions to tackle climate change this new online database allows users to track initiatives that aim at solving these challenges we presently face. The more than 180 climate initiatives embedded in the tool have the potential to be significant on a global scale and include more than twenty thousand participants.

It is widely acknowledged that the greenhouse gas emissions reduction pledges made by national governments are insufficient to achieve what is required by science to avoid dangerous levels of global warming. In parallel to the formal climate negotiations, a multitude of international climate initiatives involving actors such as cities, companies and NGOs are now engaging in efforts to address the growing emissions gap. There are high aspirations that these initiatives will catalyse non-state climate action. Climate initiatives not only deliver emission reductions, they also play an important role in bridging the emissions gap through strengthening and raising ambition of national government commitments.

Wikipedia for emissions gap

The most current and comprehensive publically available collection of information on such initiatives can now be found in the database commissioned by the Nordic Council of Ministers and developed by Ecofys with support from the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and the World Resource Institute. The database includes details of more than 180 mitigation-focused initiatives, involving more than twenty thousand participants. These initiatives have the potential for impact at the global scale. The database can be accessed login-free at www.climateinitiativesplatform.org. As of fall 2015 the database is being updated in order to present the most recent data and developments during COP21 in Paris. On 1. January 2016 the database will be transferred to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to allow for regular maintenance of the database, while simultaneously raising its profile.

Additionally, one of the project results is to strengthen (existing) and seed (new) climate initiatives which will generally contribute to more action globally on climate change mitigation. The Nordic countries have a very strong brand in providing solutions, including technology and services, for mitigation. The project would provide an avenue for good so called International Cooperative Initiatives (ICIs) to inform on their performance and thereby facilitate prospects for replication and additional financing. 

The project also makes recommendations for continuing support for and increased use of the database to inform negotiators and other stakeholders. The report is available for download at norden.org