(AGENPARL) – mar 06 dicembre 2022 Read about our continued climate adaptation and mitigation work, and keeping 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach. []
[US Department of State]
Special Edition of The Week At State
Friends,
A delegation from across the Department and the full U.S. Government recently returned from COP27, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. With our host, Egypt, and more than 190 Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, we continued to advance climate ambition. One year ago, the International Energy Agency (IEA) calculated that if all the commitments and initiatives put forward at COP26 in Glasgow were fully implemented, we could limit warming to 1.8 degrees Celsius. Through the successful achievement of a range of multilateral and U.S. initiatives during Sharm El-Sheikh, the IEA now tells us that if the new commitments and actions from COP27 are fully implemented, we can limit warming to 1.7 degrees C. That’s a journey we can be proud of, even though we recognize we are just getting started. But make no mistake: we have kept the hope of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees alive.
At COP27, we engaged the world through an “Implementation Plus” approach, emphasizing that avoiding the worst impacts of climate change requires not only implementing the commitments and goals countries have already made, but also enhancing commitments where they are insufficient. We left Sharm El-Sheikh having made solid progress against our four key objectives: First, we sought a collective political message out of COP27 that was strong on climate ambition – importantly, one that reaffirmed and did not go backwards from the important Glasgow outcome. The Sharm El-Sheikh decision could certainly have been stronger – and we fought for a stronger one – but, notwithstanding the challenges and backward movement from some actors, the decision reaffirms and reinforces Glasgow. That is critical as we move forward. Second, we were focused on de facto emission reductions in key countries, with a view to keeping the 1.5-degree C limit in reach. We have started the work – we were well over 2 degrees to 1.8 and now 1.7 – and will continue to ride the momentum of progress towards meeting our 1.5-degree C goal. Third, we pursued various multilateral initiatives that will contribute to reducing emissions today and to accelerating the long-term transition. Finally, we showcased a host of U.S. government deliverables related to both mitigation and adaptation.
We wanted to share with you some of the highlights from this year’s COP as we continue our work to keep the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach.
[line4]
COP27 Highlights
Adaptation
Enhanced Climate Ambition and Energy Transition
In line with our Implementation Plus approach, we saw significant new commitments to strengthen emissions reduction targets and new investments to accelerate the clean energy transition across major economies. For example, Mexico announced plans to double its renewable energy capacity and a new enhanced 2030 emissions reduction target. Indonesia committed to peak its power sector emissions in 2030, seven years earlier than planned, and established a goal of net zero power sector emissions by 2050 as part of a Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). The United States and partner countries pledged $10 billion, leveraging an additional $10 billion in private finance. Egypt, the host of COP27, committed to strengthen its 2030 emissions target and quadruple its renewable energy capacity, building upon $250 million in funding to shut down natural gas plants and scale up renewables supported by Germany and the United States. In total, over 30 countries have heeded the call from Glasgow and strengthened their 2030 targets.
Methane
President Biden also announced major new U.S. actions at COP27 and welcomed new international actions to rapidly reduce methane emissions, particularly in the fossil energy sector. This included the release of an updated United States Methane Emissions Reduction Action Plan outlining over $20 billion in domestic funding for methane reduction and strengthened regulations in the oil and gas sector that would reduce methane from covered sources by 87 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 while delivering economic and health benefits.
Fertilizer
Ocean
U.S. Center at COP27
What’s Next
The climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges of our time. Even at today’s levels of warming, the climate crisis is exacerbating national security, economic, energy security, food security, and humanitarian challenges. Dramatic action to reduce global emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change are critical to maintaining a livable, prosperous future.
Onward,
[John Kerry signature]
John Kerry
Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
[Monica Medina signature]
Monica Medina
Assistant Secretary, Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs
Useful links