Paris pledges to cut GHGs by 4bn t CO2e: UNFCCC

OREANDA-NEWS. October 27, 2015. The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will announce this week that pledges tabled so far under a new global climate deal to be agreed in Paris will result in greenhouse gas (GHG) abatement of around 4bn t of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) in 2020-30.

The preliminary estimate will be revealed in a synthesis report on the aggregate effect of intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) submitted by around 150 countries. It will be released by the secretariat on 30 October in Berlin.

UNFCCC executive secretary Christiana Figueres outlined the figure today during a speech at London-based think-tank Chatham House's Building Agreement Towards 2°C, Paris and Beyond conference.

Present INDCs will deliver a global warming trajectory of 2.7°C, which is above the 2°C target, but still marks progress, Figueres added.

But this time it is not just "the usual suspects" participating in the UN climate negotiations, she said, referencing pledges submitted by countries such as the UAE and Afghanistan.

The UAE submitted its INDC on 23 October, undertaking to increase the clean energy share of its total energy mix to 24pc by 2021, up from 0.2pc last year, through renewables and nuclear sources.

The fossil fuel-rich country outlined a range of other actions to limit GHG emissions, improve climate resilience and pursue economic diversification.

The INDC highlights the fact that the UAE is developing the region's first commercial-scale network for carbon capture, usage and storage.

It targets emissions from the building sector through green construction regulations, efficiency standards, retrofit programmes and support structures for energy service companies.

And it aims to introduce a new fuel pricing policy to reduce consumption, as it continues to tighten motor vehicle emissions standards and encourage the uptake of electric vehicles.

The UAE submission was followed by that of Sri Lanka. A total of 156 parties have now handed their INDCs to the UNFCCC.