Announcements
Announcements
The world is not on track to meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement – namely to limit global warming to “well below 2 degrees above pre-industrial levels,” and strive to limit it to 1.5 degrees. In a bid to build political momentum towards achieving this goal, UN Secretary General, António Guterres, has called world leaders to New York and challenged them set out how they intend to get to net-zero emissions by 2050.
What should leaders from governments, business and civil society prioritize at the UN Climate Action Summit? SEI has gathered evidence-based insights and solutions that can be applied across the summit’s action tracks.
Global greenhouse gas emissions show no sign of peaking. In fact, global CO2 emissions from energy and industry increased in 2017. At the summit, all countries are supposed to ramp up their commitments to reduce emissions. These commitments are known as Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs. What does mean to enhance an NDC? How it can be done? What role can land use play?
Feature / Countries are working to strengthen their NDCs and boost emission reductions. We take a look at how NDCs are created and the challenges they face.
Perspective / Reducing air pollution supports development goals. Here’s how it also helps countries enhance their commitments to mitigate emissions.
Perspective / Boosting carbon sinks is crucial in achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. But it has to be done right, and at scale.
The UN Secretary General is calling on countries to stop building coal-fired power stations. But according to SEI research, governments are actually expanding the production of coal, oil and gas. Yet winding down coal-fired energy and making the pathway out of coal sustainable and just is possible. Here’s how.
Other publication / With increased climate ambition, coal, oil, and gas production will need to wind down.
Feature / Getting out of coal to reduce emissions is the order of the day but doing so is complicated. Here are five lessons from our research.
Perspective / Is technology about to overcome the "too heavy to electrify" obstacle? SEI's Björn Nykvist examines the debate in an op-ed for EURACTIV.
Industry represents 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The sector has a decisive role to play in getting to net-zero emissions. SEI’s research shows how to decarbonize industries such as steel and cement.
Perspective / Industry is a key sector when it comes to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. Take a look at what's needed to decarbonize.
It is clear that getting to net-zero emissions requires more public and private finance. At this stage, however, it is still hard to figure out which donor is spending how much money on what and where to what effect. That’s where SEI’s new tool comes in: an easy-to-use, interactive platform visualizing all development finance flows.
Feature / SEI is developing a tool that makes data on development finance easy to visualize. The idea is that transparency will make aid more effective over time.
Low-carbon measures in cities could deliver over half of the emission reductions needed to keep global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius. That’s according to the Urban Opportunity report by the Coalition for Urban Transition to which SEI contributed. We also look at how the creative arts can be used to make a city a better place with better air and lower emissions.
Feature / Non-traditional urban planning tools – think art and poetry – underpin new ways of co-designing city infrastructure to address health and mobility issues.
Press release / A new report from the Coalition for Urban Transitions is based off a three-year research effort from 50 leading institutions, including SEI.
Feature / Udon Thani in Northern Thailand is a rapidly developing small city that is planning ahead to ensure its growth is green and sustainable.
Climate change is already impacting our lives: extreme weather events are becoming ever more frequent and extreme, destroying infrastructure, crops and livelihoods. Countries have to adapt to these impacts in order to become resilient – but adaptation should not be up to the governments of climate-vulnerable countries alone.
Perspective / In a globalized world, the impacts of climate change cross borders. The Adaptation Without Borders initiative responds to this challenge.
Feature / The impacts of climate change cross borders just as people and goods do. This changes the adaptation challenge.
Perspective / Equity must be front and centre when designing climate adaptation policies, practices and interventions.
The devil is in the detail – that’s as true for taking climate action as for anything else. While it is easy for a government to enhance its NDC, it is much harder for it to actually take all the steps needed to reduce emissions. It is already difficult to close a mine, and becomes yet more challenging to do so in a way that leads to a more equitable society. But decarbonizing heavy industry and mobilizing finance should be seen as huge opportunities on the path to net-zero emissions and for developing sustainable, prosperous and equal societies.
Governments, cities, businesses and civil society all have to do their bit. The role of SEI is to deliver knowledge, capacities and solutions that enable all actors to maximize these opportunities and make climate action work for all.
Explore environmental and development research with SEI’s projects and tools.
Our work supports the integration of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into policy and action.
Event on 12 June – 26 June / SEI scientists will host a three-day training on WEAP, SEI's flagship water modelling software, on 12, 19 and 26 June. Register today.
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