Five years after the signing of the Paris Agreement, only 21% of states and regions have been consulted on national climate action plans

New research launched today by international non-profit, the Climate Group, and CDP demonstrates the climate ambition of states and regional governments as the world marks the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement. At the same time, only 21% of states and regions have been consulted on national climate action plans by their national counterparts.

As the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26, approaches, all levels of government must act on the latest climate science; halving global emissions by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050 to avoid catastrophic climate change.

Of the 121 states and regions disclosing their climate and environmental data in 2020:

• 18 states and regions, with combined economies of $7.2 trillion and total emissions equivalent to those of Brazil, have set net zero targets
• 21 states and regions have set long-term targets to reduce their emissions by 75% - 90% and could aim for net zero
• 55% of states and regions with a 2030 emissions reduction target are showing greater ambition than their national counterparts
• 90% of states and regions reporting a 2030 target have one in line with the IPCC’s goal to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by 40-50% from 2010 levels by 2030

The Global States and Regions Annual Disclosure 2020 Report looks at the actions of global state and regional governments from Alberta, Canada to Central Kalimantan, Indonesia and analyses how they are working to build a healthy and sustainable world.

Despite the US pulling out of the Paris Agreement on 4 November, 7 states, which account for 15% of the country’s emissions, disclosed in 2020. Of these, Connecticut, Washington, New York, and California have 2030 targets, and Minnesota has a 2025 target of 30% reductions aligned with the federal government’s previous commitment to the Paris Agreement.

An average of 47% of electricity generated from 95 reporting states and regions now comes from renewable sources, and coal use for electricity generation amounts to an average of 12%, compared to a global average of 38%.[1] This comes at the same time as a third of states and regions reporting an increase in clean technology businesses operating within their boundaries.

Alongside their achievements, disclosing governments have reported concerns about worsening impacts of climate change and other environmental threats. They are experiencing a combined total of 781 impacts of climate change, with consequences for public health, infrastructure and finance, and they report a further 243 impacts on water security. Of the 121 disclosing states and regions, 39 specifically report climate change-related public health risks within their boundaries and, overall, 60% of regions are taking action to adapt.

The report calls for further action from states and regions throughout the 2020s - the Climate Decade - to avert the worst consequences of climate change. In particular it urges governments to actively address ongoing deforestation and forest degradation. Although 91% of states and regions consider the local impacts of deforestation and forest degradation to be serious or extremely serious, only 46% have determined policies and only 18% have set region-wide targets to tackle the issue.

Tim Ash Vie, Director of the Under2 Coalition of states and regions at the Climate Group, said:

“States and regions are again showing what can be achieved for our climate with a combination of ambition and political will. From strong emissions targets to an increase in renewable energy and concrete steps on climate mitigation we are seeing a real commitment to change.

“But, of course, we need much, much more to stop the worst effects of climate change. This is the decade when we must collectively take action, and faster than ever before. It’s time to double down on our climate commitments at all levels of government and do everything we can to ensure a healthy planet for the generations to come.”

Kyra Appleby, Global Director, Cities, States and Regions at CDP said:

“Despite 2020 being overtaken by the need to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, the state and regional governments in this report continue to demonstrate their commitment to fighting climate change, in full knowledge that we must build a resilient, net zero world.”

“Cutting emissions, halting deforestation and protecting citizens from the impacts of the climate crisis are critical, and the states and regions disclosing in 2020 demonstrate the action and ambition that is needed from all levels of government to help achieve these goals. As COP26 draws closer, the example set by the state and regional governments in this report is one for others to aspire to, and to use to push for action that takes us further and faster towards our two crucial milestones: halving global emissions by 2030, and reaching net zero emissions by 2050.”

[1] 2018 IEA global average

Notes to editors

1. Global States and Regions Annual Disclosure Report 2020 includes climate data reported to CDP by 121 state and regional governments from across Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and Oceania. It is available to download at https://www.theclimategroup.org/annual-disclosure
2. The forest data used in this report was collected using CDP’s 2020 States and Regions questionnaire’s forest module, which is supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag via the NYDF Global Platform.

About the Climate Group

The Climate Group drives climate action. Fast. Our goal is a world of net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with greater prosperity for all. We focus on systems with the highest emissions and where our networks have the greatest opportunity to drive change. We do this by building large and influential networks and holding organisations accountable, turning their commitments into action. We share what we achieve together to show more organisations what they could do. We are an international non-profit organisation, founded in 2004, with offices in London, New Delhi and New York. We are proud to be part of the We Mean Business coalition. Follow us on Twitter @ClimateGroup.

About CDP

CDP is a global non-profit that drives companies, cities and governments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, safeguard water resources and protect forests. Voted number one climate research provider by investors and working with institutional investors with assets of US$106 trillion, we leverage investor and buyer power to motivate companies to disclose and manage their environmental impacts. Over 9,600 companies with over 50% of global market capitalization disclosed environmental data through CDP in 2020. This is in addition to the hundreds of cities, states and regions who disclosed, making CDP’s platform one of the richest sources of information globally on how companies and governments are driving environmental change. CDP, formerly Carbon Disclosure Project, is a founding member of the We Mean Business Coalition. https://cdp.net/en/cities or follow us @CDP to find out more.

Annex: Full list of disclosing state and regional governments