National efforts to reduce emissions are being supported by an initiative launched by the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra together with UNEP and other international partners to scale-up and replicate successful existing examples of carbon reductions.

The project, named ‘Green to Scale,’ identifies low-carbon solutions already underway and defines tiers of comparable countries capable of replicating them. It also lays out the conditions and policies needed to scale up the solutions, together with an assessment of the related emissions savings, costs and co-benefits.

Wind power production in Denmark is one example being studied, while efforts to make buildings more energy efficient in Germany and Mexico are also seen as feasibly being replicated in certain countries.

The initiative is expected to help states meet and go beyond national carbon reduction targets, or ‘Intended Nationally Determined Contributions,’ in light of the COP21 climate talks taking place in Paris next month.

Unlike many other studies, Green to Scale examines concrete carbon savings already achieved rather than pledges or potential savings. In addition, comparable countries are identified for each solution, in order to boost confidence among policymakers that the actions work and can do so in their country. News of and results from the analyses are also being shared far and wide.

Outcomes from the project will be presented by Sitra together with the International Finance Corporation, World Bank and World Resources Institute (WRI) in Washington on 19 November. The event will feature high-level speakers including Rachel Kyte – the World Bank’s Vice President and Special Envoy for Climate Change- and WRI President Andrew Steer.

The UNEP DTU Partnership provides inputs to the analysis as a member of the international steering group of the project. The Partnership is a UNEP Collaborating Centre based in Copenhagen. It takes part in both the planning and implementation of UNEP’s Climate Change Strategy and Energy Programme. Sitra is an independent fund that reports directly to the Finnish Parliament and serves as the Green to Scale host and co-ordinator. The fund leads an international coalition of partners, including the World Resources Institute, from ten countries.

Initial results from the study, which began in May, will also be reported on in upcoming editions of this newsletter. The COP21 UNFCCC climate talks take place from 30 November to 11 December.

For more information on the partnership please click here

or contact John Christensen, joch@dtu.dk