Introduction
For Post 36, Climate Scorecard asked our Country Managers to make short-term policy recommendations that would make a significant impact on achieving a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, a goal recommended by the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Our Country Managers proposed a mix of new initiatives that will make a difference and existing policies that are not being fully implemented. Their policy proposals are low cost and easy to implement, and will make a big difference on emissions levels in the countries that adopt them.
Below is a summary of our recommendations followed by our Post 36 Country Reports that contain more detailed policy descriptions.
Summary of Recommended Short-Term Policies
Australia: Overcome constraints to the use of renewable energy in existing electrical grids; develop a national electric grid strategy that supercharges EV take-Up; make use of the government’s emissions reduction fund to achieve emission reductions.
Brazil: Educate farmers about how to access the government’s ABC Plan’s low-interest line of credit; strengthen the Planaveg Program through increased funding and better monitoring and evaluation.
Canada: Extend practices that reduced energy demand during COVID-19; take steps to increase the emission reduction targets of the HEATHE Program; and increase accountability measures for the Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act.
China: Develop a community-based employment and development program to facilitate a just transition for fossil fuel energy workers; develop a clean-tech funding and consulting program for small and mid-sized companies.
European Union: Adopt stronger goals for the EU’s Market Stability Reserve Fund; adopt a phased-in approach to having the aviation industry pay for the allowances it receives under the Market Stability Reserve Fund.
France: Ban the sale of gas and diesel cars by 2020; strengthen biodiversity protection laws; introduce a cap on the price of electric power.
Germany: Expand carbon pricing, especially in the transportation sector; mandate that new heating system construction be carbon neutral.
India: Develop a coal phase-out plan; develop a plan to make India a clean transport economy.
Indonesia: Implement Indonesia’s hydro-based energy plan.
Italy: Stop fossil fuel subsidies and enact a carbon tax; develop a national reforestation strategy; develop a community energy framework.
Mexico: Set more ambitious goals for the Mexican Emissions Trading System (enforce a tighter cap; incorporate more carbon intensive industries; include non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions).
Nigeria: Implement the country’s Energy for All Solar Power Strategy; eliminate oil subsidies.
Russia: Adopt the Russian Green New Deal; support efforts to build a hydrogen economy; implement Russia’s new law on microgeneration.
Saudi Arabia: Expand Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Program.
South Korea: Modify South Korea’s emissions monitoring system so that it accounts for emissions from consumption (rather than production); prioritize the disbursement of climate finance support to lower-middle and poor income groups; develop performance driven regulatory frameworks that attract investment in clean energy.
Spain: Mandate that 100% of electricity come from renewable sources by 2050.
Turkey: Current incentives and plans for coal-based power plants should be decreased and eventually abandoned; the production and use of renewable energy should be supported.
United Kingdom: Support the divestment of international financing of fossil fuels; impose strict deadlines for the transition to renewables in the residential and transport sectors; clearly distinguish fossil fuel components within climate finance and enact provisions which effectively ensure their path towards renewables.
United States: Put a price on carbon; reinstate and strengthen the Clean Power Plan; support electrification of the transportation sector.
Country Reports
Climate Policy Recommendations for Australia
Policy Recommendation #1: High-voltage Transmission Upgrades Policy Recommendation #2: A national Electric Vehicle Strategy that Supercharges EV Take-up Policy Recommendation #3: Use the Emissions Reduction Fund to Achieve Emissions Reductions Background Sadly, national-level discourse around climate change policy in Australia entered a new phase of “stupid” this month, with the National Party brazenly declaring agriculture…
Brazil Climate Policy Recommendations
As mentioned in previous Climate Scorecard reports (1), the current Brazilian government is not doing much to mitigate climate change. Just last year several environmental policies had their funding diminished or were abolished entirely. These policy setbacks contributed to rising GHG emissions in the country, which increased by over 100% when compared to 1990 levels…
Canada Should Extend Practices that Reduced Energy Demand During COVID-19 Among Other Climate Mitigation Recommendations
Policy Recommendation # 1: Extend Practices that Reduced Energy Demand During COVID-19 Policy Recommendation # 2: Steps to Increase the Emission Reduction Targets of HEAHE Policy Recommendation # 3: Increase Accountability Measures for the Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act In their latest Emissions Gap Report, UNEP tells us more countries are committing to net-zero emissions goals…
Recommendations for Climate Mitigation in China: A Community-Based Employment and Development Program
Recommendation # 1: A Community-Based Employment and Development Program Program Recommendation # 2: A Clean-Tech Funding and Consulting Program for Small and Mid-sized Companies President Xi’s bold commitment to make China carbon-neutral by 2060 during the UN Climate summit in 2020 raised hopes that the world’s largest carbon emitting country will finally take the necessary…
Climate Mitigation: Adopt Stronger Goals for the EU’s Market Stability Reserve Fund
Policy Recommendation # 1: Adopt Stronger Goals for the EU’s Market Stability Reserve Fund Policy Recommendation # 2: Adopt a Phased-In Approach for Having the Aviation Industry Pay for the Allowances It Receives Under the Market Stability Reserve Fund The European Union’s emissions trading system (ETS) is one of the primary mechanisms supporting the reduction…
Climate Policy Recommendation for France: Ban the Sale of Gas and Diesel Cars by 2030
Policy Recommendation # 1: Ban the Sale of Gas and Diesel Cars by 2030 France will ban the sale of gas and diesel vehicles beginning in 2040; we strongly urge the country to shorten this timeline to 2030. Transport is the largest contributing sector to France’s greenhouse gas emissions as seen in Figure 1. Currently,…
Climate Policy Recommendations for Germany Include Increasing Carbon Pricing
Policy Recommendation #1: Increase Carbon Pricing, Especially in the Transportation Sector Policy Recommendation #2: Mandate That New Heating System Construction Be Carbon Neutral Germany has reduced nearly 40% of its emissions since 1990 and aims to reach reduction levels of 55% by 2030. When looking at the numbers though you can see that the main…
India Climate Policy Recommendations Include Development of a Coal Phase-Out Plan
The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) document published by the Prime Minister’s Council on Climate Change (Government of India) aims to create awareness among the representatives of the public, different agencies of the government, scientists, and the community, about the threat posed by climate change and the steps India is taking to counter…
Indonesia Climate Policy Recommendation: Implementation of Hydro Based Energy Plan
Indonesia’s Hydro Based Energy Plan aims to have 30% of the country’s energy derived from hydropower by 2035. Currently, Indonesia’s largest sources of energy are oil, coal, and natural gas & biofuel. Out of these three sources of energy, natural gas and biofuel stand to be the only relatively sustainable sources. Furthermore, these two sources—although…
Climate Mitigation Now: Three Strategies For Italy
Mitigating climate change involves reducing the flow of heat trapping greenhouse gases (GHG) into the atmosphere by either reducing sources of these gases (ie. the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heat, or transport) or enhancing carbon sinks that can accumulate and store these gases (ie. oceans, forests, and soil). Different mitigation policies like switching…
Mexico Climate Recommendation: Higher Ambition in the Emissions Trading System
Mexico recently published its 2020 National Determined Contribution (NDC), which leaves us a bit perplexed since it lacks ambition and would set the country far from meeting the 50% mitigation target by 2030 suggested by the UNFCCC. To achieve this goal, political interest must be met with abatement potential and cost-effective solutions.These NDCs include an…
Nigeria Should Implement the “Energy for All: Solar Power Strategy” and Eliminate Oil Subsidies
Policy Recommendation # 1: Implement the “Energy for All: Solar Power Strategy” Policy Recommendation # 2: Eliminate Oil Subsidies Environmentally, Nigeria has reached a critical point. As its population grows, so does its influence throughout Africa and the rest of the world. However, Nigeria is currently facing a plethora of problems and was ranked 152…
Climate Policy Recommendations for Russia Include a Green Deal, Hydrogen Economy, and Microgeneration
Policy Recommendation #1: The Russian Green Deal The Russian Green Deal is an economic framework program that will help overcome the COVID-19 crisis and transform Russia into a sustainable, green and modern economy. This policy proposal was put forward by Greenpeace Russia in collaboration with Tatiana Lanshina, Senior Researcher at the Russian Presidential Academy of…
Climate Policy Recommendation: Strengthen Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Program
Policy Recommendation: Strengthen Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Program The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can achieve a noticeable reduction in its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions if it fully implemented the Saudi Arabia National Renewable Energy Program. Initially, Saudi Vision 2030’s target was to achieve 9.5 GW of renewable energy generation by 2030. This goal has been…
South Korea Climate Mitigation Policy Recommendations
Policy Recommendation #1: A modification of the emission monitoring system aimed at accounting for emissions from consumption (rather than production) Policy Recommendation #2: Prioritize the disbursement of climate finance support to lower middle- and poor-income groups Policy Recommendation #3: The Korean Government should develop performance driven regulatory frameworks that attract investment in clean energy Over recent…
Spain Should Mandate 100% Electricity From Renewable Sources By 2050
Recommendation: Mandate that 100% of electricity be from renewable sources by 2050 Climate Scorecard recommends that Spain implement a policy mandating 100% of their electricity come from renewable sources by 2050, with the goal of having an economy with net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The Spanish government announced in mid-2018 that it would be…
Turkey Needs to Develop a Multi-Sector Decarbonization Plan Among Other Climate Policies
Policy Recommendation 1: Current Incentives and Plans for Coal-Based Power Plants Should be Decreased and Eventually Abandoned Policy Recommendation 2: The Production and Use of renewable Energy Should be Supported The energy sector is responsible for the largest share of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Turkey. Given that many of Turkey’s emissions stem from the…
UK Should Support Divestment of International Financing of Fossil Fuels Among Other Climate Policies
Policy Recommendation #1: Support divestment of international financing of fossil fuels Policy Recommendation #2: Successfully drive overseas investments for fossil fuels out with integrity and transparency Policy Recommendation #3: Aspire for integrity by strongly targeting residential and transport sectors through imposing strict deadlines for transitioning towards renewables Policy Recommendation #4: Clearly distinguish fossil fuel components…
Climate Mitigation in the US: Include a Price on Carbon, Reinstate the Clean Power Plan, and Electrify Transportation
Policy Recommendation # 1: Put a Price on Carbon Congress should put a price on carbon dioxide emissions either through a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade program, starting at a level commensurate with science-based targets and rising steadily through 2030. The price should apply at the source and should target large-scale high-emitting facilities like power…