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EMISSIONS GAP REPORT 2018 – BRIDGING THE GAP: THE ROLE OF NON-STATE AND SUBNATIONAL ACTORS
In September 2018, the Global Climate Action Summit held in San Francisco, CA showcased climate actions by NSAs around the world, convening over 4,500 local and regional governments and business leaders (Global Climate Action Summit, 2018). More than 500 announcements were made, including:
• A coalition of over 100 subnational leaders and CEOs committed to become carbon neutral by 2050.
• A 40 percent increase in the number of businesses committing to adopt ‘Science-based Targets’ in line with the Paris Agreement goals.
• The launch of a forest, food and land-focused coalition aiming to deliver 30 percent of climate solutions needed by 2030.
• A new waste initiative involving more than 20 subnational governments committing to zero waste.
• More ambitious NSA commitments, including California’s Governor committing to carbon neutrality by 2045 and a coalition of around 65 members committed to full decarbonization in the ‘Powering Past Coal Alliance’.
The outcomes of the Summit will inform the UN 2019 Climate Summit, which will be convened by the UN Secretary General to challenge states, regions, cities, companies, investors and citizens to step up action in six key areas: energy transition, climate finance and carbon pricing, industry transition, nature-based solutions, cities and local action, and resilience.
5.3 Overview of cooperative initiatives and individual commitments by non-state and subnational actor
NSA climate action comes in many forms. This section focuses on two categories: individual NSA actions (section 5.3.1) and cooperative actions through international cooperative initiatives (ICIs) (section 5.3.2), both of which are on the rise. By 1 October 2018, just over 19,136 commitments to action had been recorded in the Non-State Actor Zone for Climate Action (NAZCA), the largest online platform showcasing climate efforts by subnational and non-state actors. Almost two-thirds of these commitments are by individual actors, while just over one-third are cooperative initiatives (including ICIs. See also box 5.1).
Box 5.1 Defining international cooperative initiatives
Although there is no single definition of an international cooperative initiative (ICI), a number of terms and common characteristics help characterize them. When non-state or subnational actors from at least two different countries “adhere to rules and practices that seek to steer behaviour towards shared, public goals” across borders (Andonova et al., 2017), they engage in “transnational climate governance” (Andonova et al., 2009). Broader coalitions made up of countries, companies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academia, international organizations or subnational public actors, such as cities and regions, form cooperative initiatives (Blok et al., 2012). When these coalitions cross national borders they become “international cooperative initiatives” (Widerberg and Pattberg, 2015).
Box 5.2 Framing climate action in developing countries
Linking sustainable development and climate change provides a powerful rationale for climate action. Evidence suggests that citizens are more likely to take climate action, or to support government action on climate change, if the sustainable development benefits of these efforts are emphasized (Floater et al., 2016). Communicating the sustainable development gains that are often co-generated alongside climate mitigation or adaptation may be particularly important among NSAs in developing countries and the Global South.
One example is the Indian city of Rajkot, which “has emerged as a climate innovator” by focusing on projects that deliver urban development benefits, and support climate action as a supplementary goal or co-benefit. The political feasibility of climate action increases when connected to “more familiar, and often more immediate, urban priorities” (Bhardwaj and Khosla, 2017).
However, if actions and policies that generate substantial mitigation or adaptation benefits are framed and registered according to their ability to reduce poverty, create jobs, foster economic growth, or protect public health, they may fall under the radar of climate accounting efforts. This might be one of the reasons for the lower representation of NSA climate action in developing countries and the Global South.
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