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INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE AGREEMENT 2020

Source:
http://climatecolab.org/web/guest/plans/-/plans/contestId/1302801/phaseId/13
11118/planId/1324402
Vocabulary

U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris in December 2015.
Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). The INDCs will
largely determine whether the world achieves an ambitious 2015
agreement and is put on a path toward a low-carbon, climate-resilient
future.
http://www.wri.org/indc-definition
Resilient:

USA
Pitch
This plan is based on the COP21 key United States INDC contributions, as
highlighted by the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)
Description
Summary
This seed proposal is a summary of the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
(C2ES) COP21 United States Intended Nationally Determined Contributions
(INDC), created by a Climate CoLab Fellow. We invite other CoLab members to
link to this proposal or to use it as a starting point for creating new proposals of
their own. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions has not endorsed or
reviewed this summary.
Through analysis and dialogue, the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions
(C2ES) works with governments and stakeholders to identify practical and effective
options for an international climate framework.
In its INDC, C2ES outlines that the the United States intends to achieve an
economy-wide target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions 26-28% below
2005 levels in 2025, 17 to 20% below 2005 levels, meaning additional measures
will be needed to achieve the 2025 target.
The US INDC plan strives to cutting carbon pollution through new measures,
including:
Clean Power Plan: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposed
guidelines for existing power plants that would reduce power sector emissions 30%
below 2005 levels by 2030 while delivering $55-93 billion in annual net benefits
from reducing carbon pollution and other harmful pollutants.
Standards for Heavy-Duty Engines and Vehicles: President Obama directed
EPA and the Department of Transportation to issue the next phase of fuel efficiency
and greenhouse gas standards for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles. These
standards for medium- and heavy- duty trucks could achieve a little over 1% of the
target in 2025 with more significant reductions later, according to early projections

 Energy Efficiency Standards: The Department of Energy set a goal of reducing

carbon pollution by 3 billion metric tons cumulatively by 2030 through energy
conservation standards issued during this Administration.
Economy-Wide Measures to Reduce other Greenhouse Gases: EPA and other
agencies are taking actions to cut methane emissions from landfills, coal mining,
agriculture, and oil and gas systems through cost-effective voluntary actions and
common-sense regulations and standards. The State Department is working to
slash global emissions of potent industrial greenhouse gases, called HFCs,
through an amendment to the Montreal Protocol; EPA is cutting domestic HFC
emissions through its Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) program; and, the
private sector has stepped up with commitments to cut global HFC emissions
equivalent to 700 million metric tons through 2025. Measures to reduce HFCs and
methane are projected to achieve a further 3.5 to 7% reduction. EPA analysis
suggests that the plan would reduce total US emissions 7.3% below 2005 levels by
2025.
Collectively, these measures would reduce U.S. emissions about 16.7 to
20.1%below 2005 levels by 2025.
Which proposals are included in your plan and how do they fit together?
Explanation of the emissions scenario calculated in the Impact tab
What are the plans key benefits?
President Obama has put in place the most ambitious set of climate change
actions that the United States has ever undertaken. The US has adopted
standards to double the fuel efficiency of American cars and trucks, and also have
plans to cut emissions from new and existing power plants, set to accelerate these
reductions in the future.
Analysts have identified additional federal and state measures, beyond those
contained in the Climate Action Plan, that can fill the remaining gap to achieve a 26
to 28% reduction in U.S. emissions by 2025. These include:

Energy efficiency improvements and fuel switching in the industrial sector

(bulk chemicals, petroleum refining, pulp and paper, iron and steel, and cement)
could contribute around 3% of the target.


Reduction in global warming pollution through changes in agriculture, forestry
and other land use by nearly 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2020 and
3 billion in 2030.
What are the plans costs?
Undetermined.
What are the key challenges to enacting this plan?
Political buy-in.
Timeline
Until the finalization of COP21 and ongoing.

http://climateaction.mit.edu/

http://cait.wri.org/indc/