Major political and economic forces are changing climate action. We’re looking at three trends emerging from Climate Week NYC and Climate Group’s work.
Part 3: Businesses and governments are shifting to pragmatic, practical implementation.
When China announced its new NDC – its carbon plans until 2035 – at the end of Climate Week NYC, it fell well short of what was hoped for by the climate community.
But was there outrage? No, the response was muted – because everyone pragmatically knows the country usually over-delivers on its global commitments and other major economies do the opposite.
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Tripling renewables, doubling energy efficiency, driving down methane – there’s no shortage of targets. But the focus has essentially shifted to getting the job done. Even COP30 – the ultimate target-setting exercise – is this year being called an implementation COP.
But this comes with tough, pragmatic choices.
What if going to 100% renewable and nuclear power drives up electricity costs, annoys voters and slows down the electrification of heating or transport? Could aiming for 90 or 95% save more carbon in the short and mid-term?
Western leaders are listening to the concerns of citizens and certain sectors and making compromises to maintain a coalition of support. Meanwhile, many Asian countries are moving so fast their default is implementation.
There’s a shift, in this “new era of climate action,” as Simon Stiell, UNFCC Executive Secretary, put it during Climate Week NYC. It’s all about “bringing our processes closer to the real economy.”
“We have the technology,” said Holly Paeper, President, Commercial HVAC at Trane Technologies. What’s needed now is the on-the-ground work of “scaling through community partnerships and next-generation skilled work”.
There may be less banging of the big drum by businesses and governments. But what many of them continue to do – even if it’s less public – does “really move the needle,” said Noémie Bauer, Chief Sustainability Officer at Pernod.
And if it’s choice between the big drum and practical, real-world delivery – what’s really going to move us forward?