Carolina Schmidt: Achieving Net Zero CO2 Emissions By 2050

The President of COP25, Minister Carolina Schmidt, presented today a renewed alliance of countries and Non-State Actors who are determined to follow the recommendations of science as regards climate change.

Chile has led this alliance after a request of the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, in the context of the 2019 Climate Summit.

Minister Schmidt announced that 73 nations have signaled their intention to submit an enhanced climate action plan (or Nationally Determined Contribution), acknowledging that the 11 nations have started an internal process to boost ambition and have this reflected in their national plans by 2020, as established in the Paris Agreement (full list in Annex 1).

She also stated that 73 Parties to the UNFCCC, 14 regions, 398 cities, 786 businesses, and 16 investors are working towards achieving net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. This demonstrates clearly that both state and non-state actors recognize the urgent need to take ambitious action to address the climate change emergency (full list in Annex 2).

Schmidt expressed that “Today we are strengthening our global push for more ambition. More and more leaders are joining this effort to demonstrate that boosting NDC ambition is both necessary and possible. We are here to listen to what people are demanding their leaders to do”.

Schmidt also indicated that Chile and the United Kingdom will join efforts to mobilize additional actors to join the alliance on the road towards COP26.

The Alliance will also strengthen its work on adaptation and the involvement of the private sector. All efforts will aim to accelerate the transformation needed to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement and ultimately stabilize global temperature rise at 1.5C.

Led by Chile, the Climate Ambition Alliance was launched at the Climate Action Summit in New York”, the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, said at COP25. “I am deeply encouraged by the growth [in the Ambition Alliance].

"The shift from the grey to the green economy is on, and it is gathering pace. As we look ahead to 2020, there is much to be done.” UN Climate Change Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa said. “Joining the Chile-driven Climate Ambition Alliance is a concrete way to demonstrate that the world is united behind the imperative to boost ambition."

Under this Alliance, nations can publicly commit to enhancing their national climate plans by 2020.

"As we urgently increase our efforts to reduce emissions, we must also give equal and increased urgency to adapt to climate impacts and build resilience for the future. Communities that are vulnerable to the impacts of climate change face an existential threat."

The IPCC Special Report on the Impacts of Global Warming of 1.5°C stated that both urgent and transformational adaptation action is needed to reduce climate-related risk.

The scale of expected impacts is such that business, as usual, is no longer an option for any country, community, business or financial institution.

The Call for Action on Adaptation and Resilience was launched at the UN Climate Action Summit and has been signed by 118 countries. The call marks the beginning of a paradigm shift in the way we all build adaptation and resilience. “The UK is hugely determined and committed to work together with our global partners to tackle the climate crisis.

Every country must come forward as soon as possible in 2020 with a more ambitious NDC. Sixty-six Parties joined the Climate Ambition Alliance at UNCAS through commitments to go net zero. I commend the leadership of Chile in launching the Alliance. We only have this planet, and we all have a duty to do everything we can to leave it a better place than we found it.”, said Claire O’Neill, COP26 President-Designate of UK.

For mitigation, the Climate Ambition Alliance will focus on the submission of enhanced Nationally Determined Contributions; reaching new commitments to achieve Net Zero by 2050; and the implementation of measures to strengthen the protection of forests and oceans.

Regarding adaptation, the Alliance will take strong actions to improve the management of water, resilience in infrastructure and the sustainability of cities. It’s time for action.