Published by Todd Bush on November 11, 2024
Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs, are national climate action plans by each country under the Paris Agreement, and are submitted every five years to the United Nations. This new round of NDCs is crucial for countries as it must respond to last year’s COP decision through ambitious commitments in the energy sector notably, but not only. CAN is calling for transformative, equitable, transparent, and inclusive climate plans, aligned with scenarios keeping 1.5 degrees Celsius (ºC) within reach, allowing a just transition for communities and workers, and centered on climate justice and solidarity. As the Troika of Presidencies has a mission to foster alignment to 1.5ºC through NDCs, CAN expects them to lead by example.
>> In Other News: CARB Raises Carbon Intensity Reduction Targets of LCFS to 30% in 2030 and 90% by 2045
In response to the United Arab Emirates submitting its NDC, Mohamed Kamal, Director of Greenish Foundation and member of Climate Action Network Arab World, said: “Despite the UAE hosting the COP28 in Dubai which secured an agreement on “transitioning away from fossil fuels”, the UAE did not adequately follow up this historic decision and is betting on a mix of unproven, risky distractions, like carbon capture, removal and storage, as shown in its NDC.
The plan doesn’t include any commitment to phase out fossil fuels or to stop the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure. With a rather limited target of 30% of “clean energy” for 2030, including nuclear (and no target for 2035), it is unclear how the domestic objective of reducing energy emissions by 50% by 2035 will be reached.
Promises of achieving negative emissions through mangrove afforestation and false solutions, like carbon capture, cannot compensate for the lack of ambition to achieve deep, rapid, and sustained emissions reductions in the energy sector and beyond.”
David Knecht, Energy and Climate Justice Officer at Fastenaktion and co-coordinator of Climate Action Network’s Ambition Working Group, said: “CAN welcomes that the NDC includes an absolute emission reduction target, but the level of ambition (-47% by 2035 compared to 2019) is insufficient. It would result in per capita emissions over three times higher than what the world average should be, according to UNEP’s Emission Gap report. Given the UAE’s responsibilities and capabilities, CAN is of the opinion that the UAE’s target is therefore not equitable.
CAN welcomes the range of issues covered by the new climate plan, including adaptation, water, biodiversity, women and youth, and health. However, by refusing to address the root cause of the problem, the plan fails to include Just Transition measures to support the workers and communities who will be affected by the inevitable phase-out of fossil fuels. While the plan rightly points to the need to minimize the impact of air pollution and heat on people’s health, notably for outdoor workers, any efforts in that direction will be undermined by the UAE’s planned continued production and use of fossil fuels.
There can be no “1.5ºC-aligned” climate plans without explicit commitments to halt the production of fossil fuels and to stop generating energy from them. There can be no climate justice without 1.5ºC alignment, as fossil fuels will keep harming people, communities, and ecosystems.”
Follow the money flow of climate, technology, and energy investments to uncover new opportunities and jobs.
Inside This Issue 🌏 A Bold Transpacific Alliance: ExxonMobil and Marubeni Power a Cleaner Future with Low-Carbon Ammonia 💰 Aker Carbon Capture Has Decided to Sell Its 20 Percent Ownership Interest...
Inside This Issue 🌊 NYK Partners With Climeworks to Remove CO₂ Through Diverse Carbon Removal Solutions 🛠️ First Public Hydrogen (FPH2) Appoints Ernesto Medrano to Board of Directors 💡 Kinetics Ac...
Inside This Issue 📊 Trading Carbon Right: Why Credit Quality Matters More Than Ever ☀️ SunHydrogen Contracts The Process Group for Front-End Engineering Design of 25m2 Renewable Hydrogen Pilot Pla...
Canada’s Bold Path to Net-Zero: How the Pathways Alliance Is Reshaping Oilsands and Carbon Capture
A united front for a cleaner future In Canada’s race to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, few initiatives carry as much weight—or as much promise—as the $16.5 billion carbon capture and storage (C...
Project Hajar Earns Top XPRIZE Carbon Award for Direct Air Capture and Storage in UAE
Project Hajar, a joint initiative by 44.01 and Aircapture, has been named the strongest performer in the Air category of the XPRIZE Carbon Removal competition, earning a \$1 million award. The proj...
BKV Corporation (“BKV” or the “Company”) (NYSE: BKV) today announced the formation of a strategic joint venture (the “JV”) between BKV dCarbon Ventures, LLC (“dCarbon Ventures”), BKV’s wholly-owned...
Microsoft Expands World’s Largest Carbon Removal Deal with Stockholm Exergi to 5M Tonnes
World’s largest annual CDR delivery deal: Microsoft'’s expanded agreement now totals 5.08M tons, with 500,000 tons captured annually. $1.3B BECCS facility operational by 2028: Stockholm Exergi’s p...
Follow the money flow of climate, technology, and energy investments to uncover new opportunities and jobs.