Colombia has submitted its INDC to the UN, promising to cut its greenhouse gas emissions to 20% below BAU levels in 2030 and will explore the use of market instruments as a means to meet the target.

The economy-wide target would keep Colombia’s 2030 emissions at 268 million tonnes of CO2e, compared to a BAU scenario of 335 million tonnes, the INDC said. In 2010, the country emitted 224 mt.

The target could be increased to 30% if the nation receives international support.

Colombia did not set a goal for 2025, but said it would consider doing so depending on the outcome of the December climate talks in Paris.

The government has developed mitigation plans for eight sectors of the economy – including agriculture and forests, its biggest-emitting sector – which mainly focus on maximising carbon efficiency, but the INDC did not go into details on how Colombia intends to achieve the target.

“Colombia will explore the use of market instruments (or other economic instruments) that guarantee the principles of transparency and environmental integrity, which result in real, permanent, additional, verified mitigation outcomes and prevent double counting,” it said.

The plan also included a strategy for how to adapt to climate change while fighting poverty and building peace.

By Stian Reklev – stian@carbon-pulse.com

For details on all the INDCs to date, check our INDC Tracker.