A wave of new INDCs are expected to be announced during the two-week UN climate negotiations that got underway in Bonn on Monday, according to research from think tank New Climate Institute.
The Germany-based body said that by the end of June around 58% of global GHG emissions are expected to be covered by INDCs, the national pledges expected to form the lynchpin of a new UN global climate deal to be struck in Paris in December.
Just five submissions for the post-2020 goals were received ahead of the Mar. 31 deadline countries set out for countries “in a position to do so”, including the EU, US and Russia. A total of 10 have been received to date.
Europe’s climate commissioner Miguel Arias Canete said on Twitter on Tuesday that Morocco had unveiled an INDC pledging to cut emissions by up to 32% below BAU levels by 2030.
News agency AFP, citing Moroccan environment minister Hakima el Haite, reported the country will cut by 13% under its own efforts, but could reduce by an additional 19%, with “international support” helping to cover the estimated $35 billion cost.
MARKET INTEREST
Such support could theoretically come via the use of international carbon markets, though UN talks are yet to define how mitigation outcomes in one nation could be counted in another.
Morocco is a member of the World Bank’s Partnership for Market Readiness, which will give the government cash to explore pilot market-based approaches to cutting emissions over the next four years.
Morocco has also expressed interest in the EU’s Pilot Sectoral New Market Mechanisms Project to help reduce emissions in major industrial sectors.
Arias Canete added on Tuesday that the EU and Morocco, the expected host of the 2016 year-end UN climate conference, would host an international INDC forum in October to examine global progress on a goal to keep global temperatures below 2C.
PERU READIES
Meanwhile, E&E news reported that Peru, the 2014 UN talks host, intends to announce the first draft of its INDC on Friday and will formally submit it in August.
Quoting Peru’s enivronment minister Manuel Peru-Vidal, E&E said Peru will commit to cutting emissions by more than 30% under BAU levels by 2030.
China, the world’s biggest emitter, is widely expected to submit its INDC later this month.
A second implicit deadline for remaining nations to submit their INDCs has been set under the UN for Oct. 31. The New Climate report estimated that over three-quarters of global emissions would be covered by INDC submissions received by the end of September.
The New Climate Institute is tracking the progress of 123 nations preparing their INDCs, out of almost 200 that are parties to the UNFCCC process.
By Ben Garside – ben@carbon-pulse.com
