1 Gigaton Coalition Reports

The 1 Gigaton Coalition aims to measure and report reductions of greenhouse gas emissions resulting from renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives and programmes that are not accounted for in the Emissions Gap Report, which are estimated to be 1 Gigaton of carbon dioxide equivalent by 2020.

The 1 Gigaton Coalition aim to do so by creating a methodology in our annual 1 Gigaton Coalition reports, which will highlight specific countries and programmes by applying this methodology. Below are the 1 Gigaton Coalition reports:

2017 Report – Renewable energy and energy efficiency in developing countries

Even if the pledges in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change are implemented, we will still not reduce greenhouse gas emissions enough to meet the goals. The UN Environment Emissions Gap Report 2017 states that for the 2°C goal, this shortfall could be 11 to 13.5 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. For the 1.5°C goal, it could be as much as 16 to 19 gigatonnes. We urgently need more ambitious action to close these gaps. So, this latest 1 Gigaton Coalition Report helps to focus those efforts by quantifying the progress secured through renewable energy and energy efficiency.

2016 Report – Renewable energy and energy efficiency in developing countries

Two years ago, world leaders agreed to restrict global warming to 2°C above pre-industrial levels by the end of this century. Yet the latest Emissions Gap Report from UN Environment predicts that we are actually heading for global warming of up to 3.4°C, even with the pledges made in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. However, it also predicts that cutting greenhouse gas emissions by another quarter could put us on track for that 2°C promise. This second report from the 1 Gigaton Coalition supports those findings by showing how investing in clean energy for developing countries can help close the emissions gap and create sustainable profitable business opportunities.

2015 Report – Narrowing the Emissions Gap

While this report clearly demonstrates significant benefits of renewable energy and energy efficiency in developing countries, it also highlights untapped potential gains, which the Coalition aims to describe more fully in future reports. For example, REN21’s Global Status Report 2015 states that 164 countries have defined renewable energy targets in 2015, including 131 developing and emerging economies, meaning developing countries have a great capacity to contribute to emissions reductions. The extent to which this is being realized is of more than academic interest. Good examples and positive stories about renewable energy and energy efficiency are motivating more and more countries to take action.