Chile
President Sebastián Piñera:
· Clean renewable energy
· Efficient public transportation
· Forest conservancy
China
Foreign Minister Wang Yi:
· The withdrawal of certain parties (from the Paris Agreement) “will not shake the progress” toward combating climate change
· Green and low-carbon developments
· CO2 per GDP 45.8 percent from 2005 level, overshooting target 5.2 billion emissions
· 1.2 million e-vehicles
· National emissions trading market being developed
Costa Rica
President Carlos Alvarado Quesada:
· Has launched a decarbonization plan
· Extending a moratorium to keep fossil fuels underground with no end date
· Removed taxes on e-vehicles, recharging stations are being installed and 500 percent growth in electric fleet
· Mobilizing over $30 million a year from taxes, investing into mainly forests
· Over $5 billion has been invested in infrastructure: hydroelectric/thermal, wind
· 52 percent recovered forest, aiming for higher
· 30 percent zero emissions for public transport by 2035
· Two electric trains to be fed by clean renewable energy
Denmark
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen
· Doubling up earmarked funds for green research
Djibouti
President Ismaël Omar Guelleh:
· Renewable energy transition by 2030
· Would like to see a simplification of access to the green fund
Finland
President Sauli Niinisto:
· Use of coal ending 2029
· Use of fossil fuels ending 2030
France
President Emmanuel Macron (see related Sept. 23 article on rainforests):
· France has banned new oil exploration on its soil
· Trade is a factor of peace and poverty, and trade needs to align with the climate agenda
· Has doubled its green fund contributions
Greece
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis:
· “Ancient Greeks had no access to scientific knowledge. We do now and yet have failed to act”
· Will shut down brown coal by 2028.
Guatemala
President Jimmy Morales:
· Conserving forests
· Contributes only 0.04 percent of pollution, but one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change
· Increased wastewater treatment plants
· Over 200 biofilters, filtering out solid floating waste in its rivers; preventing pollution of beaches and oceans
· In comprehensive protection of natural resources: single-use plastic bags, straws
Iceland
Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir
· Vanishing glaciers
· Clean energy transformation
· Doubling green fund contribution
Indonesia
Vice-President M. Jusuf Kalla:
· Decreasing emissions 29 percent and targeting up to 40 percent with international support by 2030
· Nature-based solutions: restoration of greater land and peatland
· Restoring coastal areas
· Energy transition, removing fossil fuels policy
· Scaling support of financing renewable energies
Ireland
Prime Minister Leo Varadkar:
· Carbon budgeting will be implemented next year
· Banned fracking
· Sovereign wealth fund divested from fossil fuels
· Carbon tax
Jamaica
Prime Minister Andrew Holiness:
· The global financing system requires immediate transformation to help tackle climate change, and it must be science-based and technically supported
· The country has been looking at the Paris Agreement Capital Transition Agreement and risk-scenario analysis tools
Montreal
Mayor Plante
· By 2050, two-thirds of the world population will be in cities
· Already committed to combat climate change through C40 and a mayors’ coalition network
· Protection of biodiversity
· Protecting our green spaces despite financial pressures
Netherlands
Prime Minister Mark Rutte:
· Phasing out all coal by 2030
· Implementing a national climate agreement
· Supporting developing countries
Norway
Prime Minister Erna Solberg:
· Released a study about how the oceans can be sustained
· Protecting biodiversity
· Scaling up ocean-based research and making COP24 “BlueCOP”
Pakistan
Prime Minister Imran Khan:
· Has planted 1.1 billion trees in the last five years
· Pakistan contributes less than 1 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions
Qatar
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani:
· National measures to develop technologies by 2030
· As FIFA 2022 host, will be the first carbon-neutral tournament with solar-powered stadiums and energy-efficient cooling systems
· Contributing $100 million to help small island and developing nations to catch up in their battle to fight climate change
South Korea
President Moon Jae-In:
· Will explore stronger measures for transition to a low-carbon economy and Korean sustainable goals
· Doubling contribution to the Green Climate Fund
· Proposed international joint research and technical support for improving air quality
Turkey
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan:
· Generating 30 percent of renewable energy
· More than 4 billion trees planted throughout Turkey
· Railways use to increase 5-10 percent
· Bike routes to be expanded
As reported by BluePass: Independent Coverage of the UN