IPCC

Harnessing the full power of towns and cities to drive the shift to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future requires action at all levels of government, with strong supportive policy frameworks, incentive systems and financial resources for sustainable infrastructure.

Advances in science and technology mean that we can better measure emissions. A "refinement" to the existing guidelines lays out how countries can better report to the IPCC, giving us a better picture than ever of what we need to do to reduce greenhouse gas pollution.

Global meat and dairy consumption is set to increase nearly 70 percent by 2050. The resulting agricultural emissions would make it impossible to keep temperature rise below 1.5°C (2.7°F), the level scientists say is necessary for staving off climate disasters.

Scientists have calculated the amount of carbon dioxide the world can emit while limiting warming to the internationally agreed upon goals of 1.5°C-2°C. This amount is our “carbon budget.” We're on track to exceed it in little more than a decade.

Countries around the world agreed to limit global temperature rise to 1.5˚C-2˚C. A new IPCC report finds that the half-degree difference matters—a lot.

In 2009, Indonesia made a bold move by voluntarily pledging to achieve a 26 percent reduction in emissions against the business-as-usual scenario in 2020, or 41 percent with international support. Being a developing country with so much promise for economic growth and development, the international community applauded Indonesia for this daring target, which became a game-changer in the stagnant climate negotiations at the time. The National Action Plan on Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emission (RAN-GRK) was soon issued to guide its implementation.

The Science-Based Targets initiative aims to enlist 100 companies in 2015 to commit to setting greenhouse gas reduction targets based on the latest climate science. These targets can help prevent the worst impacts of climate change while safeguarding businesses' profitability.

A recent UN report highlights the need to examine the role of development finance institutions in sustainable development, but it leaves open the question of whether member states should call for a review process.

Here’s a perspective on some of the outstanding negotiation challenges.

At COP 20 in Lima, country representatives are coming together to discuss plans to reign in global greenhouse gas emissions.

A new interactive from WRI reveals the history of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, as well as what needs to happen to stay within world’s “carbon budget” and prevent the most disastrous impacts of climate change.