USG Climate Change Overview Chris Dragisic U.S. Department of State May 2, 2016

Why we take action )

Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions By Gas By Sector Source: IPCC 5th Assessment Report, WG3 (2014)

An increasing share of emissions come from developing countries (non-Annex I of UNFCCC) Developed Countries (Annex I of UNFCCC) Developing Countries (non-Annex I of UNFCCC) Developed Countries (Annex I of UNFCCC) Source: WRI CAIT

Leadership at home )

The President’s Climate Action Plan Pillars Cut Carbon Pollution in America Prepare the U.S. for the Impacts of Climate Change Lead International Efforts to Combat Climate Change and Prepare for its Impacts

U.S. Action on Climate Change Foreign Assistance: U.S. Climate Finance Climate Partnerships U.S. Domestic Action Common thread: pragmatic actions to enable countries to meet this global challenge together

U.S. INDC The United States intends to achieve an economy-wide target of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28 per cent below its 2005 level in 2025 and to make best efforts to reduce its emissions by 28%.

Example: USDA’s Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture & Forestry 10 areas of action: Soil Health Nitrogen Stewardship Livestock Partnerships Conservation of Sensitive Lands Grazing and Pasture Lands Private Forest Growth and Retention Stewardship of Federal Forests Promotion of Wood Products Urban Forests Energy Generation and Efficiency

Example: USDA’s Building Blocks for Climate Smart Agriculture & Forestry Voluntary and incentive-based Focused on multiple economic and environmental benefits Meet the needs of producers Cooperative and focused on building partnerships Assess progress and measure success Expected to reduce net emissions and enhance carbon sequestration by over 120 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent per year by 2025

International efforts )

Global Climate Change Initiative The United States will integrate climate change considerations into relevant foreign assistance through the full range of bilateral, multilateral, and private mechanisms to foster low-carbon growth, promote sustainable and resilient societies, and reduce emissions from deforestation and land degradation. 3 pillars: Investing in Clean Energy Promoting Sustainable Landscapes Supporting Climate Change Resilience and Adaptation Department of State, Department of Treasury, USAID

Sustainable Landscapes Examples of GCCI-Supported Programs Include: Forest Carbon Partnership Facility BioCarbon Fund Initiative for Sustainable Forest Landscapes SilvaCarbon Climate Fellows Widening Informed Stakeholder Engagement (WISE) All in support of Low Emission Development Strategies

Climate Change Working Groups US-China Includes a focus on forest monitoring and MRV; mitigation and adaptation; impact of overseas investments on forests U.S.- Brazil Includes a focus on forest investment; native species; low-carbon, resilient agricultural practices; MRV U.S.-India Exploring forest cooperation

UNFCCC )

UNFCCC UNFCCC Negs begin Paris Agreement Copenhagen Accord Cancun Agreement Durban Platform UNFCCC Adopted Doha Gateway Bali Action Plan Kyoto Adopted UNFCCC EIF Warsaw Kyoto EIF Lima U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change objective: “to stabilize atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations at a level that will prevent dangerous human interference with the climate.”   Kyoto Binding Emissions Reductions for Developed Countries of -5.4% below 1990 levels (KP1) CPH/Cancun: countries representing over 80% of global emissions pledged to reduce emissions. Role of Developing Countries? 2015 1990 1992 1994 1997 2005 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

Key Elements Ambition Goal of limiting global temperature increase to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels with efforts to achieve 1.5°C Parties are required to submit new or revisited NDCs every 5 years.  Each successive NDC should be more ambitious than the one before

Key Elements Mitigation Encourages Parties, by 2020, to submit “mid-century” LEDS to help frame their long term development and mitigation vision. Parties shall account for anthropogenic emissions and removals, and avoid double counting Parties should take into account existing accounting approaches. 1/CP21 establishes accounting principles that will guide a future work plan: accounting for emissions and removals, using IPCC methodologies and common metrics, methodological consistency, striving to include all categories of emissions by sources and removals by sinks or explain any omissions. Principles apply to the second and subsequent contributions, and voluntarily to the first.

Key Elements Transparency Establishes an enhanced transparency framework for action and support with common guidelines and built in flexibility Requires all countries to report at least every 2 years inventories of emissions, using internationally-accepted standards of good practice and providing information necessary to track progress towards targets Establishes a multi-step review process including a technical expert review and multilateral peer review of implementation and achievement of NDCs Work program to develop modalities, procedures, and guidelines to conclude in 2018 Establishes a new initiative to build institutional and technical capacity for transparency

Key Elements Markets Countries may use decentralized international carbon markets to meet their NDCs—“cooperative approaches”. A centralized market mechanism and a non-market mechanism will also be developed. Countries must transparently report on international markets use to avoid double-counting 1/CP21 sets out a work program to develop guidance on accounting for markets, and modalities and procedures for a market mechanism.  

Key Elements The role of land, including forests, in addressing climate change was fully recognized in the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Use of “sinks,” “reservoirs,” removals” throughout Article 5 All Parties should take action to conserve and enhance sinks and reservoirs, including forests. All Parties are encouraged to implement and support REDD+ and “alternative policy approaches;” incentivizing non-carbon benefits is also reflected. Decision 1/CP21 The importance of financing for REDD+ and alternative policy approaches is recognized (decision 1/CP21).

Looking Forward Focus on NDCs Implementation Action Enabling Environments Capacity Design of next round Monitoring and reporting Mobilizing support

Thank you! Chris Dragisic dragisiccd@state.gov