Alliances for Climate Action
Overview
The science is clear: the world needs to cut current carbon emissions in half over the next 10 years to avoid catastrophic climate change. This will require a radical transformation of our food, transportation, and energy systems—a feat that national governments will not achieve alone.
Around the world, local and state governments, businesses, and private institutions have the power to reduce their own carbon footprint, as well as influence policy, public opinion, and consumer habits. And that power grows significantly when they join forces.
Working in collaboration with global and national partners WWF is capitalizing on our longstanding relationships to create national coalitions of mayors, governors, university presidents, CEOs, and other local leaders in key countries to help national governments deliver on their climate goals. Now over 4,000 signatories strong, from Japan to Mexico, this new generation of climate leaders is pledging to collaborate with one another and with their national governments to drive new climate solutions. These Alliances for Climate Action (ACA) are inspiring more leaders to act, building public support for ambitious climate action and calling for policies that accelerate the low-carbon transition.
ACA global partners include C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, CDP, the Climate Action Network, Fundación Avina, The Climate Group, the We Mean Business Coalition, and WWF, working together with leading organizations at the national level.
2020: A critical year for our future and for the climate
There is still a gap between what countries pledged to do in the Paris Agreement and what scientists say is needed to avert climate catastrophe. To address this, countries set five-year milestones to take stock of progress and strengthen commitments with the first of these opportunities coming in 2020.
Why It Matters
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Today, there is a major gap between the goals of the Paris Agreement—limiting temperature rise to 1.5 °C—and the goals that countries put forward to meet these goals. Action by businesses and local leaders around the globe has the potential to halve this emissions gap. Through the Alliances for Climate Action, WWF and partners are connecting and supporting this new generation of leaders dedicated to pursuing immediate climate action in their countries and inspiring others around the world to join the growing groundswell of climate action.
What WWF Is Doing
Together with global and national partners, WWF is building the first connected global movement of mayors, governors, CEOs, and other new climate leaders to help national governments deliver on climate goals. For more information on Alliances for Climate Action, please contact us at info@alliancesforclimateaction.com.
Vietnam
Over twenty member organizations across Vietnam have come together to support climate resilience and a clean energy economy. Leaders from the private sector, universities, communities, and civil society established the Vietnam Coalition for Climate Action to accelerate low-carbon development powered by renewable energy. Locally driven climate action is imperative in a country that is leading the world in carbon emissions growth. Whether it is sea-level rise in the Mekong Delta, flooding on the central coast, or storms and droughts that are longer and more frequent, Vietnam is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change. At the same time, renewable energy offers much potential to meet Vietnam’s growing energy demands. Vietnam Coalition for Climate Action is dedicated to delivering on Vietnam’s national climate targets (or nationally determined contributions (NDCs)), laying the groundwork for a strengthened NDC and a livable future for Vietnam and for the world.
Argentina
Alianza para la Acción Climática Argentina is a coalition of businesses, cities, investors, civil society, and universities that represents over 13 million citizens and over 30% of the nation’s economy. Members include clothing company Patagonia, cosmetics company Natura, the capital city of Buenos Aires, the province of Santa Fe, University of El Salvador, and the association of 2,000 agro-commodity producers in Argentina called CREA.
Japan
Over 300 companies, cities, investors, and other partners are part of the Japan Climate Initiative, a group dedicated to realizing a carbon-free society and expanding renewable energy across the country. The group is comprised of local governments from many of Japan’s major cities like Tokyo and Yokohama, small businesses, and major companies such as Sony and Panasonic Corp.
Mexico
More than 35 Mexican institutions—from local and state governments to academia, businesses and civil society organizations—have pledged to work together to advance the country’s goal of reducing up to 36% of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. The coalition represents over 5 million people and is based in Guadalajara, the second largest metropolitan area in the country, with plans to expand to additional urban areas in Mexico in 2019.
United States
When the US government announced that it would withdraw from the historic Paris Agreement, states, cities, tribal leaders, faith groups, colleges and universities, and more came together to form We Are Still In. The movement helps ensure that the US remains a global leader in reducing emissions. We Are Still In has grown to over 3,600 signatories collectively, representing 155 million Americans and $9.5 trillion of the US economy.
Mariana Panuncio-Feldman
Senior Director, International Climate Cooperation
Elan Strait
Director, U.S. Climate Campaigns
Lou Leonard
Senior Vice President, Climate Change and Energy
