Implementation rate of climate policy proposals

Scientists from PIK have delivered a groundbreaking evaluation of climate policy measures covering the last two decades. The study unveils the first comprehensive global evaluation of 1,500 climate policy measures from 41 countries across six continents, providing a detailed impact analysis of the wide range of climate policy measures implemented. The findings reveal a sobering reality: many policy measures have failed to achieve the necessary scale of emission reductions, with only 63 instances of successful climate policies, leading to average emission reductions of 19%, identified. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the key characteristic of these successful cases appears to be the inclusion of tax and price incentives in well-designed policy mixes. An accompanying interactive website, the “Climate Policy Explorer,” offers a comprehensive overview of the results, analysis and methods, and is available here: https://lnkd.in/efTeQBPb. Paper here: https://lnkd.in/eJu5vMuy

What proportion of the recommendations from the French Citizens' Assembly on Climate have been implemented? More than most people think! Interesting new paper by Alina Averchenkova, Arnaud Koehl, and Graham Smith published by KNOCA - Knowledge Network on Climate Assemblies that dives into this question. Their key findings: ✅ 20% have been implemented in their original form (or even reinforced), 51% have been implemented in a partial or modified form and 22% have been abandoned or not implemented to date. This is a higher level of implementation than much previous analysis has suggested. 🏠 More measures have been adopted in full or reinforced in the areas of ‘consuming’, ‘mobility’ and ‘housing’ sectors. Recommendations from ‘housing’ and ‘labour and work’ were least likely to be vetoed, abandoned or not implemented. 🔍 The more detailed the guidance put into recommendations by citizens, the more likely they are to be implemented to some degree. ➡️ The Convention played an agenda setting role. A number of its recommendations were not consistently articulated within the established political debates about climate governance before the Convention and a significant proportion of these made it into law or policy.

A new study published in Science reveals that while 1,500 climate policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions have been implemented globally over the past two decades, only 63 policies, or about 4%, have substantially reduced emissions. Most successful emissions reductions were achieved through price instruments like carbon pricing, energy taxes, and subsidy reforms, often combined across multiple national policies rather than relying on a single approach. Researchers found if every country were to adopt best practices, up to 41% of the emissions gap could be closed by 2030. However, the study is not without its limitations, with researchers noting the analysis' exclusion of agriculture and land use policy due to insufficient data as well as the lack of representation of many countries Global South, especially those in Africa and Latin America. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eqViJE59 via The New York Times

*Kenya and Zimbabwe, and Ghana Score High in Inaugural NDC Implementation Index* During the high-level Regional Policy Dialogue and Dissemination Workshop, held in Addis Ababa, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Ghana emerged among the top performers in the inaugural, “Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Implementation Index, a landmark tool developed to assess and benchmark climate action progress across Africa. Scoring above 70%, both countries demonstrated strong institutional governance, well-established climate monitoring systems, and effective integration of climate priorities into national development planning. Their performance highlights the importance of coordinated climate governance, transparency, and inclusive stakeholder engagement in advancing the goals of the Paris Agreement. The NDC Implementation Index is a continental diagnostic and accountability tool developed through a collaborative effort by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), the African Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS), and the West African Green Economy Development Institute (WAGEDI). The seed grant was provided by SIDA in 2019 when the pilot of the index was undertaken. The Index is designed to assess and track the progress of African countries in implementing their climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, while aligning their climate action strategies with national development priorities and global obligations. The 2025 NDC Index Report presents implementation scores for 12 African countries: Botswana, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia. •Top Performers include: Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana, and Ethiopia who scored above 70%, demonstrating strong governance, robust MRV systems, and well-integrated climate action across sectors. Each country’s score reflects its relative strength across the five pillars, providing a clear picture of implementation gaps and opportunities for improvement. More than just a benchmarking tool, the NDC Implementation Index is envisioned as a platform for policy engagement, peer learning, and strategic resource targeting. The link to the index is https://lnkd.in/d_3MZMkd. Attached also find the comprehensive report. The launch of the Index and its online platform represents a significant milestone in Africa’s climate governance landscape, reinforcing the role of data-driven monitoring and inclusive accountability mechanisms in achieving the continent’s NDC and sustainable development goals. KPCG is represented at the Workshop by the National Coordinator Faith Ngige, and Dr Jusper Omwenga National Environment Management Authority - NEMA, who were part of the expert team that contributed to the Kenya NDC index development. Pan African Climate Justice Alliance

Only a fraction of climate policy interventions produces significant results, according to a big study published in 'Science' yesterday. The study assessed 1500 policies (e.g., changes in subsidies and taxes) implemented between 1998 and 2022 across 41 countries. Only 63 policies showed large effects on reduced emissions (so-called 'breaks'). ❗We have a 'climate ambition gap' (policies do not aim high enough), but we also have a significant 'climate outcome gap' (those policies that are implemented often do not produce significant enough results). ❗ Key take aways: 1️⃣ Taxation and price incentives are by far the most effective policy instruments to achieve emission breaks. "It [taxation] stands out as the only policy instrument that achieves near equal or larger effect size as a stand-alone policy across all sectors." 2️⃣ Successful emissions reductions usually rely on mixes of different interventions (with tax and price incentives being part of the mix). Market-based instruments and regulations (e.g., product bans) need to be aligned and work together (e.g., banning fossil cars, increasing the price of gasoline, and subsidising e-mobility). 3️⃣ Most successful policy interventions occur in the building sector, followed by transport , industry, and electricity. Success rates vary strongly by sector and policymakers should therefore contextualise interventions. Successful climate policies need the right mix of instruments and have to include taxation and pricing measures to show significant outcomes! Full study (open access): https://lnkd.in/d7GdU6v3 #climatechange, #sustainability, #esg

In this Science study ( 👉 https://lnkd.in/er4CDurn, see also here article in Financial Times about it👉https://lnkd.in/enxcG69K) , researchers analyzed 1,500 climate policies implemented across 41 countries between 1998 and 2022. The goal? To identify which policies truly work in reducing emissions. Here’s what they found: 🔘 Successful Policy Interventions: 63 policies led to significant emission reductions, cutting between 0.6 and 1.8 billion metric tonnes of CO2. ✅ 🔘 Price-Based Instruments: Carbon pricing and emission trading schemes were particularly effective. 💰 🔘 In developed economies, pricing stands out individually, with 20% out of all successful detected interventions being associated with pricing individually. Yet subsidies are the most complementary instrument, especially in combination with pricing (33%). By contrast, in developing economies regulation is the most powerful policy.  🔘 Policy Mixes: Combining policies, especially market-based ones, with regulatory measures led to greater success. 🔄 🔘 Sector-Specific Findings: Different sectors (e.g., buildings, transport) responded better to specific policy types. 🏢🚗 In the FT article, there’s some caution about the findings: it might take longer than the study suggests for policy interventions to show success ⏳. For me, the key takeaways are: 🔹 Policy Mix is Essential: To be truly effective, a combination of policies is necessary 🎯. 🔹 Context Matters: Effective policy mixes vary by sector and economic context 🌍. 🔹 Practical Over Perfect: Instead of seeking the "perfect" policy mix, focus on taking action. It's too complex to aim for perfection—just strive to make a difference 💪.