Press release: CONCITO gets important role in global UN report on climate

The new collaboration has several elements, including coordination of the preparation of the annual Emissions Gap Report, which assesses the development in global GHG emissions compared to the national reduction pledges. CONCITO is collaborating closely with the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre located in the UN City.

The Emissions Gap Report is widely recognized as a central input to the annual climate negotiation meetings (COPs) and is directly used by many negotiation teams. The report is regarded as an independent source of highly credible scientific information.

The Collaboration agreement was signed recently during the visit to CONCITO by the UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen.

"We at UNEP welcome our collaboration with Concito aimed at strengthening the scientific understanding on climate change. I am pleased that Concito is already bringing its expertise to bear on UNEP’s annual Emissions Gap Report, and to other joint initiatives underway,” says Inger Andersen.

The International Director of CONCITO, Jarl Krausing, states that:

“We are very proud to have signed this new agreement with UNEP, which we see as a recognition of the work by CONCITO. In addition, it also confirms the leading position of Denmark and Danish expertise on key climate issues.”

The Report is providing a very concerning message

The Emissions Gap Report is UNEP’s flagship on climate and is published annually in advance of the annual COP meeting. The Report shows how global GHG emissions are developing and where they are likely to be in 2030 with the current national reduction pledges, this is then compared with what science tells us is required to stay on track to the temperature goals in the Paris Agreement. The difference between the actions and the ambitions has through the report become known and the “emission gap”.

“The conclusion of all the previous reports has been that Gap is large and closing it by 2030 will require a dramatic and urgent increase in global action on emissions reductions. If this does not happen, we will not be able to meet the goals agreed in Paris. The report therefore contributes to keeping the pressure on decision makers globally,” says Anne Olhoff the chief editor of the report at CONCITO.

The report is every year also assessing key areas where action can be accelerated and ambition increased, illustrating that it is still possible to meet the goals, but it is getting more and more difficult every year.

The report is written by a team of internationally leading experts for each chapter and governed by an international steering committee with independent experts and representatives from UNEP, IPCC, WMO and the UNFCCC Secretariat. The content is undergoing a detailed scientific review process and a vetting by country representatives.

CONCITO is jointly with the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre providing the secretariat for the process and is responsible for editing and production plus preparing the executive summary, which is published separately.

For further information please contact:

Ghita Borring, Head of Communications, gb@concito.dk mobile: +45 9388 1819