Campaigns

We have a commitment to addressing the world’s pressing issues on climate change and decarbonization. Our campaigns focus on specific topics transforming research into tangible solutions that can help in transforming our systems to a deeply decarbonized world.

International climate governance

International climate governance is a crucial process in policy making and impacts climate actions taken by every country. The DDP’s International climate governance work focuses on two lines of work in 2023: fossil fuel phase down at COP and influencing the outcomes at the Global Stocktake.

Fossil Fuel phase down​

It is no longer a question that fossil fuels are the largest contributors to climate change. If we are to reach the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, fossil fuel phase down is inevitable. However, we recognize that different countries have different positions on when and how to do it.  The UNFCCC is a platform to create a dialogue between national and international agendas to ensure that fossil fuel phase down remains a priority in policymaking.

Our work aims to narrow the gap between international and national agendas in relation to fossil fuel phase down. We want to promote the need for an international mandate to support country-specific efforts to phase down fossil fuels. We also help ensure that energy transitions are founded on social justice.

Our key activities in promoting fossil fuel phase down include:

  • We develop analytical insights on fossil fuel transitions in DDP countries based on recent scenario analysis.
  • We write policy papers on the cross-cutting lessons from DDP analysis regarding fossil fuel phase down.
  • We work with our DDP partners to discuss fossil fuel phase down in their respective countries.
  • We organize policy dialogues on Just Transition with EU negotiators.

Influencing outcomes at the Global Stocktake

This year’s COP28 is focused on the Global Stocktake, a mechanism of the Paris Agreement that reviews and assesses climate commitments to ensure that we are on course to reaching its objectives. The Global Stocktake is not just looking back at what the world has done so far. Its goal is not to name and shame. It is meant to be a “global accelerator” – directing governments, cities, businesses and advocates to take transformative action to slash global emissions, boost climate finance and increase resilience. It is a chance for countries to engage in the spirit of solidarity and mutual support for both ambitious climate action and strengthened international cooperation. The Global Stocktake is a critical juncture that will determine the momentum of climate action in the next decade. 

Our work promotes the idea that international cooperation must build on country needs. A bottom-up process would enable systemic transformations that are compatible with enhanced climate ambition of every country. 

To do this, we have embarked on some activities: 

  • We work with key countries and key influencers in the UNFCCC. 
  • We build ownership of the GST process within countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. 
  • We help ensure that global south countries participate in the EU policy dialogue. 
  • We write an annual report on Sectoral ambition and international cooperation (launching in 2023). 
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Sectoral transformations

Our work contributes to decarbonizing hard-to-decarbonize sectors. These sectors produce the majority of greenhouse gas emissions and sectoral transformations are necessary to reach the Paris Agreement Goal of 1.5°C. Our work focuses on two sectors: shipping and green iron.

Shipping

The shipping industry’s current strategy focuses all its efforts on the technological decarbonization of fuels: using electro-based fuels like Ammonia. The industry is not considering the possibility of a significant reduction of “movements and distances” – or the demand side of shipping. It assumes a continuity of the current geographical structure of the maritime routes and international production organization until 2050.

We promote a holistic approach to decarbonizing maritime transport by 2050, going beyond the technological development of e-fuels. We aim to raise awareness about the importance of addressing the demand side of shipping to produce a credible decarbonization strategy for maritime transport. To do this, we are building evidence to show that reducing movements and distances is a core component of decarbonizing the shipping industry. We raise awareness and engage with influencers in the maritime sector and participate in the International Maritime Organisation’s processes.

Our key activities include:

  • Producing an Issue brief about global supply chains, UNFCCC & IMO processes, and revision of the IMO GHG strategy and disseminating findings to key influencers in the IMO
  • Participating in intersessional working group on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships
  • Modeling global pathways on shortening trade distances (NDC Aspects)
  • Policy briefs on policy challenges and critical international cooperation activities to support a structural shortening of trade distances consistent with the decarbonization of maritime transport
  • Dissemination of key insights and interventions towards COP28/SBSTA 59

Green iron

Steel manufacturing produces 8% of total GHG emissions globally, producing the most carbon dioxide than any other heavy industry. The steel and iron sector is also the largest consumer of coal. To meet climate goals, the steel industry’s emissions must fall at least 50% by 2050. However, recent advances in technology allow for the production of green steel or green iron, which will help in decarbonizing the sector.

The steel industry accounts for 5% of the EU’s carbon emissions. We are promoting the idea to key EU policymakers and other stakeholders that green iron trade with key developing countries is important in Europe’s path to decarbonization. We are analyzing the socio-economic costs and benefits of green iron trade in Europe, as well as identifying measures needed to secure the EU’s access to competitively priced green iron.

Our key activities include:

  • Producing a policy paper on the global narratives of the industry sector, building from the country analysis of decarbonization pathways to highlight the international conditions of transformation of this sector (IMAGINE, possibly NDCAspects)
  • Assessing the socioeconomics of alternative value-chains for the EU’s decarbonization of steel
  • Writing a Policy Brief on key findings from our work
  • Organizing a policy dialogue with key stakeholders and influencers

Paradigm Shift in Finance

A paradigm shift in finance is needed. International climate finance cooperation must be designed to finance the full range of activities that are necessary for countries to pursue their long-term low greenhouse gas emissions development strategies (LT-LEDS). This is necessary to ensure that the nationally defined development vision can be implemented and that alignments between development and climate are pursued. The Just Energy Transition Partnerships of JETPs is an important finance mechanism that can strengthen the global response to climate change in the context of sustainable development and the eradication of poverty.

Just Energy Transition Partnerships

Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETPs) are a new funding model created to help global south countries transition from fossil energy and toward clean energy, in a way that ensures social justice and development goals remain an important part of each country’s transition. JETP agreements have been signed by South Africa, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, and Senegal.

Drawing lessons from current JETPs as a new approach to finance, we design country-driven approaches that are supported by effective international cooperation on finance. We promote this idea with finance actors, especially development banks.

Our key activities include:

  • Building/exploring/strengthening partnerships that can help reach ministries of finance (in donors and recipient countries), as well as key actors of international development finance
  • Synthesizing the limitations of the current financial system to address both climate change and development
  • Ensuring the continuity of the Senegal JETP deal in the context of the DDP-Senegal project
  • Contributing to the development of “A pilot South African Coal Retirement Mechanism (CRM)” to discuss JET-P pertinence and adequacy to support coal phase down
  • Participating in all relevant international fora (FICS, G20, follow-ups of the Paris Summit, COP28)