Lessons Learned for the first Global Stocktake

The latest assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlighted the need for "rapid and far-reaching transitions across all sectors and systems" in order to achieve the objectives of the Paris Agreement. The first Global Stocktake (GST) under the Agreement was seen by many as a major opportunity for a "course correction". But what potential does the GST actually hold for promoting the transformation of sectors and systems? And to what extent does the result of the first GST deliver on this potential?

Three scientists from the Wuppertal Institute explore these questions in their new publication "Lessons Learned for the Global Stocktake": Wolfgang Obergassel and Christiane Beuermann, Co-Heads of the Global Climate Governance Research Unit, and Carsten Elsner, Researcher in the same Research Unit. Based on specialist literature, statements from interest groups and research findings from international institutions, they first analyse the potential of international processes such as the GST to promote the transformation of sectors and systems. Next, they examine the concrete effects of the GST. On this basis, they compare the existing potential with what was actually achieved. Against this background, the authors provide an evaluation of the GST results and offer an outlook: What is the future potential for significantly aligning global efforts with the goals of the Paris Agreement?

The researchers conclude that the GST outcome – transitioning away from fossil fuels, expanding renewable energies and increasing energy efficiency – establishes a new standard for responsible climate governance. This can be seen as a major success. Moreover, from a conceptual point of view, adopting a focus on systems and sectors has proven to be a successful approach to breaking down  the challenge of combating climate change into more specific and actionable pieces.

The publication was created as part of the NDC Aspects project and is available free of charge via the following link.