Action Targets: A New Form of GHG Commitment

The briefing introduces action targets, which require an entity to reduce emissions by an agreed percentage of its actual emissions during a commitment period. By using an 'observable baseline' of actual emissions rather than projected ones, action targets eliminate the uncertainty associated with future economic growth. A comparison of a 2% target for Brazil, China, India, and Mexico shows that fixed targets can lead to either burdensome reductions or 'hot air' depending on GDP growth, while action targets maintain a consistent level of effort. The authors suggest action targets are compatible with the Kyoto Protocol and suitable for modest developing country commitments, though further research is needed on their environmental impact and administrative costs.

• An action target is a commitment to reduce GHG emissions by an agreed percentage applied to actual emissions during a commitment period, making it applicable to firms, industries, municipalities, states, or nations.
• Action targets provide higher predictability regarding the 'level of effort' required because they avoid the uncertainties of future economic growth and the creation of 'hot air' (surplus allowances) associated with fixed targets.
• Action targets are presented as a viable tool for framing modest commitments for developing countries because they remove the need to guess future emissions baselines.

APA

Goldberg, D., Baumert, K., Oberheitmann, A., & Frondel, M. (2004). Action Targets: A New Form of GHG Commitment. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ActionTargets_20Oct04.pdf

Chicago

Goldberg, Donald, Kevin Baumert, Andreas Oberheitmann, and Manuel Frondel. Action Targets: A New Form of GHG Commitment. Center for International Environmental Law, 2004. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ActionTargets_20Oct04.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Goldberg |first1=Donald |last2=Baumert |first2=Kevin |last3=Oberheitmann |first3=Andreas |last4=Frondel |first4=Manuel |title=Action Targets: A New Form of GHG Commitment |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=October 2004 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ActionTargets_20Oct04.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{goldberg2004action, author = {Goldberg, Donald and Baumert, Kevin and Oberheitmann, Andreas and Frondel, Manuel}, title = {{Action Targets: A New Form of GHG Commitment}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2004}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/ActionTargets_20Oct04.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }