Bridging the emissions gap: the role of non-state and subnational actors

This pre-release chapter of the UN Environment Emissions Gap Report 2018 assesses the role of non-state and subnational actors—including cities, regions, companies, and investors—in climate mitigation. While the potential for these actors to bridge the emissions gap is vast, their current quantified impact remains limited and difficult to track due to data gaps.

• A significant number of non-state and subnational actors have pledged mitigation actions, including over 7,000 cities from 133 countries, 245 regions from 42 countries, and more than 6,000 companies with combined revenues of at least US$36 trillion.
• Despite the high number of participants, there is substantial room for growth; less than 20 percent of the global population is represented in current international initiatives, and Green Bonds, which reached just over US$74 billion in the first half of the year, represent only a small fraction of global capital markets.
• The potential emission reduction from scaling up international cooperative initiatives is estimated at 15-23 GtCO2 e per year by 2030 compared to current policy, which could help keep warming well below 2 degrees Celsius. However, the actual additional contribution to date is limited, estimated at 1.5-2.2 GtCO2 e per year compared to current policy, or 0.2-0.7 GtCO2 e per year compared to full Nationally Determined Contribution implementation.
• Non-state and subnational actors contribute to climate action beyond quantified reductions by building government confidence, pushing for ambitious national goals, providing space for experimentation, and exchanging knowledge and good practices.
• Current monitoring and progress reporting are weak, and a comprehensive global overview of action is hindered by low data availability and a lack of consistent reporting. The document suggests that actors adopt common principles, including quantifiable targets and benchmarks, while governments provide collaboration platforms and resources.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2018). Bridging the emissions gap: the role of non-state and subnational actors. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/bridging-the-emissions-gap-the-role-of-non-state-and-subnational-actors

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. Bridging the emissions gap: the role of non-state and subnational actors. 2018. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/bridging-the-emissions-gap-the-role-of-non-state-and-subnational-actors.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=Bridging the emissions gap: the role of non-state and subnational actors |date=11 September 2018 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/bridging-the-emissions-gap-the-role-of-non-state-and-subnational-actors |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2018bridging, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{Bridging the emissions gap: the role of non-state and subnational actors}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2018}, month = sep, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/bridging-the-emissions-gap-the-role-of-non-state-and-subnational-actors}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }