A Call for Leadership

This report by the Stockholm Environment Institute analyzes the European Union's proposed 2020 climate targets using the Greenhouse Development Rights (GDRs) framework. It argues that the EU's targets are insufficient to meet the 2°C warming limit and fail to account for the 'right to development' for the global South. The authors call for the EU to adopt a 'two-fold obligation' consisting of deep domestic emissions reductions and significant international financial and technological support to enable a low-carbon transition in developing nations.

• The EU's proposed 2020 emissions targets—a default 20% reduction or a 30% reduction under an international agreement—are significantly lower than what the GDRs framework calculates as necessary to maintain a 2°C temperature limit.
• Under the GDRs framework, the EU's share of the global mitigation requirement for 2020 is approximately 23%, amounting to roughly 850 MtC.
• The report argues that wealthy nations must accept a 'two-fold obligation': achieving deep domestic reductions to free up environmental space for poorer countries and investing in international reductions to ensure those countries develop along a decarbonized path.
• The GDRs framework defines a 'development threshold'—set at $20 per person per day (PPP adjusted)—below which individuals are not required to bear the costs of climate stabilization, thereby safeguarding a right to development.
• The report identifies a 'South's dilemma' where the only proven routes to development (energy access) typically increase fossil fuel use, pitting development against climate protection.
• The authors suggest that the EU could break the international negotiating impasse by unilaterally committing to its proper share of the global 2°C burden based on a transparent, principle-based system.
• The GDRs framework uses a 'Responsibility and Capacity Index' (RCI) to allocate burdens; for 2010, the US had the largest share (33.1%), followed by the EU (25.7%).
• The report warns that current IPCC 'Category A' scenarios may not provide a high enough probability of staying below 2°C and that global emissions must peak before 2020 to maintain this target.

APA

Kartha, S., Athanasiou, T., Baer, P., & Kemp-Benedict, E. (n.d.). A Call for Leadership. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/acallforleadership.pdf

Chicago

Kartha, Sivan, Tom Athanasiou, Paul Baer, and Eric Kemp-Benedict. A Call for Leadership. Stockholm Environment Institute, n.d. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/acallforleadership.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{karthandcall, author = {Kartha, Sivan and Athanasiou, Tom and Baer, Paul and Kemp-Benedict, Eric}, title = {{A Call for Leadership}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/acallforleadership.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }