To support global efforts towards a 1.5-degree pathway, Common Futures collaborated with the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre, working closely with Professor Kornelis Blok, Stephanie Roe and Chris Bataille, to identify sectoral mitigation potentials that can help bridge the emissions gap by 2035. Our work was important input for the Emissions Gap Report (EGR) 2024, one of the most influential climate reports worldwide.
Our contribution included two key deliverables. First, we supported Chapter 6 of the Emissions Gap Report, titled “Bridging the gap: Sectoral transformation benchmarks, potentials, and investment needs.” This chapter outlines the transformations required across critical sectors—energy, industry, agriculture and forestry, transport, buildings, and waste management—to meet climate targets. Second, we developed a comprehensive report analysing mitigation potentials across these sectors, providing insights into the emission reductions achievable by 2030 and 2035.
This analysis highlights that substantial emissions reductions are possible with available technologies, especially in the energy sector, agriculture and forestry. However, achieving these reductions requires rapid policy action, overcoming barriers in technology, governance, and financing. Our findings provide particularly relevant insights for the enhancements of the Nationally Determine Contributions (NDCs)and underscore the need for a global, coordinated effort to realize these potentials and bridge the emissions gap by 2035.
