Levin co-authors analysis of first "INDC" climate action plan from Switzerland
Switzerland announced its post-2020 climate action plan yesterday, making it the first country to officially submit its contribution to the international climate agreement to be finalized in Paris at the end of this year. More countries are expected to propose their commitments, known as intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs), over the coming months. These plans are an important piece of the puzzle to determine whether the world can reduce emissions enough to limit global temperature rise to 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F), thus preventing some of the worst impacts of climate change.
The Swiss climate plan is in many ways a promising start to the global INDC submission process, articulating a long-term pathway for the country’s emissions reductions. Yet there are also some areas where the INDC could be strengthened, such as focusing more on a domestic transition to a low carbon economy and limiting the use of emissions reductions beyond Swiss borders towards its own target.
