2020 has been a year like no other. The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated lives, livelihoods, and communities. We are currently grappling with a crisis that is turning economies upside down, while simultaneously dealing with the increasing impacts of the climate and ecological emergency. Whilst this pandemic caught the world off guard, we have long been aware of the damage the climate crisis will wreak. As we approach this critical decade of climate action, we must not squander the time we have left. Governments must act to secure a more resilient, healthy, and sustainable future – and they must act now. At CDP, thousands of companies, investors, governments, and NGOs work together to drive sustainable economies, and CDP has seen that the momentum behind climate action is unstoppable.
In this research, CDP is proposing three recommendations for governments to implement as soon as possible to ensure the net-zero transition remains firmly underway:
1. Strengthen Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and long-term strategies and ensure that they are in-line with limiting warming to 1.5°C.
2. Ensure that climate risks are transparently managed across the economy, while transitioning to net-zero.
3. Capitalize on nature co-benefits and drive action to reduce deforestation through supply chains.