This document summarizes a study on scaling up existing low-carbon solutions globally. The study found that if comparable countries achieved by 2030 what some have already achieved today, global emissions could be reduced by 12 gigatons per year at a cost of less than $94 billion. The study examined 17 existing solutions from both developed and developing countries. A follow-up project looked at 15 Nordic low-carbon solutions across sectors like transportation, energy production, and buildings. Barriers to scaling up these solutions include upfront costs, fossil fuel subsidies, lack of awareness, and potential negative social impacts. Countries can overcome barriers by implementing policies like carbon pricing, mandates, clear targets, and information campaigns with social safeguards. International

1. Nordic Green to Scale –
Low-Carbon Success Stories
to Inspire the World
#GreenToScale
#NNCS

2. How much can we reduce emissions globally if comparable countries
achieve by 2030 what some have already achieved today
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How far can we go with what we already have?

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Global Green to Scale study: –12 Gt by 2030
• Sitra worked with institutions from 10 countries
• Analysis was carried out by Ecofys
• Results were released in DC in 2015
• The study covers 17 existing solutions from both
the global North and the South
• Key results
• 12 Gt emission reduction by 2030 – equal to about
1/4 of current global emissions
• costs at most $94 billion – less than 1/5 of direct
fossil fuel subsidies
• All material available at www.greentoscale.net

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Nordic follow-up project: 15 Nordic solutions
• Sitra partnered with institutions from other
Nordic countries
• Concito, Denmark
• Stockholm Environment Institute, Sweden
• University of Iceland Institute for Sustainability
Studies, Iceland
• Analysis carried out by Center for International
Climate and Environmental Research (CICERO)
• Funding kindly provided by the Nordic Council
of Ministers (NCM)
• Results released for the first time in Marrakech
and presented later in all Nordic capitals

5. Project partners selected the solutions based on four criteria: 1) Nordic
distinctiveness, 2) proven climate impact, 3) analysis feasibility, 4)
scalability. There are many more existing Nordic low-carbon solutions.
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How were the solutions selected?

7. Solutions available for all sectors

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Solutions represent a wide range

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Some solutions actually save money

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Scaling up solutions is affordable

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Climate solutions provide multiple co-benefits

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Cycling in cities

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Combined heat and power production

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Geothermal power

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Electric vehicles

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Residential heat pumps

17. • Various proven, attractive and affordable low-carbon solutions clearly exist
• They are held back by various barriers, such as
1. required up-front investment
2. fossil fuel subsidies and low energy prices
3. lack of awareness and public opposition
4. negative social or environmental impacts, if planned or implemented poorly
• Challenges tend to be larger in poorer countries
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Why are we not doing it already?

18. • Barriers can be removed, as shown by Nordic and other countries
• Countries can remove barriers by introducing
1. incentives to reduce emissions through e.g. pricing carbon
2. mandates and norms
3. clear targets and a predictable regulatory environment
4. information and awareness campaigns
5. social and environmental safeguards
• Poor countries would benefit from international support
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We can learn from successes in removing barriers

19. Thank you
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#GreenToScale
greentoscale.net