Under 2 Coalition

By Charlotte Owen-Burge | June 30, 2021

The Under2 Coalition is the largest global network of states, regions, provinces and other subnational governments committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest. By working on ambition, implementation, regionalisation and accountability, Under2 Coalition states and regions have on average reduced their emissions by 16% from their respective base years. This happened at the same time as global emissions rising by approximately 42% (1990-2015). The Coalition has been named one of the international partnerships with the highest potential for emissions reduction – 3.3-3.9GtCO2e/year in 2030 – more than the current annual emissions of the EU (Global Climate Action from Cities, Regions and Businesses Report, 2021).

The Under2 Coalition works with governments to accelerate climate action through four workstreams:

• Pathways – providing technical support and resources to assist governments to develop long-term emissions reductions plans.
• Policy action – sharing policy innovation and success to accelerate the transition to a net zero economy.
• Transparency – increasing accountability by encouraging state and regional governments to disclose their climate targets, action and progress.
• Diplomacy – amplifying the voices of state and regional governments to drive climate ambition and deliver tangible action.

The Under2 Coalition Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is an ambitious climate agreement for subnational governments. It fortifies the commitment to become a ‘net zero coalition’ by 2050 – with net zero emissions targets as a baseline for membership. To hold members to account, and provide supporting evidence of these commitments, the coalition created the Under2 Ambition Tracker. Members are required to submit their data and supporting evidence to the tracker, outlining the details of their targets and plans for reaching net zero.

As of November, the Under2 Coalition has 53 members in Race to Zero.

To join the Under2 Coalition, please contact: Nehmat Kaur, Head of Global Government Relations