The Breakthrough Agenda

The Paris Agreement commits the world to limit the rise in global temperature to well below 2°C, and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C (compared to pre-industrial levels).

To keep that 1.5°C target alive we must halve global emissions by 2030 and reach global net zero emissions by the middle of the century. Key to achieving this will be the Breakthrough Agenda, launched by a coalition of 45 world leaders, whose countries collectively represent over 70% of global GDP, at the COP26 World Leaders’ Summit.

The Breakthrough Agenda is an unprecedented international clean technology plan to help keep 1.5°C in reach. It provides a framework for countries and businesses and civil society to join up and strengthen their actions every year in key emitting sectors, through a coalition of leading public, private and public-private global initiatives. This coalition of initiatives has been mapped across each sector in a series of landscape maps linked here.

Bringing together the tools of government with business and financial ingenuity, the Breakthrough Agenda aims to make clean technologies and sustainable solutions the most affordable, accessible and attractive option in all regions by 2030.

This UK COP Presidency-initiated international government-led programme will be taken forwards under the joint stewardship of Mission Innovation and Clean Energy Ministerial from COP27 onwards, with the backing of the UN High Level Champions.

The first set of government-led Breakthrough goals launched at COP26 (known as the ‘Glasgow Breakthroughs’) covered five key Emitting sectors that together represent more than 50% of global emissions. More countries are coming forward to lead the charge with the launch of new Breakthroughs in new sectors, and there are also business-led commitments such as the 2030 Breakthroughs which also contribute to the Breakthrough Agenda and its objectives.

Leaders agreed at COP26 to review progress annually and explore priority international actions needed to accelerate towards the Breakthroughs informed by an annual independent expert report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and UN High Level Champions. The inaugural Breakthrough Agenda Report 2022 was published in September, warning that an “international collaboration gap” threatens to delay net zero by decades. The authors made recommendations to strengthen collaboration between governments, business and civil society in areas such as common standards, technology R&D, trade, and improving technical and financial assistance.

At COP27, countries responded to these recommendations with a package of 28 Priority Actions to decarbonise the power, road transport, steel, hydrogen, and agriculture sectors in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. In agriculture, the actions also address climate adaptation, environmental protection and food security. This international plan for sectoral decarbonisation includes action to align on standards to favour low-carbon alternatives, coordinate government procurement to stimulate demand, and scale up production through support for finance, demonstration projects and R&D.

Dr Mahmoud Mohieldin, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for Egypt: “COP27 is an implementation COP. I am pleased to see countries come together today to shift from pledges to tangible action, by collaborating through the Priority Actions under the Breakthrough Agenda. This represents a concrete international plan to decarbonise high-emitting sectors by 2030 and help developing countries seize the opportunity of low-carbon and climate resilient growth and development.”
Leader-led targets

The Glasgow Breakthroughs are the first set of global leader-led common targets under The Breakthrough Agenda.

The commitments set ambitious goals for 2030 to dramatically accelerate the innovation and deployment of clean technologies in five key sectors of the economy – Power, Road Transport, Steel, Hydrogen, and Agriculture.

They aim to make:

CLEAN POWER the most affordable and reliable option for all countries to meet their power needs efficiently by 2030.

Zero emissions ROAD TRANSPORT the new normal – accessible, affordable and sustainable in all regions by 2030.

Near zero emissions STEEL the preferred choice in global markets, with efficient use and near-zero emission steel production established and growing in every region by 2030.

Affordable renewable and low carbon HYDROGEN globally available by 2030.

Climate-resilient, sustainable AGRICULTURE the most attractive and widely adopted option for farmers everywhere by 2030.

Countries are also working to launch new Breakthroughs in new sectors – such as France and Morocco on buildings and Canada on cement. These are set to be launched during 2023.

We welcome countries to contact Breakthrough.Agenda@beis.gov.uk if they are interested in endorsing the Breakthrough Agenda and supporting any of the Priority Actions under the Breakthrough Agenda sectoral goals

Why does the Breakthrough Agenda matter?

The Breakthrough Agenda matters because we cannot achieve the 1.5°C target without consistently working together in a more focused and collaborative way. The Breakthrough goals represent some of the biggest clean technology challenges of this decade. Meeting these challenges head on, and delivering on these ambitious targets, will enable us to clean up the sectors responsible for more than 50% of global emissions.

We already have many of the clean technologies we need to halve global emissions by 2030 – from solar and wind generation to zero emission vehicles and hydrogen – bringing in a new, positive future for everyone. By strengthening international collaboration under the Breakthrough Agenda we can rapidly scale up these technologies: increasing their capacity and efficiency, lowering their cost, and creating new industries, jobs and growth, cleaner air, improved health and more resilient economies – while accelerating research, innovation, and early market growth of the new technologies we need for the future.

Governments committed to put in place a global action framework for the Power, Road Transport, Steel, Hydrogen and Agriculture sectors, and to act domestically to work towards these goals. Additionally, and crucially, leaders also committed to measuring global progress, and to reviewing and strengthening their international action every year.

Achieving Breakthroughs in these five critical sectors could: 

  • Support the creation of more than 20 million jobs by 2030.
  • Increase world GDP by 4% greater in 2030 than it would otherwise have been.
  • Save two million lives worldwide every year, by halving premature deaths associated with air pollution by 2050 compared to 2020.

All this will only be possible if we turbocharge our progress and work together to make this a decade of delivery.

Breakthrough Agenda Signatories

Australia; Austria; Belgium; Cabo Verde; Cambodia; Canada; Chile; China; Denmark; Egypt; European Commission; Finland; France; Germany; Guinea Bissau; Holy See; India; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Kenya; Latvia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Malta; Mauritania; Morocco; Namibia; Netherlands; New Zealand; Nigeria; North Macedonia; Norway; Panama; Portugal; Republic of Korea; Senegal; Serbia; Slovakia; Spain; Sweden; Türkiye; United Arab Emirates; United Kingdom; United States of America.

Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency: “Energy markets and policies have changed as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, not just for the time being, but for decades to come. Government responses around the world promise to make this a historic turning point towards a cleaner, more affordable and more secure energy system. However, more still needs to be done to accelerate clean energy transitions quickly enough to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. The Breakthrough Agenda is a valuable example of international collaboration, which is vital for making energy transitions quicker, cheaper and fairer for everyone. COP27 is an opportunity to strengthen these efforts so they can start delivering for citizens.”

Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency: “A successful COP27 is essential to rewrite the way international cooperation works. I am delighted to see global partners joining the Breakthrough Agenda. It’s a clear sign that renewable energy has been recognised as a cost-effective multiplier solution to the turmoil in the energy sector we are facing today. With 81% of last year’s power additions, renewables are increasingly leaving fossil fuels behind, cutting power generation costs by at least USD 55 billion this year globally. But we must move faster, across all sectors. If we don’t take drastic and immediate action, we won’t be able to stay on the 1.5°C path and many countries’ important development progress will be at risk.”
Power

Power Breakthrough: to make clean power the most affordable and reliable option for all countries to meet their power needs efficiently by 2030.

Why? Power is responsible for 23% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The worldwide switch to clean power is imperative, but it is not yet the most affordable or attractive option for everyone, everywhere. To keep 1.5°C in sight, together we must create high levels of affordable, reliable renewables on- and off-grid, increasing renewable generation by 12% annually over the next decade, and quadrupling installed renewables capacity by 2030. Investing in such an energy transition could increase world GDP by 4% more in 2030 than it would have otherwise been, and support 13.8 million jobs in the sector.

Existing progress the Breakthrough will turbocharge: the global coal generation pipeline has collapsed by 76% since the Paris Agreement, and more than 90% of electricity generation now comes from renewables, the cheapest source of new bulk electricity for two-thirds of the world population. Plus, the cost solar PV electricity production is nearly a tenth of what it was a decade ago, and renewable energy now accounts for at least 11.5 million jobs worldwide. But we must move further, faster to decarbonise electricity earlier in line with the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero pathway and ensure no one is left behind in the clean technology transition. The Power Breakthrough brings together the efforts of world leaders to rapidly develop, scale up and deploy clean energy solutions – without such international cooperation, says the International Energy Agency, the global net zero emissions goal would be delayed by decades.

International collaboration: we note the importance of the following international initiatives in making progress towards and coordinating activities towards this Breakthrough:

Goal endorsed by: Australia; Azerbaijan; Belgium; Cambodia; Canada; Chile; Denmark; Egypt; European Commission; Finland; France; Germany; Holy See; India; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Kenya; Lithuania; Morocco; Namibia; Netherlands; New Zealand; Nigeria; North Macedonia; Norway; Panama; Portugal; Republic of Korea; Serbia; Slovakia; Spain; Sweden; United Kingdom; United States of America.

Full details of the priority actions and what will be delivered before COP28 are here

Steel

Steel Breakthrough: to make near-zero emission steel the preferred choice in global markets, with efficient use and near-zero emission steel production established and growing in every region by 2030.

Why? The global steel industry, which employs more than six million workers, is responsible for 4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. To align with the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero pathway, the sector must make a significant shift from coal to electricity in its energy demand use by 2050, from 15% to 70%. To reach the target will require rapid investment and scale-up of innovation, hydrogen, and electrification.

Existing progress the Breakthrough will turbocharge: seven out of the ten biggest steel-producing countries have initiated at least one green steel project, while nine companies – representing around 20% of global steel production – have set firm net zero emissions commitments. The Steel Breakthrough brings together governments to cooperatively accelerate the innovation and create the economies of scale and incentives for investment needed to rapidly create and deploy the solutions to make near-zero emission steel efficient, widespread, and a growing concern by 2030.

International collaboration: we note the importance of the following international initiatives in making progress towards and coordinating activities towards this Breakthrough:

Goal endorsed by: Australia; Austria; Azerbaijan; Belgium; Canada; Denmark; Egypt; European Commission; Finland; France; Germany; Guinea Bissau; Holy See; India; Ireland; Israel; Japan; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Morocco; Namibia; New Zealand; Norway; Portugal; Republic of Korea; Slovakia; Spain; Sweden; Türkiye; United Kingdom; United States of America.

Full details of the priority actions and what will be delivered before COP28 are here

Road Transport

Road Transport Breakthrough: to make zero-emission vehicles the new normal by making them accessible, affordable, and sustainable in all regions.

Why? The road transport sector is responsible for 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. By following the International Energy Agency’s Net Zero Emissions 2050 scenario, two million lives could be saved annually by halving premature deaths associated with air pollution.

Existing progress the Breakthroughs will turbocharge: global sales of passenger electric vehicles have more than tripled from three years ago – reaching 8.5 million by the first half of 2021. But we can and will go further, faster.

International collaboration: we note the importance of the following international initiatives in making progress towards and coordinating activities towards this Breakthrough:

Goal endorsed by: Australia; Azerbaijan; Belgium; Cambodia; Canada; Denmark; Egypt; European Commission; Finland; France; Germany; Guinea Bissau; Holy See; India; Ireland; Israel; Japan; Latvia; Lithuania; Luxembourg; Malta; Morocco; Namibia; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Panama; Portugal; Republic of Korea; Serbia; Sweden; Türkiye; United Kingdom; United States of America.

Full details of the priority actions and what will be delivered before COP28 are here

Hydrogen

Hydrogen Breakthrough: to make affordable renewable and low carbon hydrogen globally available by 2030.

Why? Hydrogen production from fossil fuels is responsible for 830 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year – with 89% of global CO2 emissions coming from fossil fuels and industry. The production of clean hydrogen is not yet at an affordable scale – though projections suggest that, if international roll-out were coordinated, it could be up to 45% cheaper in 2030, and up to 75% by 2050. The Glasgow Breakthrough on Hydrogen is designed to create the international collaboration that will make such affordability scenarios a reality, delivering a clean energy transition that could create up to 99,000 jobs in the sector.

Existing progress the Breakthrough will turbocharge: more than 20 countries had planned hydrogen strategies as of October 2021, and the sector has announced more than 350 projects in development. Globally, governments have committed more than USD 37 billion in public funding to hydrogen development, while the private sector has announced an investment of a further USD 300 billion. But global spending on hydrogen energy research, development and demonstration remains lower than its peak in 2008: current international action on hydrogen must go further, faster, to help deliver on the 1.5°C climate target. This Breakthrough creates actions for governments to coordinate on rapidly scaling up and rolling out the technology, such as investment to accelerate industrial carbon capture and hydrogen, bridging the gap between industrial energy costs from gas and hydrogen and helping green hydrogen projects get off the ground.

International collaboration: we note the importance of the following international initiatives in making progress towards and coordinating activities towards this Breakthrough:

Goal endorsed by: Australia; Azerbaijan; Belgium; Cambodia; Canada; Chile; China; Denmark; Egypt; European Commission; Finland; France; Germany; Guinea Bissau; Holy See; India; Ireland; Israel; Italy; Japan; Kenya; Lithuania; Mauritania; Morocco; Namibia; Netherlands; New Zealand; Norway; Panama; Portugal; Republic of Korea; Serbia; Slovakia; Spain; Sweden; UAE; United Kingdom; United States of America.

Full details of the priority actions and what will be delivered before COP28 are here

Agriculture

Agriculture Breakthrough: to make climate-resilient, sustainable agriculture the most attractive and widely adopted option for farmers everywhere by 2030.

Why? The agriculture sector is responsible for one third of global greenhouse gas emissions – from the release of nitrous oxide from agricultural soils, methane from livestock and manures, and energy for cultivation, with further indirect emissions from deforestation for land use, and emissions from transportation and energy use in the supply chain. It is also the primary driver of biodiversity loss, the primary user of freshwater and a major driver of tropical deforestation. We must be unified in our approach to meeting these multiple challenges and making sustainability in the sector affordable and attractive as soon as possible.

Existing progress the Breakthroughs will turbocharge: the diffusion of modern crop varieties has reduced world grain prices by 20% and increased global food production by 5%. It has reduced infant mortality by between 13-30% across the developing world –averting up to six million infant deaths each year – while increasing GDP per capita by at least 20%. However anthropogenic climate change has slowed agricultural productivity growth by a fifth since 1960 – and up to a third in warmer regions such as Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Only through concerted efforts to accelerate research and innovation into climate resilient solutions, together with rapid increases in private and public capital to take these solutions to scale, can we reverse these trends and avert a climate disaster.

The Breakthrough Agenda Report 2022 identified seven priority innovation areas in the agriculture sector: innovations in fertiliser; innovations to reduce methane emissions from livestock; alternative proteins; innovations to reduce food loss and waste; crop and livestock breeding; agro-ecological approaches; and digital services.

International collaboration: we note the importance of the following international initiatives in making progress towards and coordinating activities towards this Breakthrough:

Goal endorsed by: Australia; Belgium; Canada; Cambodia; Denmark; Egypt; Germany; Ireland; Japan; Kenya; Latvia; Morocco; New Zealand; Nigeria; Sweden; UAE; United Kingdom

Full details of the priority actions and what will be delivered before COP28 are here