Statement of Resource Person, Dylan Tanner 6 November 2018 scales: international, regional, national and sub-national”. The report highlights the effectiveness of regulatory approaches, as well as specific economic instruments (e.g. increased renewable energy subsidies, decreased subsidies for fossil fuels), for their contributions to effective mitigation pathways.8 4. Reflecting the growing international scientific consensus substantiating the case for strong measures on climate change, nation states have mandated bodies to implement policy strategies aimed at reducing domestic emissions. For example, in the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2009 ‘endangerment and cause or contribute findings’ established that greenhouse gases threaten public health, laying a basis for their regulation. 9 In Europe, the European Commission’s Directorate General (DG) for Climate Action has been established with the specific mandate to “formulate and implement climate policies and strategies” 10 to achieve the transformation of the EU economy and reduce emissions progressively up to 2050.11 5. As of October 2018, 181 states and the European Union have ratified the UNFCCC Paris Agreement12 and have agreed to act to hold the increase in global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts towards 1.5°C. In the form of nationally determined contributions, party nations have committed to successively increase “ambitious efforts” to reduce emissions in the form of domestic mitigation measures. It was agreed that developed country parties would take the lead by undertaking economy-wide absolute emissions reduction targets, followed by developing countries over time (in light of different national circumstances).13 6. Following the Paris Agreement, national and regional bodies mandated to act on climate change have begun developing new strategies to ensure domestic emission reductions are in line with their commitments. For example, having initially submitted emission reduction targets to the UNFCCC process based on policy efforts already in place in the lead up to COP21, the European Union is in the process of developing a new, longterm greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction strategy with a view to ramping up ambition.14 8 Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report, Summary for Policymakers, IPCC, 2014 9 Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases under the Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act, EPA.gov, accessed October 2018 10 What we do, Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA) website, ec.europa.eu/clima, accessed October 2018 11 Climate strategies & targets, Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA) website, ec.europa.eu/clima, accessed October 2018 12 Paris Agreement - Status of Ratification, UNFCC.int, accessed October 2018 13 The Paris Agreement, UNFCC.int, accessed October 2018 14 Public consultation on the strategy for long-term EU greenhouse gas emissions reductions, Directorate-General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA) website, ec.europa.eu/clima, accessed October 2018 4