New Alliances for Climate Action to drive national climate goals in Mexico, others

Leaders from business, regional government, higher education, and civil society in Mexico, Japan and the United States are joining forces to help accelerate implementation of national climate goals.
Today, over 35 Mexican entities – including the University of Guadalajara, the local government of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area, the government of the state of Jalisco and the Mexican company Fortius, signed a climate declaration, committing to work hand and hand with the national government to accelerate implementation of its pledge to reduce 22% of its greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and up to 36% with international support. Alongside Japan and the United States, Alianza para la Acción Climática de Guadalajara – whose signatories currently represent over 5 million people — is the world’s third multi-stakeholder climate coalition to be assembled to help deliver and enhance countries’ Paris Agreement pledges.
Last month, more than 100 Japanese leaders formed the Japan Climate Initiative in pursuit of a decarbonized Japanese society. The Japan Climate Initiative took inspiration from We Are Still In, which launched in June 2017, and now includes nearly 3,000 signatories, collectively representing 170 million Americans and $6.4 trillion in U.S. GDP.
The Japan Climate Initiative and Alianza para la Acción Climática de Guadalajara are both part of a new global initiative launched today called Alliances for Climate Action (ACA), a global network of domestic multi-sector coalitions committed to supporting the delivery and enhancement of their countries’ climate goals. ACA will work collaboratively with We Are Still In in the United States to ratchet up ambition at the domestic level to achieve the Paris Agreements goals.
Patricia Espinosa, UNFCCC Executive Secretary said, “I am greatly encouraged by today’s launching of the Alliances for Climate Action. These initiatives are clear examples of businesses, local leaders and national governments working together in what I call a new kind of inclusive multilateralism that is critical to achieving the long-term health of the planet, humanity and all forms of life. If we follow the example of these coalitions I believe we can be successful in accelerating ambition to make the Paris Agreement a reality.”
Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, leader of WWF’s global climate and energy practice, said: “There’s a new face of climate leadership emerging from around the world: CEOs, university presidents, civil society and leaders from local government and indigenous communities. They are demanding climate action and partnering together to accelerate implementation in key countries. This is a global groundswell and we are all in.”
According to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change’s 2017 Yearbook of Global Climate Action (UNFCCC), current commitments made by non-State actors have the potential to at least halve the emissions gap for 2℃, and reduce the emissions gap to 1.5℃ by as much as one third, it says. But, realizing additional potential requires more participation and meaningful emissions reductions from non-State actors worldwide.
Members of the new coalition in Mexico are committed to taking action jointly to accelerate the nation’s transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient society, calling on other actors in Mexico to join them.
Sergio Graf, Director of the Institute of Renewable Energies of the University of Guadalajara, said: “When the players who make up Mexico’s economy double down on their own climate goals, it becomes easier for the nation as a whole to decarbonize. We’re committed to doing our part to ensure that Mexico not only meets but exceeds it climate pledge.”
Mario Silva, General Director of the Metropolitan Planning Institute in Mexico, said: “We believe that building an inclusive and prosperous society in Mexico that runs on the renewable energies of the future and protects its citizens from the impacts of climate change is a responsibility that we all share. Here in Guadalajara, we commit to working together to bring this vision to fruition through deliberate collaboration among businesses, universities, civil society and governments. Through our individual and collective leadership in climate action, we can go so much farther than we could alone. We invite others in Mexico and beyond to join us.”
The Japan Climate Initiative’s founding declaration states: “Japan should and can take on a larger role in realizing a carbon-free society, centering on energy efficiency and expansion of renewable energies.” Founding members including five companies with 100% renewable energy targets, and 15 companies with approved science-based targets, including Japanese multinational conglomerates Ricoh and Sony. In the weeks since the launch, more than 50 new organisations have joined the coalition, a clear signal of the growing desire for collaboration on decarbonization efforts.
Sergio Kato, Vice President of Ricoh and Co-Head of Japan Climate Leaders Partnership, a member of JCI, said: “It is time for Japanese businesses to stand up and answer the global call for decarbonization. We can accelerate implementation so much faster by working together across sectors and across countries with the world’s leading research institutions and leaders from regional governments. Doing so will build stronger foundations for our national governments to increase their climate targets. This is a model that works for my business and for the safety of the planet.”
Welcoming this announcement, and on behalf of the We Are Still In coalition, Kevin Rabinovitch, Global VP for Sustainability and Chief Climate Officer for Mars Incorporated, said: “We commend the public and private sector leaders in Mexico, Japan and the U.S. for committing to accelerate climate action. The science is clear – it will take action from all countries and all companies to tackle climate change. That is why Mars has committed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across our value chain by 27% by 2025 and 67% by 2050 from 2015 levels. And it is why we joined We Are Still In, the largest climate coalition in the United States, as members of the Leaders’ Circle to catalyze climate action in the U.S. and globally.”