Global collaboration as a catalyst for faster emissions reductions
In a world grappling with climate change, a new Breakthrough Agenda report highlights a powerful truth: stronger international collaboration can accelerate country efforts to reduce emissions across major sectors. Acting together—governments, businesses, and international initiatives—enables harmonised standards, larger aggregate demand, and mobilised finance in ways that are difficult to replicate when nations work alone. The findings offer a roadmap for policymakers seeking practical, scalable solutions to reach net-zero ambitions more quickly.
Harmonising standards to unlock innovation and cost savings
The report emphasizes that aligned standards across energy, transport, buildings, and industry can reduce the cost of transition. When countries share a common set of performance benchmarks and eligibility criteria, manufacturers need only develop one set of compliant products or processes to access multiple markets. This reduces regulatory duplication, accelerates time-to-market, and stimulates competition among innovators. The result is a faster pace of technology deployment, from low-emission vehicles and efficient appliances to cleaner industrial processes and low-carbon fuels.
Benefits beyond compliance
Standard harmonisation does more than satisfy regulatory requirements. It creates predictable demand for clean technologies, which in turn encourages research and development, supply chain diversification, and investment in domestic capabilities. Governments can leverage this momentum to craft long-term industrial strategies that align public procurement with ambitious climate targets, maximizing the impact of taxpayer funding while attracting private capital.
Aggregate demand as a lever for scale
Pooling demand across borders reduces costs and speeds adoption of clean technologies. The Breakthrough Agenda report argues that international cooperation can build large-scale markets for green solutions, from sustainable aviation fuels to grid-scale storage and heat pumps. When buyers—cities, utilities, large manufacturers, and multinationals—commit to sizable orders, suppliers invest in capacity, reduce unit costs, and share risk. This dynamic helps close the gap between pilot projects and broadly deployed solutions, unlocking pathways to faster decarbonisation in transport, electricity, and industry sectors.
Mobilising finance for faster transition
Access to affordable finance is a persistent barrier to rapid decarbonisation. The report highlights how coordinated finance mechanisms—risk-sharing facilities, blended finance, and outcome-based funding—can attract private capital at scale. International initiatives can de-risk early-stage clean technologies, provide credit enhancements for project developers, and create pipelines that link climate-aligned investments with commercial outcomes. By aligning financial incentives with climate goals, countries can accelerate deployments that might otherwise stall due to perceived risk or high upfront costs.
Policy design that supports collaborative implementation
To maximise benefits, policies must be designed with collaboration in mind. This means building shared roadmaps that specify milestones, transparency mechanisms, and accountability processes across borders. It also requires safeguarding domestic interests by ensuring that policy support includes workforce upskilling, local supplier development, and equitable transition plans for workers affected by the shift to a low-carbon economy. The Breakthrough Agenda proposes practical governance structures—joint committees, shared datasets, and coordinated procurement guidelines—that keep momentum while respecting national priorities.
Real-world implications for governments and industry
For policymakers, the report offers concrete steps: establish common performance standards, create multilateral procurement programs for clean technologies, and develop cross-border finance facilities that share risks and rewards. For industry, the message is clear: align product development timelines with international demand, participate in joint research initiatives, and engage in cross-border pilot projects that demonstrate scalable solutions. When public and private actors synchronize efforts, the rate of emissions reductions can outpace what individual countries could achieve alone.
Conclusion: a pragmatic path to faster decarbonisation
The Breakthrough Agenda’s central claim is not that collaboration is optional, but that it is essential for unlocking the scale required to meet climate targets. By harmonising standards, aggregating demand, and mobilising finance, international cooperation can turn ambitious climate goals into tangible, near-term results. As nations prepare to negotiate and implement climate plans in the coming years, embracing a collaborative mindset could be the decisive factor in accelerating progress across electricity, transport, industry, and beyond.
