Part 1 (approx. 20 minutes): Introductory presentation with analogies and examples
At the heart of modern climate protection strategies are coordinated measures at multiple levels: international agreements, national policy frameworks, regional and municipal implementation, and individual behavior. At the international level, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC, 1992) provides the framework in which states have conducted negotiation processes since the 1990s. Important milestones include the Kyoto Protocol process, which regulated fixed reduction commitments for some industrialized countries, and the Paris Agreement of 2015, which obliges all Parties to submit national contributions and formulates the global limitation of warming to "well below 2 °C" with efforts to pursue a target of 1.5 °C (UNFCCC, Paris Agreement).
A helpful analogy to understand how this level works is the orchestra: the Paris Agreement is not the conductor that dictates every note, but a sheet of music with common goals and rules that each participant (state) interprets with their own instruments (policy measures). In this system, states set their national contributions themselves, the so-called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The reliability of this interplay depends on transparency, reporting and review, which are regulated within the UNFCCC framework.
At the national level, governments implement laws, support programs, standards and pricing or trading systems. An example of a market-based instrument is emissions trading (e.g., the EU Emissions Trading System), where an upper limit for emissions is set and tradable emissions certificates are issued. Alternative or complementary instruments are direct CO2 taxes. Both approaches aim to make the use of emission-intensive technologies more expensive and thus create incentives for lower-emission alternatives.
Municipalities and cities are central implementation levels because many concrete measures — building refurbishment, local public transport, land-use planning, waste management — are directly governed there. Networks and initiatives like alliances of climate-neutral cities (e.g., C40 or the European Covenant of Mayors) support knowledge transfer and the development of concrete action plans at the local level.
In everyday life, measures can be taken that have both direct effects and signaling effects: increasing energy efficiency in buildings, electric driving or switching to public transport, prudent consumption and energy use, and diets with lower meat content. These personal decisions have immediate effects and can be multiplied by political framework settings (e.g., subsidies, regulations, infrastructure).
Technically, greenhouse gases can be reduced by three fundamental approaches: avoid (e.g., less energy-intensive activities), substitute (e.g., renewable energies instead of fossil fuels) and remove (e.g., afforestation or methods for CO2 removal from the atmosphere). Politically, these technical options are promoted through instruments such as regulation, pricing, support schemes and public procurement.
Part 2 (approx. 20 minutes): Deepening and introduction of key technical terms
To conduct the discussion with technical precision, some terms must be clarified. "Mitigation" refers to all measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to limit climate change; this term corresponds to the core chapter of the IPCC report on mitigation (IPCC WGIII). The "carbon budget" describes the total amount of CO2 emissions that may still be emitted in order to maintain a certain probability of not exceeding a temperature target (e.g., 1.5 °C); calculations and uncertainties regarding this are the subject of ongoing scientific assessment (IPCC).
The "Nationally Determined Contributions" (NDCs) are the central instruments under the Paris Agreement: states set out their planned measures and targets and periodically report on progress. In parallel, there is the "Enhanced Transparency Framework", which aims to improve the traceability and comparability of national information (UNFCCC).
Among economic policy instruments, the most important concepts are "emissions trading" and "CO2 tax". Emissions trading sets an upper limit (cap) within which tradable certificates are distributed; the market price for certificates determines scarcity and the economic incentive to reduce emissions. A CO2 tax sets a direct price on emissions and provides economic signals for low-emission alternatives. Both instruments have advantages and disadvantages: trading systems can secure an environmental cap, while taxes provide price certainty; the concrete effect depends on design, sectoral coverage and compensation mechanisms (see e.g., EU-ETS, World Bank Carbon Pricing Dashboard).
On the technical level, key terms are "decarbonization" (displacing fossil energy sources with low-carbon alternatives), "electrification" (switching end-uses to electricity, preferably from renewable sources), "energy efficiency" (reducing energy demand for the same service) and "CO2 removal" (negative emission technologies such as afforestation, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage or direct air capture). The IPCC points out that comprehensive climate pathways often require both strong emissions reductions and substantial amounts of CO2 removal, while some removal techniques have uncertainties regarding scalability, costs and ecological sustainability (IPCC WGIII).
Municipal climate plans often use the term "SEAP" (Sustainable Energy Action Plan) or "SECAP" (Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan). Such plans combine measures in energy, transport and urban planning; they are often based on inventories, reduction targets and packages of measures. Supporting networks such as the Covenant of Mayors or ICLEI provide methodology, data and peer learning to strengthen local capacities.
Furthermore, the concept of "Measurement, Reporting and Verification" (MRV) or "Transparency, Verification and Reporting" is central to the credibility of climate protection. The Paris system requires periodic reports that document national measures and emission trends; this enables international comparison and accountability, but does not automatically limit emissions themselves (UNFCCC).
Finally, the role of economic actors should be mentioned: international analyses such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) report show that cross-sectoral technology transitions (power sector, transport, industry, buildings) and strong investments in clean energy technologies are needed to achieve ambitious climate goals. The UNEP Emissions Gap Report regularly assesses whether national pledges and current measures are compatible with global temperature goals and identifies gaps between pledged actions and required efforts.
Part 3 (approx. 10 minutes): Concrete applications, limits and thought exercises
Concrete applications can be described at various levels. At the national level, typical measures include mandatory energy efficiency standards for buildings, clear expansion targets for renewable energies, support programs for electromobility and the introduction of pricing instruments such as emissions trading or CO2 taxes. At the municipal level, examples include redesigning inner-city traffic space in favor of cycling and public transport, municipal heat planning, energy refurbishment programs for residential buildings, and climate-friendly procurement in public institutions. Networks and financing instruments often support the implementation of such measures.
Limits to effectiveness arise from technical, economic and social factors. Technically, some sectors are difficult to decarbonize (e.g., certain industrial processes or aviation), for which either major technological breakthroughs or substitute strategies are required. Economically, costs, investment cycles and international competition issues can limit the speed of change. Socially, acceptance issues or distributional effects (e.g., energy poverty) may require adjustments so that measures remain politically viable. Scientific reports also point to uncertainties regarding the scalability and permanence of certain negative emission technologies; this means that political strategies should not rely solely on future CO2 removals (IPCC WGIII, IEA, UNEP).
To conclude, three short thought exercises suitable for group work or individual reflection: First, choose a measure from the mobility sector (e.g., switching from car to public transport or bicycle) and analyze which policy frameworks (infrastructure, pricing, information provision) would sensibly support this change. For quantitative estimation, you should use local emission factors; reliable data can be found in national reports or municipal energy inventories.
Second, consider the role of a city administration: which three measures with prioritized funding would you propose to halve CO2 emissions in the building sector within ten years? Justify your selection with aspects of effectiveness, feasibility and social acceptability. As a basis, municipal best-practice programs and guidelines from municipal networks can be used.
Third, reflect on the role of international agreements: what advantages and what limits do national self-determined commitments (NDCs) have compared to binding quotas? Assess the extent to which transparency mechanisms and international peer pressure can contribute to implementation, and which additional policy instruments are needed to close the gap between targets and outcomes (see UNEP Emissions Gap Report and UNFCCC Transparency Framework).
In summary: climate protection requires an interplay of international coordination, national framework-setting, local implementation and individual action. Scientific assessments clearly indicate which technological levers exist and where uncertainties remain; the concrete design of policy instruments largely determines how quickly and equitably the transformation can take place.
References (used literature and web sources)
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): The Paris Agreement. UNFCCC, 2015. Access and text information: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement. (Used to present the structure and core elements of the Paris Agreement and the NDCs.)
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC): What is the UNFCCC? UNFCCC (Convention page), 1992 ff. Access: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-convention/what-is-the-united-nations-framework-convention-on-climate-change. (Used to contextualize the international framework.)
IPCC, Working Group I: Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2021. Online: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/. (Used to present the scientific consensus on human influence and uncertainties.)
IPCC, Working Group III: Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2022. Online: https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/. (Used to describe mitigation pathways, technologies and uncertainties regarding negative emissions.)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP): Emissions Gap Report 2022. UNEP, 2022. Access: https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2022. (Used to discuss the gap between pledged measures and required reductions.)
International Energy Agency (IEA): Net Zero by 2050 – A Roadmap for the Global Energy Sector. IEA, 2021. Access: https://www.iea.org/reports/net-zero-by-2050. (Used to explain technological pathways and sectoral requirements.)
European Commission: The European Green Deal. European Commission, ongoing (strategy period 2019–2024). Access: https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en. (Used to illustrate a regional policy framework for climate protection and transformation.)
European Commission: EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). European Commission, information page on the EU ETS. Access: https://climate.ec.europa.eu/eu-action/eu-emissions-trading-system-eu-ets_en. (Used to explain the emissions trading mechanism as an example of market-based instruments.)
Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy. European Commission / Covenant of Mayors, ongoing. Access: https://www.covenantofmayors.eu/. (Used to present municipal networks and action plans such as SECAP/SEAP.)
ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability. ICLEI, ongoing. Access: https://iclei.org/. (Used to describe municipal structures and support networks.)
Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMU): Municipal Climate Protection. BMU, Germany, ongoing. Access: https://www.bmu.de/themen/klimaschutz-anpassung/kommunaler-klimaschutz/. (Used as an example of national support for municipal climate protection measures.)
World Bank: Carbon Pricing Dashboard. World Bank, ongoing. Access: https://carbonpricingdashboard.worldbank.org/. (Used to present CO2 pricing instruments worldwide and their diversity.)
C40 Cities. C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, ongoing. Access: https://www.c40.org/. (Used for examples of urban cooperation and best practice.)