The High Ambition Coalition (HAC) is an informal group of countries within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) committed to advancing progressive proposals on climate ambition. The HAC was founded by the
Republic of the Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Internati ...
in 2014 with the aim of ensuring the Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, was as ambitious as possible. The group succeeded in securing the Paris Agreement's most ambitious provisions, including the five year ratchet-up cycles of nationally-determined contributions, as well as language in Article 2 related to pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The Republic of the Marshall Islands serves as the convener and secretariat of the HAC.
There is no official list of the group's members, but as of 2022, countries in the HAC include Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, Chile, Colombia, Finland, Fiji, France, Gabon, Germany, Ireland, Jamaica, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Palau, Republic of the
Marshall Islands
The Marshall Islands ( mh, Ṃajeḷ), officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands ( mh, Aolepān Aorōkin Ṃajeḷ),'' () is an independent island country and microstate near the Equator in the Pacific Ocean, slightly west of the Internati ...
, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom among others.
The Coalition is currently chaired by Marshallese climate envoy
Tina Stege
Tina Stege in 2021
Tina Stege is the Climate Envoy for the Marshall Islands (RMI). The RMI is one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to climate change, mainly as a result of rising sea levels. Among other meetings, Stege has represent ...
.
The High Ambition Coalition is distinct from, but coordinates with, the Shipping High Ambition Coalition within the International Maritime Organization, and the
High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People which is focused on ambition in biodiversity protection (
30 by 30
30 by 30 (or 30x30) is a worldwide initiative for governments to designate 30% of Earth's land and ocean area as protected areas by 2030. The target was proposed by a 2019 article in ''Science Advances'' "A Global Deal for Nature: Guiding pri ...
) in the
Convention on Biological Diversity
The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), known informally as the Biodiversity Convention, is a multilateral treaty. The Convention has three main goals: the conservation of biological diversity (or biodiversity); the sustainable use of its ...
and th
High Ambition Coalition to End Plastic Pollution
Criticism
Criticism has focused on the name compared to the pledges made by the countries and on the fact that as of 2019, many of the listed countries are not well on track to achieving the general Paris Agreement goals.
See also
*
Tony deBrum
Tony deBrum (also Anton deBrum) (February 26, 1945 – August 22, 2017) was a Marshallese politician and government minister. His cabinet posts included Minister in Assistance to the President of Marshall Islands, Minister of Finance, Minister of ...
*
Paris Agreement
The Paris Agreement (french: Accord de Paris), often referred to as the Paris Accords or the Paris Climate Accords, is an international treaty on climate change. Adopted in 2015, the agreement covers climate change mitigation, Climate change a ...
*
Effects of climate change on island nations
The effect of climate change on small island countries can be extreme because of low-lying coasts, relatively small land masses, and exposure to extreme weather. The effects of climate change, particularly sea level rise and increasingly intense ...
References
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
International environmental organizations
Politics of climate change
{{UN-stub