Iceland’s Climate Action Plan for 2018-2030 and 2020 update

      Iceland’s
Climate Action Plan
   for 2018-2030




                  Summary
              September 2018
                                                                   Summary




Iceland’s Climate Action Plan for 2018-2030 - Summary
September 2018
Published by: Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources
Skuggasundi 1, 101 Reykjavík, Iceland
Telephone: +354 545 8600
E-mail: uar@uar.is
Veb-adress: www.government.is
@ 2018 Ministry for the Environment and Natural Resources
Cover photo: Hugi Ólafsson



 ICELAND’S CLIMATE ACTION PLAN FOR 2018-2030
                                                                        1
 SEPTEMBER 2018
                                                                                               Summary



Iceland’s Climate Action Plan for 2018-2030
The Icelandic Government announced a new Climate Action Plan in September 2018, intended to
boost efforts in cutting net emissions to meet its Paris Agreement targets for 2030 and reach the
government‘s ambitious aim to make Iceland carbon neutral before 2040.

Climate change will have a big impact on Iceland and Icelandic waters, as on most other countries
and regions. Almost all of Iceland‘s glaciers are receding. Glaciers cover some 11% of Iceland today,
but scientists warn that they may largely vanish in the next 100-200 years if warming trends are not
halted. Of special concern to Iceland is ocean acidification, which may have a profound impact on the
marine ecosystem. Rapid acidification is observed in parts of Icelandic waters, changing the habitats
and viability of bivalves and many other organisms.

National circumstances; Iceland’s Mitigation Profile

Iceland has in many ways a unique profile among developed countries, when it comes to greenhouse
gas (GHG) emissions and mitigation of climate change. Almost all electricity and heating is provided
for by renewable energy, hydro and geothermal. In many countries, stationary energy production is