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The global trade of solar photovoltaic (PV) products substantially contributes to increases in solar power generation and carbon emissions reductions. This paper depicts global PV product trade patterns, explores emissions reduction potential, and evaluates the impeding effect of tariff barriers on global PV product trade and emissions reductions. Solar power generation will result in a reduction of emissions in a range of 50–180 gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent (GtCO2e) between 2017 and 2060 in a business as usual (BAU) scenario. Compared with BAU, during 2017–2060, global total solar cell and module production and installation will increase by roughly 750 gigawatts (GW) if half of the status quo trade barrier are removed, while it will decrease by 160–370 GW under tensioned trade barrier scenarios. Trade barrier reduction by half from the 2017 status quo level will increase the net carbon emissions mitigation potential by 4–12 GtCO2e by 2060, while extra trade barrier imposition will result in global net carbon emissions mitigation potential decreasing by up to 3–4 GtCO2e by 2060. Well-coordinated policy and institutional reforms are recommended to facilitate PV product trade and to deliver the related global environmental benefits.

Over the past three years, Indonesia has tasked provincial governments with defining sub-national actions to help implement the nationally appropriate mitigation action (NAMA) it pledged to the United Nations Framework Convention (UNFCCC) in 2009. This paper assesses provincial plans in Indonesia's Sustainable Urban Transport Initiative (SUTI) -a set of transport plans that developed in parallel to its NAMA -focusing on three key questions distilled from sustainable low carbon transport and multi-level governance literature. The questions seek to shed light into whether provincial governments: (1) prioritize actions that avoid unnecessary travel and shift passengers to more efficient modes; (2) carefully consider funding and costs estimates; and (3) clearly define institutional roles and responsibilities. The assessment suggests that most provincial governments prioritize measures designed to improve vehicle efficiencies and shift to more efficient modes (rather than avoid and shift). Furthermore, there is little evidence of due diligence being performed in relation to estimating costs and seeking creative financing. Lastly, observations point toward low levels of cross-agency collaboration and weakly defined institutional responsibilities at sub-provincial levels. The results imply that Indonesia may encounter some of the same problems confronting developed countries such as the United Kingdom as they translate national climate targets into local transport actions. Three focused case studies suggest that provinces with greater population density, economic diversity, and experience with international organizations outperform other provinces. They may therefore serve as a useful model for sharing with other provinces that are further behind the learning curve.