Abstract:

Since the Paris Agreement took effect, the vast majority of its Parties have communicated a new or updated nationally determined contribution, or NDC. Relative to their predecessors, these new and updated NDCs aim to achieve deeper emissions reductions, tie more closely to planning and implementation processes, and document more thoroughly the finance required to support their implementation. Overshadowing this progress, however, is the massive gap that remains between the NDCs as they currently stand and what it will take to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement. This report takes stock of where we are now and paints a detailed picture of the contents of the latest NDCs, including their mitigation targets, adaptation elements, sector-specific measures, and associated financing requirements. It aims to serve as a reference document on NDC content, to inform the Global Stocktake and the Glasgow work programs on mitigation ambition and adaptation, and to shape subsequent NDCs. It captures key insights from the Climate Watch platform of the World Resources Institute and other data sources, and it raises questions stemming from these data that merit discussion by policymakers, donors, civil society, and researchers.