New guide helps Least Developed Countries navigate Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs)
Abstract
A new publication from CDKN and Ricardo-AEA - Guide to INDCs - provides practical guidance to Least Developed Countries on how to prepare their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions for the UNFCCC. INDCs are contributions by the Parties to the UNFCCC towards achieving the ultimate objective of the Convention: to prevent dangerous human interference with the Earth’s climate.
The UNFCCC has invited all Parties to communicate to the secretariat their INDCs \"well in advance of COP 21\" and it will prepare by 1 November 2015 a synthesis report on the \"aggregate effect of the INDCs\" that have been submitted before 1 October. LDCs have contributed less to current global emissions that other countries; so the burden of cutting emissions will rest with major economies. However to avoid dangerous levels of global warming, all countries will have to play a role, and the UN has communicated that LDC contributions towards a global agreement should \"reflect their special circumstances\". Many LDC governments are preparing INDCs and see the advantages in doing so: • demonstrating that their plans for economic growth are compatible with low-carbon, climate-resilient development; • highlighting how climate mitigation actions can be planned in ways that enhance climate adaptation, and deliver other immediate benefits to society, such as poverty reduction, improved public health, energy access and energy security; • capturing the potential for reducing or avoiding greenhouse gas emissions in climate adaptation plans and programmes; • encouraging other countries to take equivalent action, and so increasing global ambition and reducing climate impacts; and • attracting financial, capacity-building, technology transfer and other types of international support. At present, there is no formal,standard template for INDCs.
This guide seeks to address the broad range of approaches being considered by LDCs in preparing their INDCs, including the challenges they face and different national circumstances and levels of capacity, preparedness and ambition. The Guide to INDCs provides a practical example of how an INDC could be structured, with examples to illustrate a narrative and sources of background information. The guide responds to requests from LDC governments for suitable guidelines.
Citation
Holdaway, E.; Dodwell, C.; Kiran Sura; Picot, H. New guide helps Least Developed Countries navigate Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs). (2015) 30 pp.
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