From Climate Commitments to National Pathways: Why NDCs Must Evolve

When the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015 under the auspices of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), it marked a major turning point in global climate governance. For the first time, climate action was anchored in a universal yet differentiated mechanism, grounded in national realities: Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The Agreement stipulates that each Party shall prepare, communicate, and maintain successive contributions that represent a progression beyond the previous one and reflect the highest possible level of ambition [1]. Contrary to a still widespread perception, NDCs were never designed as fixed commitments. They constitute an evolving … Continue reading

Paris Agreement: Role of Effective Climate Governance Framework

While many consider that history was made as industrialized and developing countries jointly agreed on the same climate policy framework for the first time ever; others alert that the Paris Agreement is only as good as its implementation plans and review mechanisms. Nevertheless, the Paris Agreement and the process around it demonstrate an exemplary model for global climate governance and climate policy advocacy. The question now is whether such international governance breakthrough could trickle down to the national and local levels across the globe. Countries and regions are challenged to move forward with the implementation leveraging the high momentum and … Continue reading