Intended Nationally Determined Contributions

Intended Nationally Determined Contributions
Name	Intended Nationally Determined Contributions
Type	Climate policy instrument
Introduced	2015
Related	United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Paris Agreement, Conference of the Parties, 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference

Intended Nationally Determined Contributions are the nationally proposed climate action pledges submitted by parties in advance of and during international climate negotiations, forming the basis for commitments under the Paris Agreement. They translate diplomatic negotiation outcomes from forums such as the Conference of the Parties into country-level targets and policy intentions, linking multilateral processes like the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to domestic planning in nations including United States, China, India, European Union, and Brazil.

Background and Context

The concept emerged from negotiations at the 2013 United Nations Climate Change Conference and was formalized during the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, where states including France, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia agreed to a bottom-up architecture integrating pledges from Japan, South Africa, Mexico, Indonesia, and Russia. The approach contrasted with earlier top-down mechanisms exemplified by the Kyoto Protocol and drew on precedents from instruments negotiated at the Rio Earth Summit and institutions such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and World Meteorological Organization.

Submission Process and Legal Status

Parties submit contributions through the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change using formats influenced by guidance from the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement and decisions adopted at sessions of the Conference of the Parties. While submissions by states such as Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, New Zealand, and Chile are recorded, the legal character differs from binding treaties like the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties; the Paris Agreement frames contributions as nationally determined with procedural obligations reminiscent of instruments negotiated at the World Trade Organization and oversight mechanisms analogous in style to those of the International Monetary Fund.

Components and Common Elements

Typical elements include economy-wide greenhouse gas targets akin to commitments from European Union Emission Trading System participants, sectoral measures in energy sectors paralleling policies in Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates, renewable energy goals similar to initiatives in Denmark and Spain, forestry and land-use components reflecting programs in Brazil and Indonesia, and finance and technology transfer pledges referencing entities like the Green Climate Fund, Global Environment Facility, World Bank, and Asian Development Bank. Submissions often cite scientific sources such as reports by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and methodologies from the International Energy Agency and Food and Agriculture Organization.

Mitigation and Adaptation Commitments

Mitigation promises range from emissions reductions modeled on pathways used by China and India to carbon neutrality targets announced by Sweden, Costa Rica, Iceland, and New Zealand. Adaptation components mirror national strategies from Bangladesh, Philippines, Vietnam, and Kenya, including resilience planning guided by programs of the United Nations Development Programme, United Nations Environment Programme, Green Climate Fund, and International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Commitments often integrate measures linked to infrastructure finance from institutions such as the European Investment Bank and African Development Bank and capacity-building partnerships like those involving the World Health Organization and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Reporting, Review, and Transparency

Transparency frameworks derive from decisions at Conference of the Parties sessions and utilize modalities developed by the UNFCCC Secretariat and expert bodies including the Transparency Framework and the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Paris Agreement. Biennial reports, national communications, and technical expert reviews echo reporting systems used in agreements like the Montreal Protocol and reporting practices from agencies such as the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and International Renewable Energy Agency. Multilateral review processes engage actors including the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation.

National Implementation and Policy Instruments

Implementation employs instruments ranging from carbon pricing schemes inspired by European Union Emissions Trading System and California Cap-and-Trade Program to regulatory measures modeled on rules from Japan, South Korea, and Singapore, subsidy reforms similar to initiatives in Germany and United Kingdom, and public investment strategies paralleling stimulus packages enacted in United States and China. Coordination involves ministries patterned after those in France, Italy, Spain, and Netherlands and engagement with subnational actors such as California, Quebec, Bavaria, and Sao Paulo.

Criticisms and Challenges

Critiques reference ambition gaps highlighted by bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and civil society groups such as Greenpeace, World Wide Fund for Nature, and 350.org, and note issues of accounting consistency debated among scholars from institutions like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, London School of Economics, University of Oxford, Stanford University, and Harvard University. Challenges include finance shortfalls relative to commitments made by Annex I countries and needs articulated by Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, as well as verification constraints reminiscent of disputes in negotiations involving United States and Russian Federation.

Category:Climate change policy