Aligning energy development and climate objectives in Nationally Determined Contributions

The paper finds that while some countries like Ethiopia and Peru align their NDCs with national strategies, others like Bangladesh and Ghana exhibit a disconnect between climate commitments and energy planning. It argues that integrating climate objectives into national development strategies and leveraging co-benefits such as job creation and health improvements can drive higher ambition in revised NDCs.

• Approximately 50% of submitted NDCs do not include specific actions to reduce energy emissions, and those that do often fail to cover all energy sources or align with national energy policies.
• Ethiopia and Peru are cited as examples of good practice because they had established climate policy frameworks before the Paris Agreement, leading to NDCs that are better aligned with sectoral plans.
• In Ethiopia, the NDC targets a 64% reduction in total emissions against a business-as-usual trajectory by 2030, with the majority of reductions coming from agriculture and forestry rather than energy.
• Peru's NDC includes a conditional target to reduce emissions by 30% below business-as-usual by 2030, though it remains dependent on gas for electricity due to significant domestic reserves.
• Bangladesh and Ghana are identified as having low ambition in their NDCs, with energy plans that may lead to a significant increase in emissions despite their reduction targets.
• In Bangladesh, a disconnect exists between the Ministry of Environment and Forests (which led the NDC) and the ministries responsible for energy planning, resulting in a power sector strategy focused on fossil fuels.
• Ghana's NDC targets a 15% unconditional and 30% conditional reduction in emissions by 2030, but these targets are not yet fully enshrined in national energy policy.
• Transitioning to low-carbon energy pathways offers significant development co-benefits, including job creation and health improvements, which are often under-explored in NDCs.

APA

Scott, A., Worrall, L., & Patel, S. (2018). Aligning energy development and climate objectives in Nationally Determined Contributions. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_Aligning-Energy-Working-Paper_final-web.pdf

Chicago

Scott, Andrew, Leah Worrall, and Sejal Patel. Aligning energy development and climate objectives in Nationally Determined Contributions. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2018. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_Aligning-Energy-Working-Paper_final-web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Scott |first1=Andrew |last2=Worrall |first2=Leah |last3=Patel |first3=Sejal |title=Aligning energy development and climate objectives in Nationally Determined Contributions |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=January 2018 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_Aligning-Energy-Working-Paper_final-web.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{scott2018aligning, author = {Scott, Andrew and Worrall, Leah and Patel, Sejal}, title = {{Aligning energy development and climate objectives in Nationally Determined Contributions}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2018}, month = jan, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN_Aligning-Energy-Working-Paper_final-web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }