NDC Update Report 2021: Time to Pull the Brake

The NDC Update Report 2021, based on a survey of 97 policy makers and experts across 92 countries, evaluates progress on Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) planning. While 95% of respondents report strengthened greenhouse gas emissions targets and improved sector-level grounding, the report concludes that collective ambition remains insufficient, progress is too slow, and financial barriers continue to hinder implementation. It highlights a significant gap in long-term strategies (LTSs), with only 17% of Parties having communicated one to the UNFCCC as of October 2021. The report emphasizes the critical role of subnational governments, noting that 80% of respondents view them as important for NDC implementation, and calls for a shift from narratives of 'green recovery' to concrete actions and the management of trade-offs to ensure a just transition.

• While there is widespread progress in updating NDCs, with 95% of surveyed respondents stating their country has added or strengthened greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions targets, overall collective ambition is still considered insufficient. Progress is most evident in sector-specific targets and plans, but is slower regarding private sector buy-in and securing implementation funds, with financial barriers remaining a primary obstacle.
• There is a substantial delay in the development of long-term strategies (LTSs). As of October 2021, only 33 countries, representing 17% of Parties, have communicated an LTS to the UNFCCC, and only 25% of survey respondents reported that their country is currently developing one.
• Subnational governments are increasingly recognized as vital to NDC implementation, with 80% of respondents acknowledging their important role and 75% reporting their actual involvement in NDC planning. Additionally, 60% of respondents state that subnational governments have established climate targets to support NDC implementation.
• The report warns that narratives of 'green recovery' and 'building back better' following the COVID-19 pandemic must not serve as a 'smokescreen' for inaction. It argues that climate action and development goals (SDGs) are not always perfectly aligned and may involve difficult trade-offs or unrecoverable costs that must be managed to ensure a just transition.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2021). NDC Update Report 2021: Time to Pull the Brake. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/ndc-update-report-2021-time-to-pull-the-brake

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. NDC Update Report 2021: Time to Pull the Brake. 2021. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/ndc-update-report-2021-time-to-pull-the-brake.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=NDC Update Report 2021: Time to Pull the Brake |date=3 November 2021 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/ndc-update-report-2021-time-to-pull-the-brake |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2021ndc, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{NDC Update Report 2021: Time to Pull the Brake}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2021}, month = nov, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/ndc-update-report-2021-time-to-pull-the-brake}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }