Categorization of INDCs in the light of Art. 6 of the Paris Agreement

The paper analyzes the diversity of (I)NDCs across target types, sectoral coverage, and greenhouse gas scopes, finding that while economy-wide absolute targets facilitate easier accounting, only 18 (I)NDCs (covering 41% of global emissions) currently employ them.

• Economy-wide absolute emission targets are the most conducive to robust accounting of international transfers. As of October 12, 2016, only 18 (I)NDCs, which represent approximately 41% of global GHG emissions, utilize such targets.
• There is significant diversity in target types among the 163 analyzed (I)NDCs. While 43 countries have absolute GHG targets, 74 use targets relative to business-as-usual (BAU) projections, 10 use intensity targets, and 4 intend to peak emissions before 2030 without a quantified target.
• Sectoral and geographical coverage varies, though a majority of global emissions are covered by comprehensive targets. 71 (I)NDCs cover all sectors (Energy, Industry, Agriculture, LULUCF, and Waste), accounting for 86% of global GHG emissions.
• Greenhouse gas coverage is inconsistent across submissions. 40 (I)NDCs (covering 57% of global emissions) include six or seven GHGs, while 16 (I)NDCs (covering 25% of global emissions) only include CO2.
• Conditionality is a common feature for developing countries. 49 countries have only conditional targets, and 80 have both conditional and unconditional targets. Unconditional targets alone cover about 70% of global GHG emissions and include almost all industrialized countries except Turkey.
• The use of Global Warming Potential (GWP) values is fragmented, which may complicate international transfers. 33 countries (45% of global emissions) use the 4th IPCC Assessment Report, 45 countries (5% of global emissions) use the 2nd Assessment Report, and 42% of global emissions are covered by countries that do not specify their GWP values.
• Among G20 countries, most have pledged GHG targets and use economy-wide coverage, with notable exceptions: China's intensity target only includes CO2, and Saudi Arabia's (I)NDC lacks a quantified target and only covers some energy subsectors.

APA

Graichen, J., Cames, M., & Schneider, L. (2016). Categorization of INDCs in the light of Art. 6 of the Paris Agreement. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/DEHSt-2016-Categorization-INDCs-Article6-Paris-Agreement.pdf

Chicago

Graichen, Jakob, Martin Cames, and Lambert Schneider. Categorization of INDCs in the light of Art. 6 of the Paris Agreement. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2016. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/DEHSt-2016-Categorization-INDCs-Article6-Paris-Agreement.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Graichen |first1=Jakob |last2=Cames |first2=Martin |last3=Schneider |first3=Lambert |title=Categorization of INDCs in the light of Art. 6 of the Paris Agreement |publisher=Stockholm Environment Institute |date=October 2016 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/DEHSt-2016-Categorization-INDCs-Article6-Paris-Agreement.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{graichen2016categorization, author = {Graichen, Jakob and Cames, Martin and Schneider, Lambert}, title = {{Categorization of INDCs in the light of Art. 6 of the Paris Agreement}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2016}, month = oct, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/DEHSt-2016-Categorization-INDCs-Article6-Paris-Agreement.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }