Race to the Top: Driving Ambition in the Post-2020 International Climate Agreement

This research paper by the World Resources Institute evaluates UNFCCC practices and proposes a set of architectural options to enhance the effectiveness of the post-2020 international climate agreement.

• The paper proposes that parties to the 2015 agreement could further define a global long-term emissions goal, suggesting options such as carbon neutrality, a global emissions reduction goal, or a phase-out of greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by the middle of the century.
• The authors suggest establishing a predictable commitment cycle, potentially every five or ten years, to regularly strengthen national contributions until the collective long-term goal is achieved. This cycle would require clear steps to provide parties with dependable analysis and information.
• The proposed architecture includes a requirement that each commitment cycle results in scaled-up actions or greater emissions reductions for every party. Additionally, an assessment and revision process should be implemented to help parties identify collaboration areas and further options for strengthening low carbon policies or reducing emissions.

APA

World Resources Institute (2015). Race to the Top: Driving Ambition in the Post-2020 International Climate Agreement. https://www.wri.org/research/race-top-driving-ambition-2015-climate-agreement

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Race to the Top: Driving Ambition in the Post-2020 International Climate Agreement. 2015. https://www.wri.org/research/race-top-driving-ambition-2015-climate-agreement.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Race to the Top: Driving Ambition in the Post-2020 International Climate Agreement |date=2015 |url=https://www.wri.org/research/race-top-driving-ambition-2015-climate-agreement |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2015race, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Race to the Top: Driving Ambition in the Post-2020 International Climate Agreement}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2015}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/race-top-driving-ambition-2015-climate-agreement}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }