Shaping a COP26 Decision on Long-term Climate Strategies

The document argues that while many countries have submitted long-term climate strategies, a formal decision at COP26 is necessary to provide a new timeframe for submissions, encourage regular updates, and align these strategies with short-term Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). It outlines six functions for such a decision, including welcoming existing strategies and facilitating continuous improvement based on science and national developments. The author emphasizes that long-term strategies are critical for guiding structural economic shifts, sparking innovation, and ensuring a just transition for workforces.

• As of November 2020, 20 Parties, representing 40 countries and 27 percent of global emissions, had formally submitted long-term strategies to the UNFCCC, with over 100 other countries in the process of preparing them.
• A formal COP26 decision is needed because the original invitation to communicate strategies was tied to a single date ("by 2020"), and there is currently no further guidance or clarity for the period after 2020.
• Long-term strategies provide several strategic benefits, including guiding near-term action to avoid incremental changes, supporting pathways to net-zero emissions, directing financial flows toward clean technologies, and facilitating national conversations on just and equitable transitions.
• The author proposes six functions for a COP26 decision: welcoming submitted strategies, recognizing their role in achieving Paris Agreement goals, encouraging continued submissions, facilitating continuous improvement, underscoring links with NDCs, and encouraging international collaboration.
• Long-term strategies should be treated as living documents that are revised regularly, informed by the latest science, outcomes of the global stocktake, and national technological or socio-economic developments.
• There is a critical need for alignment between long-term strategies and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), where the long-term strategy provides the guiding vision and the NDC serves as the shorter-term accountability mechanism.
• Long-term strategies should integrate with other Paris Agreement processes, serving as inputs for the global stocktake, the Standing Committee on Finance, and the Technology Mechanism's periodic assessment.

APA

Levin, S. P., Schumer, C., Waisman, H., Dagnet, Y., & Waskow, D. (2020). Shaping a COP26 Decision on Long-term Climate Strategies. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/shaping-cop26-decision-long-term-climate-strategies

Chicago

Levin, Siddharth Pathak, Clea Schumer, Henri Waisman, Yamide Dagnet, and David Waskow. Shaping a COP26 Decision on Long-term Climate Strategies. World Resources Institute, 2020. https://www.wri.org/insights/shaping-cop26-decision-long-term-climate-strategies.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Levin |first1=Siddharth Pathak |last2=Schumer |first2=Clea |last3=Waisman |first3=Henri |last4=Dagnet |first4=Yamide |last5=Waskow |first5=David |title=Shaping a COP26 Decision on Long-term Climate Strategies |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=6 December 2020 |url=https://www.wri.org/insights/shaping-cop26-decision-long-term-climate-strategies |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{levin2020shaping, author = {Levin, Siddharth Pathak and Schumer, Clea and Waisman, Henri and Dagnet, Yamide and Waskow, David}, title = {{Shaping a COP26 Decision on Long-term Climate Strategies}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2020}, month = dec, url = {https://www.wri.org/insights/shaping-cop26-decision-long-term-climate-strategies}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }