Shaping a COP26 Decision on Long-term Climate Strategies

This briefing by the World Resources Institute argues for a robust decision on long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies at COP26 in Glasgow. It outlines the benefits of these strategies, their intersection with pandemic economic recovery, and six specific functions a COP26 decision should fulfill to maintain international momentum and align long-term visions with short-term Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

• 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 additional countries in the process of preparing them.
• 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 document suggests that economic recovery plans following the coronavirus pandemic should proceed in tandem with long-term climate strategies, as both can share goals such as building sustainable infrastructure and creating decent jobs.
• A robust COP26 decision is necessary because the original invitation to communicate strategies was tied to a single date ("by 2020"), and there is currently no further guidance for the period after 2020.
• 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 through regular revisions, underscoring links with NDCs, and encouraging international collaboration.
• Long-term strategies should be integrated into other Paris Agreement processes, serving as inputs for the global stocktake, the Standing Committee on Finance's reviews, and discussions regarding the just transition of workforces and communities.

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} }