DECODING INTENDED NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS (INDCS)

This guide by the World Resources Institute (WRI) provides a framework for evaluating Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), which are public outlines of country plans to address climate change starting in 2020. The document outlines six key criteria—intent, scientific alignment, fairness/ambition, process, feasibility, and transparency—to help stakeholders assess the robustness of these political commitments ahead of the COP21 agreement in Paris.

• INDCs can be structured as 'actions' (specific measures like policies and projects) or 'outcomes' (specific results such as GHG emission levels or renewable energy targets). The guide recommends quantified outcomes because they provide a better understanding of future emissions, enhance comparability between countries, and simplify the estimation of aggregate global GHG effects.
• To align with the UNFCCC goal of limiting warming to 2 degrees C, global emissions must peak by 2020 and net GHG emissions must be phased out over the long term. The document warns that delaying reductions now may lead to unrealistic or unfeasible rates of decline later in the century.
• Fairness and ambition in an INDC should be evaluated based on a country's potential to act, considering factors such as emissions responsibility (historical, current, or projected), economic capacity (e.g., GDP per capita), and vulnerability to climate impacts.
• A robust INDC must be integrated with national priorities and processes rather than existing in a vacuum. It should be consistent with national development plans, climate policies, and the strategies of key emitting sectors like energy and forestry, and be backed by high-level political commitment.
• Feasibility depends on the clear articulation of policy instruments (legislation, regulation, or executive orders) and the identification of necessary means of implementation, such as technology, finance, and capacity building. For developing countries, this includes specifying the type and quantity of international support required.
• Transparency in INDCs is essential for determining the collective global impact on temperature. This requires detailed information on the scope (sectors, gases, geography), time frames, reference scenarios, and the methodological assumptions used to estimate GHG emissions and removals.
• While not required, countries are invited to include an adaptation component in their INDCs. This component should link to evidence-based summaries of climate risks and stakeholder-driven planning, such as National Adaptation Plans.

APA

World Resources Institute (2015). DECODING INTENDED NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS (INDCS). https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/uploads/Decoding_INDCs.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. DECODING INTENDED NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS (INDCS). 2015. https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/uploads/Decoding_INDCs.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=DECODING INTENDED NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS (INDCS) |date=July 2015 |url=https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/uploads/Decoding_INDCs.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2015decoding, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{DECODING INTENDED NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTIONS (INDCS)}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2015}, month = jul, url = {https://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/uploads/Decoding_INDCs.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }