A Brief Guide For Reviewing Countries’ Long-term Strategies

The document outlines the importance of long-term strategies (LTS) as a link between shorter-term Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the Paris Agreement goals. It details six core elements of an LTS: a long-term vision, quantified mitigation goals, adaptation and resilience plans, pathways with interim milestones, monitoring and revision processes, and transparent communication. The guide emphasizes the role of civil society in holding governments accountable and ensuring a just transition, particularly in the context of economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Long-term strategies serve as a critical bridge between short-term Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the overarching objectives of the Paris Agreement, facilitating a "whole-of-society transformation".
• A robust long-term mitigation goal should be a quantified, economy-wide target for mid-century that considers limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees C and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees C.
• According to IPCC data, scenarios limiting warming to 1.5 degrees C suggest median years for reaching net zero are 2044 for carbon dioxide and 2066 for all greenhouse gases.
• Effective strategies must include pathways and interim milestones—specifically those covering 2030 or the next NDC target year—that are "SMART" (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timebound).
• The guide argues that long-term strategies can guide current economic stimulus decisions following the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent countries from being "locked into emissions-intensive infrastructure".
• As of July 2020, 19 countries and the EU had adopted net-zero targets, though these targets only covered approximately 10% of global emissions.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). A Brief Guide For Reviewing Countries’ Long-term Strategies. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/reviewing-countries-long-term-strategies-guide.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. A Brief Guide For Reviewing Countries’ Long-term Strategies. n.d. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/reviewing-countries-long-term-strategies-guide.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=A Brief Guide For Reviewing Countries’ Long-term Strategies |url=https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/reviewing-countries-long-term-strategies-guide.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendbrief, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{A Brief Guide For Reviewing Countries’ Long-term Strategies}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/reviewing-countries-long-term-strategies-guide.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }