ENHANCING NDCS BY 2020: ACHIEVING THE GOALS OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT

The document argues that current NDCs are insufficient to limit global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C and provides a framework for countries to update their pledges by 2020. It defines 'enhanced mitigation ambition' as actions that result in lower cumulative emissions than the original NDC. The proposed 'menu of options' includes strengthening GHG and non-GHG targets, aligning short-term actions with long-term decarbonization pathways, updating adaptation planning, and improving the transparency and clarity of reported data.

• Current NDCs are insufficient to meet the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement, as the implied emissions trajectory is higher than what is needed to limit warming to 1.5°C or well below 2°C.
• The authors define an NDC with enhanced mitigation ambition as one that, if fully implemented, would lead to lower cumulative emissions over the century than the original NDC.
• Parties can enhance mitigation ambition through several specific mechanisms: strengthening or adding GHG targets, adding sectoral non-GHG targets, strengthening policies and actions, or aligning implementation with long-term goals.
• There are significant gaps in the transparency of initial NDCs; for example, 12% of countries did not specify GHG coverage and 8% did not specify sectoral coverage.
• Implementation can be strengthened by establishing national regulatory frameworks, creating domestic accountability mechanisms, and aligning sectoral investment plans and budgets with the NDC.
• The document highlights that many developing countries' NDCs are conditional on receiving international support for finance, technology, and capacity building.
• Phasing out fossil fuel subsidies is identified as a key policy to reduce energy consumption and emissions, noting that such subsidies accounted for 6.5% of global GDP in 2015.

APA

Fransen, T., Northrop, E., Mogelgaard, K., & Levin, K. (2017). ENHANCING NDCS BY 2020: ACHIEVING THE GOALS OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT. World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/WRI17_NDC.pdf

Chicago

Fransen, Taryn, Eliza Northrop, Kathleen Mogelgaard, and Kelly Levin. ENHANCING NDCS BY 2020: ACHIEVING THE GOALS OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT. World Resources Institute, 2017. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/WRI17_NDC.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Fransen |first1=Taryn |last2=Northrop |first2=Eliza |last3=Mogelgaard |first3=Kathleen |last4=Levin |first4=Kelly |title=ENHANCING NDCS BY 2020: ACHIEVING THE GOALS OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=November 2017 |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/WRI17_NDC.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{fransen2017enhancing, author = {Fransen, Taryn and Northrop, Eliza and Mogelgaard, Kathleen and Levin, Kelly}, title = {{ENHANCING NDCS BY 2020: ACHIEVING THE GOALS OF THE PARIS AGREEMENT}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2017}, month = nov, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/WRI17_NDC.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }