Regulations & Resources
The significance of nationally determined contributions
5 minute read The Paris Agreement rests on a determination by each signatory country regarding the action it will take to address climate change. Nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which set out countries’ climate targets, measures and policies, form the basis for global action.
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Countries’ climate action plans
As the COP26 climate summit approaches, countries’ climate action plans, as expressed by their NDCs, suggest that greenhouse gas emissions are heading in the wrong direction.
Emissions of the 191 countries that are parties to the Paris Agreement are on track to rise roughly 16% by 2030, according to the latest analysis by the U.N. That could lead to an increase in average temperatures this century of 2.7°C above preindustrial levels, far above the globally agreed goal of keeping temperature rise well below 2°C, preferably no more than 1.5°C, this century.
Each country’s ambition may have profound implications for the local policy landscape, including energy planning, priorities in government spending and the decarbonization commitments that filter down to industries.
NDCs, which countries update every five years based on the evolution of their commitments and progress toward global goals, will form a starting point for international negotiations at COP26 this November.
Who will lead the race to cut carbon?
Click on the interactive map below to see each country's individual pledge to reduce emissions as part of the Paris Agreement. The map coloring represents pledge ambition, by estimating the percentage reduction in 2030 GHG emissions per capita from each country's business-as-usual scenario to its NDC. The bottom bar presents the country's current share of absolute emissions relative to the world.
Source: MSCI ESG Research based on commitments in the NDC Registry as of 2018
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Nationally determined contributions under the Paris Agreement. The latest synthesis by the U.N. of countries’ climate action plans as communicated in their NDCs.
