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Learn about NDCs
An NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) is a climate action plan that each member government must create and commit to as part of the Paris Agreement.
These contributions outline how each country intends to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Importantly, the country gets to set its own contribution - i.e. it is ‘nationally determined’.
The 195 countries that have signed the global Paris Agreement climate treaty must update their plans for preventing dangerous climate change every five years.
Each country does this by updating their national climate plans, known as Nationally Determined Contributions (or NDCs). The next deadline for countries to do this is 2025, when countries must set out their climate action plans for the period 2025 -2035.
At a minimum these plans should show:
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How much the country will reduce their greenhouse gas emissions - which is commonly referred to as ‘climate targets.’
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How the country plans to meet these goals, including what activities they will do. This can range from shifting to electric vehicles and by shifting energy systems away from fossil fuels and towards 100% renewable energy, for example.
To understand how countries have been responding to this, be sure to explore our work across the first round of NDCs and here as well as our work on NDC 3.0 engagement here.
Why are ambitious NDCs important to WWF?
The latest science from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) shows that Earth’s natural systems play a central role in regulating the climate – and in protecting us from the worst consequences of our actions.
But these natural systems are under threat and have their own limits, and the continued destrution of nature has huge consequences for us all.
Our societies, culture and our economy are fundamentally dependent upon nature – for food and water security, for air quality, for protection against disease, for energy, the list goes on. Many Indigenous Peoples and local communities depend directly on ecosystems for their survival.
NDCs play a critical role in helping to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and avoid the worst risks of climate change.
And without the protections healthy nature provides from climate hazards, more people will be at greater risk.
Each country must submit a new NDC to the UNFCCC including 2030 and 2035 mitigation targets and plans:
Nationally determined contribution (NDC) engagement made simple
The NDCs are a central instrument of the Paris Agreement to achieve its long-term goal. Parties to the agreement are legally obliged to have an NDC, and to put in place measures to achieve it.
They must report regularly on their emissions and on their progress in implementing and achieving their NDCs, through a mechanism called the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF).
Want to know how to more about how to get to grips with NDCs? Download our handbook NDC Engagement made simple: A handbook for policy and advocacy experts working on national climate plans.
Nationally Determined Contributions.
National climate plans / national climate strategies with climate targets for 2030 and 2035.
The Paris Agreement (Article 4, Paragraph 2) requires each Party to prepare, communicate and maintain successive domestic climate action plans known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the UNFCCC.
For a more in-depth look at NDC's and WWF's NDCsWeWant campaign go to: NDCs We Want | WWF.
Long term-low emissions development Strategies / Long Term Strategies.
Countries should communicate or revise their long-term low GHG emissions development strategies (LT-LEDs, also known as ‘Long-Term Strategies’, ‘LTS’). LTS should set out action towards just transitions to net zero emissions by or around mid-century, taking into account different national circumstances. To ensure transparency, LTS should include clarifications on the use of international markets under Article 6, Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF), and negative emissions such as direct air capture.
Climate ambition is a term used to describe the promises and commitments made by countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase resilience to the adverse impacts of climate change. Countries nationally determine how to translate this into activities and promises, and so in a sense the definition of climate ambition is also defined by each country.
Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC).
The principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) outlined in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and recognises that countries (known as Parties) have different duties and abilities to address the negative impacts of climate change, but all countries have an obligation to address climate change.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), publishes scientific assessments on climate change, is widely accepted as providing the most relevant information on what commitments and activities are needed to address climate change, and tends to be a benchmark to which countries’ climate ambition is considered.
This includes measurable, time bound national climate target(s), such as quantified emissions reductions for 2030, 2035, 2050, etc. It also includes other aspects including sector emission reduction targets, technology investment or action plans.
The Global Stocktake.
A process in the Paris Agreement to take stock of the collective ambition of all Parties on progress to meeting its global goals, and what corrective action is needed.
The NDCs must respond to the Global Stocktake (GST) outcomes and beyond. The first GST decision from COP28 in 2023 outlines some actions all countries should consider to address the gaps in ambition to limit global warming to 1.5°C. The window to act is closing. Therefore, NDCs need to include economy-wide absolute emission reduction targets (with enhanced 2030 targets as well as 2035 targets aligned with 1.5°C), sectoral objectives, and information on transparency and tracking progress.
National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans.
National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) are crucial for global biodiversity conservation. They outline a country’s plan on how to protect and restore nature and are critical for mobilizing action across the board and securing funding for biodiversity recovery.
NDCs and NBSAPs (National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans) should reinforce each other, taking into account synergies with the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Biennial Transparency Reports.
Enhanced Transparency Framework.
The ETF under the Paris Agreement builds on the current, solid measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) system under the Convention, which for developed countries is the greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories and the International Assessment and Review (IAR); and for developing countries is the International Consultation and Analysis (ICA).