In the world’s struggle to halt and reverse climate change, countries periodically report on their plans and progress in bringing down national levels of planet-warming carbon emissions.
These plans are called Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs for short.
WHAT IS AN NDC?
A country’s NDC describes its national policies or decisions toward reaching net-zero emissions, and was updated every five years until delegates at the 2021 UN climate summit, COP26, in Glasgow called for more frequent updates every couple of years.
Altogether, these reports help countries coordinate their climate policies action with one another. More immediately, they can tell us if the world is on track with its climate goals.
In a report published on Monday, the group Net-Zero Tracker, which assesses the global climate commitments, found with 93 per cent of global GDP covered by targets the world is on the road to net zero, but urged that action is needed to turn pledges into credible plans.
WHY WOULD WE BE HEARING ABOUT NDCs NOW?
The next round of NDC updates are due in February 2025, although some countries could announce plans during this week’s UN General Assembly in New York.
Others might opt to share their newest plans during the upcoming UN climate summit, COP29, being held in Azerbaijan.
