Events

In 2021, countries are expected to increase ambition by updating their NDC targets, as they enter their first year of NDC implementation. Looking at this experience, it becomes clear that the conditionality of NDC targets is a crucial feature, in particular for international support through Article 6 carbon markets. However, how to apply conditionality is not clearly defined in the UNFCCC rulebook and a lack of conceptual clarity opens space for different applications in NDCs, with potential consequences for access to Article 6 cooperative approaches.

The goal of the Paris Agreement is to keep the global temperature increase to well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C. Parties to the Agreement have been invited to communicate their long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies (LT-LEDS) considering the common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances. Similarly, Parties are invited to update their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) reflecting their increased ambition until 2030.
The two policy processes are important for understanding and prioritizing which short- and medium-term investments and measures can contribute to a country’s climate goals while enabling countries to reach their long-term goals. LT-LEDS introduce a long-term perspective to policy planning that allows to consider whether certain activities may create long term lock-in effects into fossil fuel infrastructure even if they promise short term emission reductions compared to the status quo. This has implications on how to allocate resources, including international climate finance, capacity building and technology transfer.

Article 6 pilot initiatives are continuing to expand globally, even without the finalized UNFCCC rules. These pilots and enabling initiatives are providing valuable experiences for the Article 6 negotiations and a general understanding of how carbon markets will be operating under the Paris Agreement. The experiences made and lessons learned will be decisive for the transition into post-2020 carbon markets. The longer the regulatory uncertainty persists, the more important Article 6 pilot initiatives become in informing the international community on…