Research, analysis and innovative thought on options discussed at the international climate negotiations, including detailed modalities of the ambition-raising mechanism under the 2015 Paris Agreement towards the 2/1.5 °C limit.
If the emissions gap is to be closed and the global warming kept below 2/1.5 °C, as the 2015 Paris Agreement aims, raising the ambition on action against climate change is urgent. The next 10 years will show if a transition towards a sustainable, greenhouse gas-free society can be made.The Paris Agreement puts into place some essential elements to ratchet up national ambition towards the 2/1.5 °C limit and net zero emissions in the second half of this century. However, there is much further work to be done on the exact modalities to effectively raise mitigation ambition. We support the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement through research and analysis, in particular modalities of review and the global stocktake, the nature and level of commitment in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and the possible shape of a long term goal of net zero greenhouse gas emissions at national level.
Associated projects
Climate Action Tracker
Climate Action Tracker provides regularly updated information on countries’ emission reduction policies. It reflects the latest status of the progress being made at international climate negotiations on mitigation commitments. Latest news from the CAT Return to all expertise and projects The Climate Action Tracker is a science-based assessment that provides regularly updated information on countries’… Read More
Mitigation responsibilities under a 2015 international climate agreement
Analysis of options for mitigation commitments post-2020 under the new international climate agreement to be finalised in 2015. Return to all expertise and projects A new international climate agreement is to be finalised in 2015. It is to enter into force in 2020 and to include – besides other aspects such as finance and adaptation-… Read More
ACT 2015
Consortium of the world’s top climate experts to catalyze discussion and build momentum toward reaching a global climate agreement at the forthcoming UNFCCC summit in 2015. Return to all expertise and projects The Agreement on Climate Transformation 2015 (ACT 2015) consortium is a group of the world’s top climate experts from developing and developed countries… Read More
Accounting under a 2015 agreement
Analysis of options for accounting in a new international climate change regime under a 2015 agreement. Return to all expertise and projects Parties have agreed to negotiate a new international climate agreement until 2015. This new agreement will diverge from the first international climate agreement, the Kyoto Protocol, in two very important ways: first it… Read More
Modelling climate policies of major emitters
Technical background report on analysis of current and potential climate policies for enhancing mitigation ambition in the major emitting countries. Return to all expertise and projects This project identifies important climate policies of the major emitters and estimates their impact on emissions. The analysis, conducted together with PBL, IIASA and Ecofys for the European Commission,… Read More
UNEP emissions gap reports
Since 2010, UNEP synthesises information on the gap between current trend in greenhouse gas emissions and where they would have to be in order to stabilize global temperature increase at 2°C. Return to all expertise and projects Since 2010, UNEP synthesises information on the gap between current trend in greenhouse gas emissions and where they… Read More
Experiences and lessons learned in the preparation of INDCs
Tracking the progression of INDC preparation progress worldwide, and sharing knowledge for best practices in INDC preparation.
Co-benefits of climate change contributions
Assessing the achieved and missed co-benefits of countries’ Intended Nationally Determined Contributions
Developing benchmarks for Intended Nationally Determined Contributions
Development of benchmarks for potential Intended Nationally Determined Contributions in over 40 countries
Supporting the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) process in Uganda
Technical assistance to the Government of Uganda for the preparation of the mitigation component of the INDC.
Intended Nationally Determined Contribution for Vietnam
Support for the preparation of the INDC for the waste and agriculture sectors
Lessons and impacts from the INDC process
Experiences from INDC preparation, and impacts and implications of the process for national climate policy making and the international climate negotiation process
EU Climate diplomacy
Analysis of the EU’s climate diplomacy effectiveness for developing recommendations on the EU’s strategy for the negotiations and the implementation of the Paris agreement. Return to all expertise and projects In a consortium with E3G, Acclimatise and Perspectives, under the leadership of ICF International, NewClimate Institute supports a study on the EU’s climate diplomacy activities.… Read More
Further reading
A turnaround of global greenhouse gas emission trends on the horizon – regardless of Pres. Trump Feb 2017 - Recent developments, particularly in India and China, give hope that the rise of global coal use has permanently stopped, and growth in global energy-related greenhouse gas emissions can reverse much earlier than thought only two years ago. 
The Emissions Gap Report 2016: A UNEP Synthesis Report Nov 2016 - The objective of this seventh UNEP Emissions Gap Report is to provide an up-to-date scientific assessment of the global progress towards the emissions reductions required to be on track to meet the long-term goal of the UNFCCC.
What does the Paris Agreement mean for climate policy in the Netherlands? Oct 2016 - In this study, we have translated the global ambition of the Paris Agreement into concrete sectoral targets applicable to the Netherlands. Climate policy must be strengthened substantially in order for the Netherlands to be in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
After Paris: What is next for Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs)? Mar 2016 - This paper outlines what the Paris Agreement means for Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) and what needs to happen at the country level now and in the longer term to implement the Agreement. The paper focuses explicitly on the mitigation part of national contributions and discusses specific steps in response to the relevant parts of the agreed framework including a view on how these may be supported internationally. 
Challenges and lessons learned in the preparation of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) Mar 2016 - This document presents a synthesis of the main challenges and lessons learned from the preparation process of intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs) by Parties to the UNFCCC in the run up to Paris.
Conditionality of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) Feb 2016 - This briefing paper by NewClimate Institute concisely presents the key information and aspects on the conditionality of countries‘ mitigation contributions in their INDCs. It gives an overview of the variety of forms of conditional contributions and of the types of conditions, which closely reflect some of the important issues discussed at the international policy level.
Preparation of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) as a catalyst for national climate action Dec 2015 - Go to download report The preparation for the new international climate agreement has advanced national policy making even before the agreement is adopted. NewClimate Institute in cooperation with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), assessed the extent to… Read More
NAMAs and INDCs: Interactions and opportunities Nov 2015 - This paper explores the links between NAMAs and INDCs with regard to various elements central to their implementation.
Assessing the missed benefits of countries’ national contributions Nov 2015 - This report investigates the co-benefits associated with countries' Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs).
From 90 pages to 9: Track 0 writes a draft Paris Agreement Jul 2015 - Track 0’s Founder and CEO Farhana Yamin and two of Track 0’s advisors, Erik Haites and Niklas Höhne, have compiled a Paris Agreement which offers one possible way in which the 90 pages of unwieldy text can be whittled down to produce an ambitious, yet politically balanced and comprehensive agreement. 