The UNFCCC has invited all Parties to communicate to the secretariat their INDCs “well in advance of COP 21” and it will prepare by 1 November 2015 a synthesis report on the “aggregate effect of the INDCs” that have been submitted.

A new publication from CDKN and Ricardo-AEA  – Guide to INDCs -  provides practical guidance to Least Developed Countries on how to prepare their Intended Nationally Determined Contributions for the UNFCCC.

LDCs have contributed less to current global emissions than other countries; so the burden of cutting emissions will rest with major economies. However to avoid dangerous levels of climate change, all countries will have to play a role, and the UN has indicated that LDC contributions towards a global agreement should “reflect their special circumstances”. There is currently no formal template available from the UNFCCC, and countries are using a range of different approaches.

The CDKN-Ricardo-AEA Guide to INDCs presents a template that could be used by LDCs. It gives a practical example of how an INDC could be structured, with examples to illustrate a narrative and sources of background information. This template was developed at the request of some LDCs for practical guidance, tailored to their needs. As such it seeks to address the broad range of challenges that LDCs face and their different national circumstances and levels of capacity, preparedness and ambition.

In this Webinar, Kiran Sura and Chris Dodwell walk the audience through the Guide to INDCs in a 20 minute presentation, followed by questions from the audience.

The Guide to INDCs is not an official publication of the UNFCCC, nor is it endorsed by the UNFCCC. However, it was developed in consultation with a range of stakeholders, including authors of existing INDC guidance, representatives from LDCs, and organisations working with CDKN to support INDC preparations.  It draws from the INDCs which have already been submitted, and a range of referenced literature. The authors have also ensured that this template is consistent with existing guidance published by UNDP/GIZ and World Resources Institute.

Ms Kiran Sura has been CDKN’s Head of Advocacy Fund for Negotiations Support since 2012. The Advocacy Fund assists least developed and climate-vulnerable countries to have a say in the international climate negotiations, to the benefit of us all. Before joining CDKN, Kiran was a Senior Analyst with the Committee on Climate Change, an independent body advising the UK Government on climate change mitigation and adaptation policy. During this time, Kiran conducted analysis that underpinned the Committee’s recommendations on the 2050 emissions reduction target for the UK. More recently, she was involved in developing a monitoring and evaluation framework for tracking progress on adaptation, and developed the first adaptation cost curves for England. Kiran has an MSc in Economics with reference to Sub-Saharan Africa from the School of Oriental and African Studies.

Mr Chris Dodwell is Ricardo-AEA’s Director of International Projects with responsibility for developing relationships with international clients and partners and directing key international projects. Chris has over 20 years’ public and private sector experience in climate change, sustainable energy and environmental policy and regulation, specialising in international climate change and capacity building. Prior to joining Ricardo-AEA in 2011, Chris worked at the heart of UK climate change policy for 10 years including leading the UK implementation of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and acting as head of the UK delegation to the UNFCCC climate negotiations.   Chris is currently working on a number of projects to support the development of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions in a variety of countries including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Kenya, Laos and Myanmar as well as an ongoing project for CDKN to examine lessons learned from their portfolio of INDC projects. 

Kiran Sura and Chris Dodwell are co-authors of the Guide to INDCs, along with Emelia Holdaway (Ricardo-AEA) and Helen Picot (CDKN).

Image: Pakistan, courtesy Asian Development Bank.