Long-Term Low Emission and Climate Resilient Development Strategies (LT-LEDS)

Ready to dig deeper? Here are some key terms and resources for further learning related to “LT-LEDS.”

• Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)

An NDC is a climate action plan outlining how a country intends to achieve the goals of the Paris climate agreement. An NDC includes targets for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change; a plan for how to reach these targets; systems to measure progress; and a plan for financing this. Parties to the Paris Agreement develop their NDC and submit it to the UNFCCC (the UN’s body for addressing climate change) every 5 years.

• Paris Agreement

The Paris Agreement is a legally binding international treaty on climate change. It was adopted by 196 Parties at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP21) in Paris, France, on 12 December 2015. It entered into force on 4 November 2016. Its overarching goal is to hold “the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels” and pursue efforts “to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.”