Synopsis

Under the Paris Agreement, countries are invited to communicate “mid-century long-term low GHG emissions development strategies,” or “long-term strategies” by 2020. These strategies are central to achieving the long-term goal of limiting warming to well below 2 degrees C (3.6 degrees F) and begin to reveal the scale of transformation needed to bring national climate action in line with global ambition. They also play a key role in informing near-term decisions, helping to avoid investments that are incompatible with a low-carbon and climate-resilient future. Six countries—Benin, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, and the United States—have already formally communicated their strategies, paving the way for long-term climate action. New WRI analysis sheds lights on these initial strategies and identifies key considerations for countries that are about to embark on this exercise.