Synopsis

Long-term planning for climate and development requires tailored governance and institutional arrangements. Most countries have some experience with climate-change planning over near- and medium-term horizons through efforts such as nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and low-emissions development strategies (LEDS). However, current pledges are insufficient to limit warming to well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5°C, and decisions being made today can significantly affect whether this goal can realistically be met. This paper considers what type of governance and institutional arrangements can best support the development of long-term, low-emissions development strategies in order to bridge long-term climate implications to the decisions of today.

By exploring different experiences, this paper outlines several governance considerations critical to any national climate planning effort. It provides a checklist of key questions that national policymakers and planning officials may consider when developing their long-term strategies (LTSs), including questions around the initiation of the process, institutional arrangements, communication and review procedures, and international cooperation. The questions can be used to identify crucial gaps and challenges, as well as opportunities to strengthen governance and institutional arrangements for long-term climate and development planning.

Key Findings

  • Undertaking integrated long-term planning for climate and development requires tailored governance and institutional arrangements.

  • This paper explores country experiences with long-term climate and development planning and provides an overview of their governance approaches and institutional arrangements. The paper reveals that there are both common and diverse governance and institutional arrangements for their development and implementation.

  • This paper concludes with a checklist of key questions to ask when developing long-term low-greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions development strategies or long-term strategies (LTSs) as encouraged by the Paris Agreement. The questions are designed to help readers focus on governance issues that may influence the effectiveness of an LTS. The questions can be used to identify crucial gaps and challenges, as well as opportunities to strengthen governance and institutional arrangements for long-term climate and development planning.

Executive Summary

Full executive summary available in the paper.