Assessment and Review under a 2015 Climate Change Agreement: Lessons Learned and Ways Forward

The authors find that ex ante A&R of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) would likely help ensure fairness and ambition. Assessments by observer organizations and informal discussions among Parties could complement that process. Periodic reviews of collective efforts can further help achieve global climate objectives.

Subjecting different types of contributions (beyond just mitigation) to A&R increases transparency, but might decrease political feasibility and administrative efficiency. Ensuring some form of A&R of the delivery of means of implementation – a priority for developing country Parties – could help forge a consensus on the 2015 agreement, whether it is done together with A&R of mitigation contributions or separately.

For transparency and political feasibility, A&R must cover all Parties. However, it would be fair and practical to require less scrutiny of the contributions of some smaller and poorer Parties (e.g. Least-Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States).

It is unlikely that Parties will agree to substantive criteria for A&R (e.g. equity, ambition) under a 2015 agreement. However, applying procedural criteria (e.g. transparency) in A&R would already be an important step towards clarifying Parties’ ambitions.

The importance of domestic politics in developing INDCs points to the need for clarifying and enhancing the role of non-governmental actors in A&R. Involving such actors could prove particularly valuable if there is no formal assessment of individual INDCs, and could further strengthen A&R of implementation of the contributions.

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