Don't bypass people: Tracing NDCs to (local) climate action

Within the framework of the Paris Agreement, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are a key tool to ratchet up climate protection. Therefore, this report assesses how NDCs are being implemented through national, provincial, and local programmes, plans, and strategies that lead to the development of local policies and projects. A range of structural barriers are identified that impede this process.

Additionally, the report evaluates the impact of locally implemented climate measures on both national and international commitments and assesses their social implications and effects on communities. The prerequisites for meaningful civil society involvement in climate policy are investigated, exploring factors like the presence of a participatory legal structure and tangible practices of inclusive policymaking. It highlights the significance of fostering these conditions to encourage active engagement and participation in climate-related decision-making.

In order to examine these guiding questions, the report draws on ten studies conducted by local research teams in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Moldova and Kazakhstan between autumn 2022 and spring 2023.