Replay
Under Article 4.19 of the Paris Agreement, all Parties are invited to communicate “long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies” (LT-LEDS), also known as long-term strategies (LTS). Since the Paris Agreement was adopted, there has been remarkable progress on these strategies, both in terms of the number of submissions to the UNFCCC, and in the precision, relevance and robustness of the submitted strategies.
The domestic benefits of elaborating LTS are becoming increasingly clear notably to i) contextualize short-term climate action in the longer-term perspective, ii) identify and maximize synergies between climate action and national socio-economic priorities, as well as address tradeoffs and risks (particularly regarding carbon lock-in), iii) guide policy and investments and identify capacity needs for effective implementation, iv) reveal where international collaboration and support can assist in realizing long-term national objectives, v) spark innovation and technological change and pave the way for R&D.
Although Article 4.19 is itself not time bound, COP21 (1/CP.21., para 35) and COP24 decision text on LTS (1/CP.24., para 21) call on countries to submit their strategies by 2020. With the postponement of COP26, the invitation technically ‘expires’ in 2021. Robust statements at the international level in the lead-up to COP26 and in the COP26 decision text itself are therefore key to maintain international and national momentum for these strategies, to support the achievement of the Paris Agreement goals, and to maximize the domestic benefits of long-term climate and development planning.
This webinar reflected on the international and domestic benefits of LTS and discussed the possible functions of a COP26 decision on LTS in support of these benefits. It did so notably by deriving lessons learnt from concrete examples in three countries where a process on LTS has been conducted.
Programme:
- Introduction by Siddharth Pathak (2050 Pathways Platform)
- Joint keynote presentation by Katie Ross (WRI) and Henri Waisman (IDDRI)
- Panel with :
- Fiona Clouder, the COP26 presidency’s Regional Ambassador for Latin America and the Caribbean
- Allen Fawcett, Climate Economics Branch Chief, United States Environmental Protection Agency
- Javier Mendoza, Coordinator of the Colombian Long-term Strategy 2050 under the Paris Agreement, Expertise France
- Bubacar Zaidi Jallow, Principal Climate Change Officer at the Gambian Ministry of Environment, Climate change & Natural Resources
- Facilitated discussion
- Concluding remarks from the moderator
