Understanding Nationally Determined Contributions

Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs is one of the three pillars for implementing the Paris Agreement on climate change. The NDCs enable each country to create a unique set of commitments to measure the progress of its own climate response and to review the progress made every five years.

The next phase of submitting new NDCs will focus on local and national processes. It is an opportunity for churches and other faith-based organizations (FBOs) to demonstrate that they are specially equipped and positioned to participate in this process based on two factors:

• Churches and FBOs are rooted in local communities and have knowledge and experience that can translate into specific, actionable policies.
• Churches and FBOs often have access to local and national governments and officials who formulate the NDCs.

The LWF brochure explains the NDCs, and the rationale for the communion’s member churches and other faith-based actors to contribute to the process at both the local and national levels.