These goals imply that the Earth’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions must decline to net zero or below by mid-century or shortly thereafter. The primary mechanism adopted to control emissions is each country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
The NDCs articulate near-term national goals to limit and reduce emissions. These goals are intended to become increasingly ambitious over time. Article 6 was included in the Paris Agreement to assist nations to achieve their NDCs more efficiently and to enable increased ambition. In this capstone, we use ambition to indicate the degree of emissions mitigation embodied in parties’ NDCs.
