After Paris: Perspectives from developing countries

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After Paris: Perspectives from developing countries

In this series of opinion pieces, leading thinkers from developing countries share their perspectives on what happens next after the Paris climate agreement and how they'll deliver their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The Paris Agreement is widely viewed by climate negotiators as an ambitious outcome, following years of inertia in the global climate talks. It commits countries to keeping average global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius and as close to 1.5 degrees as possible. It is the first global climate agreement to call for action in tackling climate change across the spectrum of developed and developing countries.

In the run-up to the Paris climate conference - the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP21), countries were invited to submit their climate plans, known as Intended Nationally Determined Contributions or INDCs. These commitments, alone, do not add up to sufficient reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, the primary cause of manmade global warming. This leaves a gap, which must urgently be addressed in the near future. The Paris Agreement recognises the gap, calling on countries to review their commitments every five years.

The Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN) was active in supporting developing countries to prepare their INDCs: you can read about it here, www.cdkn.org/indc

CDKN will work intensively with some of our partner governments to put those plans into action; they're now called 'NDCs' to refer to the fact that the plans are moving from 'intended' to 'implemented' contributions. As part of the global Secretariat for the Low Emission Development Strategies Global Partnership (LEDS GP), CDKN will also be supporting that network to make the climate plans a reality.

Read on for insights from CDKN on what the Paris Agreement means for developing countries, and for global investment flows:

OPINION: After Paris - "For El Salvador, this is a matter of survival", Jorge Rodriguez (May 2016)

OPINION: After Paris - "Opportunities rest in the spaces for dynamic interactions", Farhan Helmy, Indonesia (April 2016)

OPINION: After Paris - Countries look first to their own resources to deliver agreement - Sam Bickersteth and Mairi Dupar (April 2016)

OPINION: "Pakistan has a long way to go to get from intended to implemented" - Ali T. Sheikh (April 2016)

OPINION: "No turning back after Paris" - Sam Bickersteth (April 2016)

OPINION: After Paris – A shift in Colombia’s climate change conversation by Claudia Martinez (April 2016)

OPINION: After Paris - "Going from intended to implemented, that is the question" says Margaret Kamau, Kenya (March 2016)

OPINION: After Paris - "About money and determination", a view from Mihir Bhatt, India (March 2016)

OPINION: After Paris - Perspective from Ram Chandra Khanal, Nepal (March 2016)

OPINION: Follow Paris Agreement with green investment deals by Ari Huhtala, UK/Finland (February 2016)

OPINION: Paris Agreement – Opportunities and challenges for developing countries by Munjurul Hannan Khan, Bangladesh (February 2016)

You can leave your comments in the 'comment' box on each of these opinion pages - we'd love to hear from you!