Finance has always played a pivotal role in the global climate change negotiations, as an enabler of action but also as an indicator of the level of trust between developed and developing countries. It will continue to do so in the future – the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) submitted by many developing countries include elements whose implementation is conditional to the provision of financial and other support, and the discussions on finance for adaptation and loss and damage are likely to heat up in future as climate impacts increase. Over the years, the climate finance negotiations have acquired their own layers of complexity, accompanied by their own – often loaded – vocabulary. This Guide aims to help developing country climate negotiators navigate this complexity and understand what has gone by, to negotiate more effectively in future.

REVISED AND UPDATED. Your quick guide to the history of negotiations on capacity building under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the global institutional framework, and how global capacity building efforts can be improved. What can the UNFCCC do to promote long-term, sustainable capacity building where it is most needed? What has been done, and what remains to be done?

Countries communicate their plans to implement the Paris Agreement through Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). What should these NDCs contain? What “information to facilitate clarity, transparency, and understanding” do countries need to provide? How should countries account for their actions? What happens if they fail to meet their NDC goals? Read our updated Pocket Guide, which now includes the provisions of the Paris rulebook, to find answers to these and other questions related to NDCs.

New Guide to the Paris Agreement. Now includes the implementation guidelines adopted in 2018, and implications for domestic law and policy in developing countries.