This Policy Brief looks into why and how NDCs can and should be localized. We also examine what lessons the process of localizing SDGs has to offer for the relatively new and unexplored concept of localizing NDCs. Both the goals of the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda are far from being on track to be met. Speeding up the transformation towards a sustainable and climate-neutral world in line with both these global agendas requires faster, more ambitious and coordinated action at all levels of government.
Both agendas are global agreements negotiated by national governments, that to a large extent need to be implemented at the local and regional level. This requires that global, as well as national, goals and plans are translated and adapted to local contexts and needs. This is what can be understood as “localization”. The concept of localization has been applied longer and more widespread to SDGs than to Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – the main tool to implement the Paris Agreement. A distinct example of localization are the Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs), inspired by the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs).
We look into what the process of localizing NDCs can learn from the localization of SDGs. As a concrete form of localization, the VNR/VLR relationship, understood as a multi-level governance function, is explored in order to see how it can provide guidance and inspiration for the localization of NDCs.