Explain Intended Nationally Determined Contributions.

Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) are commitments made by individual countries to outline their proposed actions to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. These contributions are submitted by countries as part of the global effort to address climate change under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). INDCs serve as a key mechanism for countries to communicate their climate goals, policies, and priorities to the international community.

Key features of INDCs include:

1. Scope and Coverage: INDCs cover a wide range of climate-related actions, including mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology transfer, capacity-building, and transparency measures. Each country determines the scope and coverage of its INDC based on its national circumstances, priorities, and capacities.

2. Mitigation Targets: INDCs include quantifiable targets and objectives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions or enhancing removals of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere. These targets may be expressed in absolute terms (e.g., reducing emissions by X percent below a certain baseline year) or relative terms (e.g., reducing emissions intensity per unit of GDP).

3. Adaptation Plans: INDCs also outline strategies and measures for adapting to the impacts of climate change, such as building resilience to extreme weather events, sea-level rise, droughts, floods, and other climate-related hazards. Adaptation plans may include investments in infrastructure, ecosystem restoration, disaster risk reduction, and capacity-building initiatives.

4. Implementation and Support: INDCs may specify the policies, measures, and actions that countries plan to implement to achieve their climate goals. They may also identify the support, resources, and assistance needed from the international community to implement these actions effectively, including financial support, technology transfer, capacity-building, and technical assistance.

5. Transparency and Accountability: INDCs are subject to transparency and accountability mechanisms under the UNFCCC, which require countries to regularly report on their progress in implementing their commitments, measuring their emissions, and achieving their climate goals. Transparency ensures that countries' actions are measurable, reportable, and verifiable, enhancing trust, confidence, and cooperation among parties.

INDCs play a crucial role in the international climate negotiations and the implementation of the Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius. By outlining their climate commitments and actions through INDCs, countries contribute to the collective effort to address climate change and transition to a low-carbon, resilient, and sustainable future.