Policy Proposal 5: Framework Climate Laws

A FRAMEWORK FOR CLIMATE CHANGE LAWS AND ACCOMPANYING POLICY INSTRUMENTS

As we approach COP26, State Parties will be submitting new or updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) that ought to represent each State’s highest possible ambition to fulfil their respective obligations under the Paris Agreement. While it is important for States to communicate upwardly revised NDCs, these will have little or no effect if they are not enshrined in domestic legislation. More and more countries are adopting such framework climate change laws signifying an amplified awareness from the public and from policy-makers that governments need to be held to these commitments.

In order to be meaningful and coherent, framework climate change laws should be underpinned by a series of principles to include: integration of environmental protection into all other areas of policy-making; sustainable development; just transition; energy efficiency; consistency with human rights legislation and prioritisation of nature-based solutions.

Read the full Proposal here