Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) are a valuable instrument for countries to communicate adaptation priorities and bring international attention to adaptation needs. This paper discusses the adaptation components of the updated NDCs for the 2020-2021 submission cycle. Using a comprehensive qualitative assessment framework, it examines the updated NDCs and compares them to the first round of submissions. By understanding how the NDCs have changed, the paper contributes to a growing literature on adaptation ambition and assessment.

This report takes stock of countries’ latest NDCs and examines how these commitments have evolved since the Paris Agreement entered into force, identifying overall trends and pinpointing the elements where further action is needed. It finds that countries are making incremental progress on strengthening their NDCs, but what we really need to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement is urgent transformational change.

Understanding how countries develop the adaptation components of their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) is helpful for informing how they are strengthened in each update cycle. This paper analyzes the process used to develop the updated NDC adaptation components in four countries: Cambodia, Rwanda, Colombia, and Fiji. It investigates whether and how seven qualitative factors were evident in each country’s NDC development process. The findings highlight good practices and lessons for developing future adaptation NDCs.