Around 110 countries have announced net zero targets — but far fewer have a comprehensive strategy to deliver them. The gap between ambition and implementation is where the real challenge lies, and closing it requires more than good targets.

NDCs and long-term low-emission development strategies are the tools governments use to translate ambition into policy — but to be credible, they need to be grounded in a clear understanding of each country's economic context, accounting for how climate action interacts with growth, employment, debt sustainability, and the availability of finance. Without that connection, even well-designed plans risk remaining aspirational.

This event the Bonn Climate Change Conference will bring together policymakers, development practitioners, and country representatives to explore how climate planning can be designed with economic realities at their core, and what it takes to move from planning to finance and delivery. Drawing on new guidance from GGGI on aligning climate and economic planning, and practical experiences from WRI's 2050 Is Now project — which supports countries in developing long-term climate and development strategies that are built to be implemented — participants will examine how governments are integrating climate plans with macro-fiscal realities, strengthening coordination across ministries, and mobilizing climate finance at scale.

Speakers

The panel will include government representatives from countries bridging the gap between ambition and implementation, who will share frontline experience of aligning long-term climate strategies and NDCs with their national economic and fiscal realities, alongside experts from GGGI and WRI.

Event organizers

The event is co-organized by the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and World Resources Institute (WRI).

Cover image by UN Women/Ryan Brown