The United States of America Nationally Determined Contribution

2035 NDC. 9 NATIONALLY DETERMINED CONTRIBUTION The nationally determined contribution of the United States of America is: To achieve an economy-wide target of reducing its net greenhouse gas emissions by 61-66 percent below 2005 levels in 2035. 10 INFORMATION FOR CLARITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND UNDERSTANDING Recalling Article 4.8 of the Paris Agreement, as well as decision 4/CMA1 and its Annex 1, the United States provides the following descriptive and contextual information to enhance the clarity, transparency, and understanding of the United States’ NDC. Information to facilitate clarity, transparency and understanding of the United States nationally determined contribution 1. Quantifiable information on the reference point (including, as appropriate, a base year) a Reference year(s), base 2005 year(s), reference period(s) or other starting point(s); b Quantifiable information United States net emissions in 2005, as published in the on the reference Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks indicators, their values in (“Inventory”) on an annual basis. the reference year(s), base year(s), reference At the time of submission, this value is reported as 6,587 period(s) or other million tonnes CO2e in the Inventory submitted April 11 starting point(s), and, as 2024. This value may be adjusted in the future as applicable, in the target described below in 1(f). year; c For strategies, plans and n/a actions referred to in Article 4, paragraph 6, of the Paris Agreement, or policies and measures as components of nationally determined contributions where paragraph 1(b) above is not applicable, Parties to provide other relevant information; d Target relative to the A 61-66 percent reduction below 2005 net emissions reference indicator, levels. expressed numerically, for example in percentage or amount of reduction; 11 e Information on sources Information sources of data on greenhouse gas emissions of data used in and removals as reported in the Inventory on an annual quantifying the basis. reference point(s); At the time of submission, Annex 6.4 of the Inventory submitted on April 11, 2024, linked here, contains a full list of sources of data for the Inventory. f Information on the Consistent with IPCC good practice guidance, and circumstances under paragraph 28 of decision 18/CMA.1, Annex I, the United which the Party may States is committed to improving the quality of its update the values of the inventory and will perform recalculations to the inventory reference indicators time series as needed to reflect the latest data and to maintain methodological consistency over time. The carbon dioxide equivalent mass of net greenhouse gas emissions used as a basis in tracking progress towards the NDC target will be the 2005 net emissions reported in the most recent Inventory at the time of submission of the relevant biennial transparency report (BTR). 2. Time frames and/or periods for implementation a Time frame and/or 20351 period for implementation, including start and end date; b Whether it is a single- Single-year target year or multi-year target, as applicable. 3. Scope and Coverage: a General description of Economy-wide target of reducing net greenhouse gas the target; emissions by 61-66 percent below 2005 levels in 2035 b Sectors, gases, categories The NDC is economy-wide. It reflects all sectors and and pools covered by the categories of anthropogenic emissions and removals as nationally determined reported in the Inventory, and all greenhouse gases contribution, including, covered by the IPCC 2006 guidelines. Specifically, the as applicable, consistent NDC includes: with • All sectors, as defined by the IPCC 2006 Intergovernmental Panel guidelines; on Climate Change • All greenhouse gases included in the IPCC (IPCC) guidelines; 2006 guidelines;

1 As described in Section 5, progress towards the implementation of the NDC will be tracked using annual net GHG emissions for 2031 through 2035, compared with net greenhouse gas emissions for 2005. The achievement of the NDC will be assessed by comparing net greenhouse gas emissions for 2035 with net greenhouse gas emissions for 2005. 12 • All categories, as included in the IPCC 2006 guidelines, occurring in the United States; • All carbon pools, as included in Volume 5 of the IPCC 2006 guidelines. c How the Party has taken The United States has included all categories of into consideration anthropogenic emissions or removals occurring in the paragraph 31(c) United States in its NDC. No source, sink, or activity that and (d) of decision was included in the previous version of the NDC has been 1/CP.21; excluded. d Mitigation co-benefits n/a resulting from Parties’ adaptation efforts and/or economic diversification plans, including description of specific projects, measures and or initiatives of Parties adaptation actions and/or economic diversification plans 4. Planning Processes a Information on the planning processes that the Party undertook to prepare its nationally determined contribution and, if available, on the Party’s implementation plans including, as appropriate: a(i) Domestic institutional arrangements, public The development of the United States 2035 NDC participation and engaged a whole-of-government process, led by the engagement with local White House Climate Policy Office and National communities and Climate Advisor with the Senior Advisor for indigenous peoples, in a International Climate Policy and the State Department’s gender-responsive Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Climate. manner; The process included a bottom-up analysis of existing and potential policies and measures at the federal level, including recent legislation and regulations, as well as an analysis of subnational and private sector policy and investment. The exercise also accounted for capital stock turnover, technology trends, cost evolution, and infrastructure needs. The analysis considered multiple pathways to achieving emissions reductions and enhanced sequestration across all greenhouse gas sources and sinks, including: 13 • The energy sector including electricity, transportation, buildings, and industry; • Land sector emissions and removals, including sequestration by forests and soil carbon, as well as other opportunities for emissions reductions, such as ocean-based solutions; • Waste sector emissions; and • Non-CO2 greenhouse gases, including hydrofluorocarbons, methane, and N2O. In addition to the emission reductions included in the Inventory and as part of the NDC, the United States continues to explore opportunities to advance reductions in other warming agents including tropospheric ozone precursors and black carbon. In the United States, the impacts of the climate crisis, as well as opportunities for economic growth, entrepreneurship, and innovation rooted in efforts to decrease emissions, are not experienced equally. Women, girls, and gender-diverse persons are underrepresented, including in decision-making roles, in myriad sectors such as electricity, agriculture, transportation, ocean-based industries, and disaster recovery, which limits overall the innovation and emission reduction potential. In addition to the technical and economic analysis, the National Climate Advisor and the White House Climate Policy Office managed an interagency process involving the range of agencies with climate equities. The National Climate Advisor and White House Climate Policy Office also consulted a range of other stakeholder groups representing a diversity of advocates and activists. These included youth representatives; the unions that collectively bargain for millions of Americans; scientists; businesses across a range of industries and sectors; schools and institutions of higher education; as well as many specialized researchers focused on questions related to emission reduction pathways. The White House further consulted a range of subnational governmental leaders including governors, mayors, and tribal leaders, taking into account goals, policies, and investments set at all levels of society when identifying opportunities for future net emissions reductions. Following this analysis, modeling, and consultation, the NDC was approved by President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. 14 Implementation Plans The 2035 NDC target presented here reflects an ambitious goal that will keep the United States on a path to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and is consistent with a global trajectory to a 1.5°C future. Achieving this target will require a comprehensive suite of policies and measures, with substantial contributions from subnational governments and the private sector. It will depend on investments by both the private and public sectors into accelerating the deployment of net emission- reducing technologies and practices, and research into the new technologies that will deliver the necessary breakthroughs in coming years. Success will also draw on the market shifts, and changes in consumer preferences, that reflect a growing society-wide recognition of the urgency of and the growing impacts of the climate crisis. The IRA and BIL form the backbone of the suite of existing federal legislation and investments that are contributing to the achievement the 2035 NDC target. Together, the IRA and BIL are already driving significant emissions reductions across the economy. The BIL supports foundational investments in the U.S. clean energy economy in all 50 states, including for upgrading the power grid to transmit more clean energy and withstand extreme weather; building a nationwide network of electric vehicle chargers; improving public transit and passenger rail; deploying zero-emission school and transit buses; weatherizing low-income homes; cleaning up legacy pollution; supporting demonstration projects and research hubs for next-generation clean technologies; and funding for a variety of ecosystem restoration efforts to support healthy national forests and grasslands. The IRA represents a historic investment in climate action across the country through a combination of tax credits, direct federal spending, competitive grants, and loan programs. It includes a wide variety of provisions driving public and private investment and growth in clean energy in the United States. Key provisions include tax incentives for the production of zero-emissions energy; grants to bolster the energy grid; support for lower-emission ports and electric vehicle and battery manufacturing; tax incentives for building energy efficiency; consumer incentives for adoption of electric vehicles, purchases of efficient electric appliances, and installation of residential 15 solar and home energy efficiency improvements; tax incentives for advanced energy technologies, carbon capture and sequestration, clean hydrogen, and clean fuels; and support for conservation of national forest lands, urban tree planting, and climate-smart agriculture practices. The IRA also provides tax incentives to encourage private sector investment in manufacturing of clean energy technologies; federal support including grants and loans to support financing that helps accelerate clean technologies in the marketplace; and programs that provide direct support to American communities, including technical assistance to U.S. jurisdictions including Tribal Nations to encourage equitable access to clean technology and investment. The BIL and IRA work in concert, boosting investments in clean manufacturing facilities, creating jobs and reducing consumer costs while driving net emissions reductions. In many areas, the BIL provides key foundations that will enable IRA provisions to drive emissions reductions. For example, power grid upgrades and electric vehicle charging equipment funded by BIL will help unlock the impacts of IRA tax credits for clean energy generation and electric vehicle purchases, by providing the supportive infrastructure necessary for deployment. The BIL and IRA are critical components of the action that will contribute to achieving the U.S. 2035 NDC target, but they do not stand alone. A host of complementary policies and regulations have already been put in place using authorities from the Clean Air Act and other laws. For example, in 2024 the EPA finalized new vehicle emission limits for passenger cars, light trucks, pickups and vans for Model Years 2027-2032. The EPA also finalized power plant emissions standards. Standards were put in place to regulate methane emissions from oil and gas facilities. These federal policies and measures are already spurring diverse and ambitious action by a wide range of other stakeholders. Analysts estimate that more than $450 billion in clean energy investments have been announced since the enactment of the BIL and IRA, generating more than 330,000 jobs. As just one example, investment in U.S. battery manufacturing tripled after the enactment of the IRA. At the state level, California finalized rules 16 requiring zero emissions from all in-state passenger vehicles sales by 2035; 12 other states have adopted similar rules. States such as Michigan and Minnesota have also passed landmark laws establishing carbon-free electricity standards. The United States has focused on ensuring that its investments in climate action also address economic and social inequalities, and create opportunities for communities that have been disadvantaged. The IRA includes historic investments in programs to improve public health, reduce pollution, and revitalize communities that are marginalized, underserved, and overburdened by pollution. The IRA also places a strong focus on creating good-paying jobs, for example through tax incentives and funding opportunities that encourage projects to pay prevailing wages and use registered apprenticeship programs. The Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF), Climate Pollution Reduction Grants (CPRG), and Environmental Justice Block Grants are helping U.S. jurisdictions and communities across the country – particularly low-income and disadvantaged communities – reduce GHG emissions and other pollution that harms public health. More broadly, the Justice40 Initiative aims to deliver at least 40 percent of the benefits of climate, clean energy, and clean water investments to disadvantaged communities. Policy and programming are also guided by the U.S. National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality, and the U.S. Strategy to Respond to the Effects of Climate Change on Women. These efforts are already delivering significant net emissions reductions across the economy. Yet additional action will be needed by all stakeholders, at all levels of society, to deliver the net emissions reductions embodied in the U.S. 2035 NDC, and to help ensure the world is on a pathway to a 1.5°C future. a(ii) Contextual matters, including, inter alia, as appropriate: a(ii)a a. National The United States is the largest economy in the world and circumstances, such as the third largest country in terms of population and geography, climate, geographic area. The United States is a federal republic of economy, sustainable 50 states. The Constitution of the United States assigns development and certain powers to the federal government, with other poverty responsibilities devolved to the states. Local governments eradication; are charged with governance responsibilities at the corresponding level of subnational government. Indian 17 Tribal governments exercise governmental authority over a broad range of internal and territorial affairs. This shared responsibility for policy in areas such as economic growth, energy development, transportation, land use planning, and natural resource use creates the opportunity for action at multiple levels. The United States federal government is divided into three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. Each branch of government is assigned specific authorities and plays distinct roles in enacting, implementing, and adjudicating laws and regulations. This same three-branch structure is also replicated at the state level, and often at lower levels of government as well. This structure creates a system of “checks and balances,” which shapes the development and implementation of policy. Responsibility for addressing energy, environment, and climate change- related issues within the federal government cuts across each of the three branches within their assigned constitutional roles. The estimated population of the United States as of 2023 was 334.9 million, making the United States the third most populous country. This represents an increase of over 30 percent above 1990 levels. From 2022-2023, the United States population grew at a rate of 0.5 percent. reflecting both net births and net international migration. By 2050 the total population of the United States is expected to reach nearly 400 million people. This estimate reflects United States Census Bureau assumptions that growth rates will decline slightly over the coming decades. The population is not evenly distributed across the country; rather, the distribution of the population is affected by a series of biogeophysical, climactic, social, and economic factors. With a mainland bounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west, Canada to the north, and Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, the United States is a large and diverse country. Its 9,192,000 square kilometers (3,548,112 square miles) are spread across six time zones. Given the size and extent of United States territory, its biogeophysical profile is diverse. Ecosystems range from the Arctic tundras of northern Alaska to the tropical forests of Hawaii and the overseas United States territories. Approximately 60 percent of land in the United States is privately owned. Another 28 percent is owned and managed by the federal government, 18 and the federal government has conserved more than 45 million acres of lands and waters in the last four years. This area includes protected areas such as national parks, wilderness areas, wildlife refuges, and monuments; national forests; rangelands; and other public lands. Approximately 8 percent of land is owned and managed by state and local governments, and 3 percent is held in trust for Native Americans by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. From 2005 to 2022, total net greenhouse gas emissions fell at an average annual rate of 0.9 percent, despite continued economic and population growth. This decline reflects the combined impacts of policies, measures, and investments (e.g., tax credit incentives for clean energy generation, efficiency standards for vehicles and appliances, tax credits incentives for building efficiency improvements), and energy market and technological trends. The United States is the world’s second-largest producer and consumer of energy. This creates significant opportunities to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency, electrification of end-uses that currently burn fossil fuels, and carbon-free energy supply. The United States is a leader in clean energy innovation and deployment, with recent increases in investment into research, development, demonstration, and deployment of clean energy, other greenhouse-gas mitigating activities, and technologies to support resilience and adaptation to the changing climate. In the United States, the amount of energy used per unit of economic output (energy intensity) has declined steadily for many years. The amount of CO2 emissions associated with energy consumption (carbon intensity) has generally declined since 2008; in 2022 it was over 13 percent lower than in 1990. The evolving energy mix has a direct impact on greenhouse gas emissions, with carbon intensity declining largely as a result of a decrease in the consumption of carbon-intensive fuels, and an increase in lower- or zero- carbon fuels. In 2022, United States renewable energy surpassed coal and nuclear in the U.S electric power sector, largely driven by increases in wind and solar capacity. By 2023, renewables represented approximately 19 21 percent of electric power produced. This was more than double the renewable generation in 2010, with more than 90 percent of the increase in renewables over the past decade coming from wind and solar generation. Total carbon-free generation in 2020 represented approximately 40 percent of total United States electricity generation. In 2016, the United States transportation became the leading source of greenhouse gas emissions, and represented 28 percent of 2022 gross United States greenhouse gas emissions. Transportation emissions have grown significantly since 1990, in large part due to increased demand for travel. The power sector still represented 25 percent of total gross greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, though its carbon intensity has fallen rapidly over the past decade. The industrial sector as a whole, excluding emissions from electricity used by industry but generated offsite, represented 23 percent of total gross greenhouse gases in 2022. As a result of energy efficiency improvements and other structural factors – including shifts in industrial output away from energy-intensive manufacturing products to less energy-intensive products (e.g., from steel to computer equipment), the carbon intensity from direct fossil fuel combustion in the industrial sector has declined 8 percent between 1990 and 2022. Agriculture, which accounted for about 10 percent of U.S. emissions in 2022, remains a critical industry in the United States. United States farmers and ranchers produce food and fiber crops, feed grains, oil seeds, fruits and vegetables, and other agricultural commodities for domestic consumption and export. While the area under harvest today is roughly the same area as was harvested at the beginning of the 20th century, United States agriculture now feeds a population three times larger and still exports additional product. Emissions from agriculture come from a number of sources, including soil, fertilizer use, enteric fermentation, and manure. Agricultural soil management activities, such as fertilizer application and other cropping practices, were the largest source of United States nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions in 2022, accounting for 75 percent of emissions of this gas. However, soils also have the potential to sequester and store large quantities of carbon, reducing atmospheric CO2 concentrations. N2O from fertilizer use and methane 20 from farm animals’ enteric fermentation and manure are other large sources of emissions. Forests play a key role in the economy, ecology, and culture of the United States, with the approximately 290 million hectares of forest comprising the fourth largest forest area of any country in the world. This area has remained fairly stable since the beginning of the 20th century, even as the population of the country tripled. In recent decades, the area of forest land has even increased slightly. The dynamics vary from region to region. In the East, active farmland is decreasing and returning to a forested state. In 2022, total net sequestration from land use, land use change, and forests was approximately 854 million metric tonnes of CO2e, which offset approximately 15 percent of total United States greenhouse gas emissions. Sequestration was primarily the result of carbon uptake by standing United States forests, forest management, increased tree cover in urban areas, storage in harvested wood products, and the management of agricultural soils. a(ii)b Best practices and The United States developed its 2035 NDC to be both experience related to the ambitious and achievable. It builds on current policies and preparation of the regulations, investments and programs, while recognizing nationally determined the need to accelerate the pace of emissions reductions contribution; across society, and the potential to capitalize on quickly evolving technological capacities. As such, the NDC is built on the premise that there are multiple pathways to achieving the expected level of emissions reductions, and that these pathways are based on action by a range of stakeholders, from cities, states and Tribes to private companies across diverse sectors to civil society. The U.S. NDC promotes the achievement of the Paris Agreement’s aims, including pursuing efforts to limit global average temperature increase to 1.5°Celsius, as well as the need to drive toward net zero global emissions no later than 2050. In doing so, it reflects the critical messages of the first global stocktake, concluded in December 2023. The NDC was developed based on sector-by-sector assessments of emission reduction potential informed by a whole-of-government process. Economy-wide projections about future greenhouse gas emissions were conducted using a detailed, bottom-up system dynamics 21 model accounting for capital stock turnover timelines and relative costs of technology and equipment in each greenhouse gas emitting sector of the economy. It also considered and compared against economy-wide modeling from external research. The analysis considered the emissions reducing benefits from federal actions, including standards, investments, incentives, taxes, programs, and support for innovation. The assessments also included consideration of contributions from subnational actions, noting that state, local, territorial, and Tribal governments contribute substantially under the United States federal system to national efforts to reduce emissions, as does the private sector. As described in above, the U.S. federal system divides policy authorities across multiple governance levels. As a result, substantial policy authorities exist within subnational governments for both setting new and additional ambitious goals, passing new climate-related legislation covering their jurisdictions, and implementing policies. For example, states have substantial authorities over electricity sector energy mix and grid management, and cities, counties, and local governments have substantial authorities over transportation policy, zoning and growth, and waste sector. Experience has demonstrated the central importance of action across these subnational governance levels in delivering more robust and effective emissions reduction outcomes. Subnational authorities have also demonstrated the capacity and willingness to collaborate with each other on policy design to reduce emissions. In addition, other actors such as businesses and investment communities play a critical role in supporting and achieving ambitious goals. Analysis shows that continued and enhanced action from subnational governments and other actors can contribute significantly to achievement of U.S. emissions reduction goals in 2035 and 2050. These analyses show that the United States’ NDC can be achieved through a variety of policy and investment pathways undertaken by different levels of government, including renewed federal government action in the latter half of the decade, as well as the private sector. These include by investing in energy and building efficiency; electrifying transport, buildings, and industry; 22 accelerating the transition to clean power; reducing methane leaks from oil and gas production and landfills; addressing direct greenhouse gas emissions from industrial processes; promoting climate smart agriculture and forestry; investing in research and innovation, and other priorities. These actions will also create good jobs, improve public health, and help to advance equity and achieve domestic environmental justice priorities. The United States has already demonstrated that policies and investments in clean energy expansion, stronger electrical grids and storage, zero-emission transportation infrastructure, cleaner industrial processes, efficient electrified buildings, plugging methane leaks, restoring forests, enhancing climate-smart agricultural practices, and supporting research in next generation technologies deliver net emissions reductions in the near term. These actions provide the confidence needed for American firms to invest in, develop, and deploy the innovative greenhouse gas-reducing solutions that will keep the United States on a path to achieve net zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050. a(ii)c Other contextual n/a aspirations and priorities acknowledged when joining the Paris Agreement; b Specific information n/a applicable to Parties, including regional economic integration organizations and their member States, that have reached an agreement to act jointly under Article 4, paragraph 2, of the Paris Agreement, including the Parties that agreed to act jointly and the terms of the agreement, in accordance with Article 4, paragraphs 16 18, of the Paris Agreement; 23 c How the Party’s The outcomes of the first global stocktake have informed preparation of its the approach the United States has taken to set its 2035 nationally determined NDC target and will continue to inform the policy, contribution has been program, and investment strategies that will contribute to informed by the the achievement of this target. The global stocktake outcomes of the global outcome included critical messaging on the urgency of stocktake, in accordance action to set the world on a pathway to limit global with Article 4, paragraph warming to 1.5°C, a summary of the current science, and 9, of the Paris a reflection of key global mitigation pathways. These Agreement; messages framed the design of the U.S. 2035 NDC. Decision 1/CMA.5 encourages Parties to come forward in their next nationally determined contributions with ambitious, economy-wide emission reduction targets, covering all greenhouse gases, sectors and categories and aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5°C, as informed by the latest science, in the light of different national circumstances (paragraph 39). It further encourages Parties to align their next nationally determined contributions with long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies (paragraph 40). The United States 2035 NDC is an absolute, economy-wide emission reduction target that covers all greenhouse gases, sectors and categories. It is fully aligned with limiting global warming to 1.5°C, falling within the U.S.- specific pathways to 1.5°C with limited or no overshoot, as included in the IPCC 6th Assessment Report. If all governments affirm or set net zero goals for 2070 or earlier accounting for all greenhouse gases—and establish straight line or steeper trajectories to implement them— global temperatures would likely fall below 1.5°C by 2100. Decision 1/CMA.5 also pointed to a number of critical global mitigation efforts that would contribute to deep, rapid, and sustained reductions in greenhouse gas emissions in line with 1.5°C pathways. A number of these are relevant to current mitigation efforts in the United States and have informed the analysis used to develop our

2035 NDC target. These mitigation opportunities will also inform climate action in the coming years. Highlights of U.S. policies, measures and investments from a range of stakeholders include: 24 • investing in developing and deploying clean energy technologies and complementary technologies, strengthening the grid and storage capacity needed to expand U.S. clean energy capacity, and accelerating the deployment of zero- and low-emission technologies. Electricity generation from wind grew by 253 percent from 2013 to 2023, while generation from utility-scale solar facilities grew 1,833 percent over the same period. • accelerating the rate of electrification and energy efficiency improvements across sectors, including incentives for efficient materials and electrification for new buildings and retrofits; increases in electrification and efficiency in industrial processes, and transportation electrification. • U.S. coal production fell nearly 24 percent from 2018 as a result of market trends and policy, and the United States will increase the deployment of clean energy sources while providing pathways for coal industry workers transition to new, sound livelihoods. • incentivizing adoption of zero- and low-emission vehicles, supporting research into new technologies, and investing in the infrastructure needed for the rapid scaling of zero emission road transportation, as well as in rail, shipping, and aviation. • while not setting NDC sub-targets for individual gases, the United States anticipates, as part of achieving its 2035 NDC emissions target, methane reductions of at least 35 percent below 2005 levels in 2035, as well as significant emissions reductions from other non-carbon dioxide super pollutants during the same period, which will contribute to the achievement of the U.S. NDC target. • consistent with the global goal to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030, and conserve and restore other terrestrial and marine ecosystems, launching plans to conserve, connect and restore at least 30 percent of its lands and waters by 2030, including by conserving and restoring all old-growth forests across the National Forest System. 25 • planning to achieve a carbon pollution-free power sector by 2035 and net zero emissions economy by no later than 2050. The efforts above are all undertaken with an awareness of the opportunity to drive economic growth, job creation, and human wellbeing for all Americans, and especially those that have been disadvantaged, through the policies and investments that will also deliver net emissions reductions. For example, the Justice40 initiative has set a goal that 40 percent of the overall benefits of certain Federal climate, clean energy, affordable and sustainable housing, and other investments flow to disadvantaged communities that are marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened by pollution. This is being implemented by U.S. agencies for all relevant domestic investment. Though not a focus of this document, the United States provides support to a range of countries seeking to contribute to similar global efforts, including in response to the first global stocktake. This support is summarized in the U.S. Biennial Transparency Report. d Each Party with a n/a nationally determined contribution under Article 4 of the Paris Agreement that consists of adaptation action and/or economic diversification plans resulting in mitigation cobenefits consistent with Article 4, paragraph 7, of the Paris Agreement to submit information on: d(i) How the economic and n/a social consequences of response measures have been considered in developing the nationally determined contribution; 26 d(ii) Specific projects, n/a measures and activities to be implemented to contribute to mitigation cobenefits, including information on adaptation plans that also yield mitigation co- benefits, which may cover, but are not limited to, key sectors, such as energy, resources, water resources, coastal resources, human settlements and urban planning, agriculture and forestry; and economic diversification actions, which may cover, but are not limited to, sectors such as manufacturing and industry, energy and mining, transport and communication, construction, tourism, real estate, agriculture and fisheries. 5. Assumptions and methodological approaches, including those for estimating and accounting for anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions and, as appropriate, removals a Assumptions and The United States intends to apply a net-net accounting methodological approach in accounting for the NDC. Net emissions in the approaches used for target year will be compared against net emissions in the accounting for base year to calculate the percentage emissions reductions anthropogenic achieved. Consistent with Articles 4 and 6 of the Paris greenhouse gas Agreement and any applicable guidance, in tracking emissions and removals progress towards and accounting for the NDC, the United corresponding to the States intends to make corresponding adjustments for any Party’s nationally internationally transferred mitigation outcomes that the determined contribution, United States Government authorizes for use towards consistent with decision NDCs, and for mitigation outcomes that the United States 1/CP.21, paragraph 31, authorizes for other international mitigation purposes. and accounting guidance adopted by the CMA; The estimates of emissions and removals used in accounting for the NDC are those reported in the 27 Inventory, which follows IPCC good practice guidance and the guidance included in Section II of the Annex to decision 18/CMA.1. The definitions, data sources, and models used to estimate net emissions are those described in the Inventory. The most recent submission can be found here: https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2024- 04/us-ghg-inventory-2024-main-text_04-18-2024.pdf In accounting for the NDC on a net-net basis using the estimates of economy-wide emissions and removals reported in the Inventory, and consistent with the inventory guidance contained in the Annex to decision 18/CMA.1, the United States’ accounting approach strives for transparency, accuracy, completeness, and consistency, and promotes environmental integrity. The accounting approach described above is consistent with Article 4.13 of the Paris Agreement, decision 4/CMA.1, paragraphs 13-17, and Annex II to that decision. The estimates of emissions and removals used in accounting for the NDC are those reported in the Inventory, which follows IPCC guidance and guidelines, and the guidelines included in Section II of the Annex to decision 18/CMA.1. b Assumptions and n/a methodological approaches used for accounting for the implementation of policies and measures or strategies in the nationally determined contribution; c If applicable, Please see the information below on the approach to information on how the natural disturbances (e)(i) and harvested wood products Party will take into (e)(ii), both of which take into account existing methods account existing methods and guidance under the Convention. and guidance under the Convention to account for anthropogenic emissions and removals, in accordance with Article 4, paragraph 14, of the Paris Agreement, as appropriate; 28 d IPCC methodologies and In accounting for the NDC, the United States intends to metrics used for use the IPCC 2006 guidelines, as well as the 2013 estimating anthropogenic Supplement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National greenhouse gas Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Wetlands and the 2019 emissions and Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National removals; Greenhouse Gas Inventories, for estimating anthropogenic emissions and removals. The United States will also use the 100-year time-horizon global warming potential listed in table 8.A.1 of the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, excluding the value for fossil methane. This is consistent with decisions 4/CMA.1, 18/CMA.1, and 5/CMA.3, and would be updated to reflect any updated IPCC guidelines or common metrics that may be decided upon by the CMA in the future. e Sector-, category- or activity-specific assumptions, methodologies and approaches consistent with IPCC guidance, as appropriate, including, as applicable: e(i) Approach to addressing The United States may address emissions and subsequent emissions and removals from natural disturbances on managed lands in subsequent removals accounting for its NDC. Should such an approach be used, from natural the same methodology will be applied for both the base disturbances on managed year (2005) and target year (2035). lands; The emissions and subsequent removals from such natural disturbances would be included in the national totals of the Inventory. Any approach used to address emissions and removals from natural disturbances will be consistent with the guidance included in the IPCC 2006 guidelines and any subsequent version or refinement, as applicable, and will draw on best practices generated by Parties that have addressed natural disturbances under the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol. These include: • Reporting the CO2 and non-CO2 effects of natural disturbances where natural disturbances occur on lands that are subject to land-use change following the disturbance. • Reporting emissions from salvage logging. • Reflecting the same methodological approach to addressing natural disturbances in estimations for the base year and the target year. e(ii) Approach used to The United States intends to use a production approach account for emissions consistent with the IPCC 2006 Guidelines to estimate and removals from emissions and removals from Harvested Wood Products, consistent with paragraph 56 of the Annex to decision 29 harvested wood 18/CMA.1. The methodology is described in detail in the products; Inventory. e(iii) Approach used to n/a address the effects of age-class structure in forests; f Other assumptions and methodological approaches used for understanding the nationally determined contribution and, if applicable, estimating corresponding emissions and removals, including: f(i) How the reference The reference indicator for the NDC is net greenhouse gas indicators, baseline(s) emissions in 2005, as published in the Inventory on an and/or reference level(s), annual basis. including, where applicable, sector-, The definitions, data sources, and models used to estimate category- or activity- net emissions are those described in the Inventory. specific reference levels, are constructed, including, for example, key parameters, assumptions, definitions, methodologies, data sources and models used; f(ii) For Parties with n/a nationally determined contributions that contain non greenhouse-gas components, information on assumptions and methodological approaches used in relation to those components, as applicable; f(iii) For climate forcers n/a included in nationally determined contributions not covered by IPCC guidelines, information on how the climate forcers are estimated; 30 f(iv) Further technical n/a information, as necessary; g The intention to use Should the United States decide to use voluntary voluntary cooperation cooperation towards achievement of its target or to under Article 6 of the authorize the use of internationally transferred mitigation Paris Agreement, if outcomes towards the NDCs of other Parties, it would applicable. report on such use or authorization through its biennial transparency reports and consistent with any guidance adopted under Article 6. 6. How the Party considers that its nationally determined contribution is fair and ambitious in the light of its national circumstances a How the Party considers The United States’ NDC is aligned with limiting global that its nationally warming to 1.5°C, as encouraged by the outcome of the determined contribution first global stocktake. The target falls within the range of is fair and ambitious in U.S.-specific pathways to global 1.5°C warming included the light of its national in the IPCC 6th Assessment Report. It keeps the United circumstances; States on a straight line or steeper path to achieve its long- term strategy goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050. Moreover, the target that is consistent with the global trajectory set out in the IPCC 6th Assessment Report for limiting global warming to 1.5°C with no or limited overshoot. While this submission does not set NDC sub-targets for individual gases, the United States anticipates, as part of achieving its 2035 NDC emissions target, methane reductions of at least 35 percent from 2005 levels in 2035. This increases the likelihood of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C, as it yields rapid temperature reduction benefits relative to CO2 mitigation, which may prove particularly valuable in managing mid-century peak warming. Moreover, these benefits can be sustained indefinitely through on-going methane mitigation. b Fairness considerations, See 6(a) including reflecting on equity; c How the Party has The United States’ 2035 NDC target represents a addressed Article 4, significant progression beyond its target of an economy- paragraph 3, of the Paris wide target of reducing its net greenhouse gas emissions Agreement; by 50-52 percent below 2005 levels in 2030. The 2035 31 target is set to achieve the highest level of ambition possible from the United States, building on current policies, measures, and investments, and foreseeing additional investment action across all aspects of the economy to achieve economy-wide emissions reductions of 61-66 percent below 2005 levels in 2035. d How the Party has The NDC is an absolute economy-wide emissions addressed Article 4, reduction target. paragraph 4, of the Paris Agreement; e How the Party has n/a addressed Article 4, paragraph 6, of the Paris Agreement. 7. How the nationally determined contribution contributes towards achieving the objective of the Convention as set out in its Article 2 a How the nationally As noted above, the U.S. 2035 NDC target is aligned with determined contribution limiting global warming to 1.5°C, and keeps the United contributes towards States on a straight-line or steeper path to achieve net-zero achieving the objective greenhouse gas emissions, economy-wide, by no later of the Convention as set than 2050. The achievement of this target would therefore out in its Article 2; contribute substantially towards achieving the ultimate objective of the UNFCCC of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, and within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner. b How the nationally As noted above, the United States’ NDC is consistent with determined contribution the Paris Agreement temperature goal of holding the contributes towards increase in the global average temperature to well below Article 2, paragraph 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to 1(a), and Article 4, limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre- paragraph 1, of the Paris industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly Agreement. reduce the risks and impacts of climate change (Article 2.1(a)). This NDC is expected to put the United States on a path to achieve net-zero emissions, economy-wide, by no later than 2050, which would contribute substantially to the aim outlined in Article 4.1 to reach global peaking of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible, and to 32 undertake rapid reductions thereafter in accordance with best available science, so as to achieve a balance between anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of greenhouse gases in the second half of this century. 33