Prepare a brief for policy makers that makes a critical assessment of the mitigation commitments to the Paris Agreement and their implications for sustainable development.

The Paris Agreement

Assignment:  Prepare a brief for policy makers that makes a critical assessment of the mitigation commitments made by a low-income or middle-income country of your choice to the Paris Agreement and their implications for sustainable development. Guidance Content, style and format By drawing on concepts from the first five units of the module, the assignment requires you to produce a concise, factual and critical briefing paper Please include a word count of the main text. Choose a low- or middle-income country in which you have an interest or with which you are familiar.

The Paris Agreement

You may choose to focus at the national level or on a specific sector, but your aim is to inform national policy-making towards mitigation interventions that also build the resilience of the most poor and vulnerable members of society.  Briefing papers A briefing paper/policy brief is a document that is used to inform or advise a person (or group of people) in an organisation on a current policy issue which may be in need of an update or may require a strategic shift/policy change (although in some cases the issue may require affirmation/ continuity rather than change).

The Paris Agreement

Also, if the issue is not well known then the aim of the paper may simply be to better inform those concerned about the current situation/status and what is most important/critical within this. Hence you should have a clear purpose for your paper in terms of constructing a concise briefing to inform the knowledge, opinions and/or actions of a target person or group. Whatever the intended purpose, and possible direction of policy change, the author has to make a compelling case as to why the reader should wish to know more and why an issue requires further attention if change is required.

The Paris Agreement

If change is needed the author should seek to identify the actions required. Your briefing paper should be written for an educated but non-specialist audience that is attractive and easy to read. Provide definitions of key terms, case study examples, diagrams, figures, tables and maps, as needed, presented in boxes set into the main text. A professional standard for citations and bibliography should be employed – any direct quotations should be correctly referenced. The presentation of your paper should be professional and clear to read. A briefing paper is thus not a conventional essay analysing a prescribed question or discussion topic.

The Paris Agreement

It is not a research paper of historical events or a comparison of basic facts. It does however have to be properly referenced, structured and analytical. Ideally there should be a strong element of empirical and critical analysis paired with a degree of creativity with the aim to convey a practitioner-friendly analysis followed by a set of policy recommendations. Structuring your paper Your brief should include: ● A title that quickly communicates the content of the brief in a memorable way and includes the name of your chosen country. ● An abstract (or executive summary) that summarises all the key points of the issues, options and recommendations (250 words*).  https://youtu.be/1DdfNU5iATU

The Paris Agreement

An introduction that outlines the context or scope of the issues and the necessity of policy action (300-400words*). ● Concise definitions and explanations of technical or ambiguous terms. ● An outline of the current policy approach in line with commitment to the Paris Agreement. ● Detailed and critical analysis of opportunities and challenges of mitigation policies, along with potential trade-offs and synergies (or co-benefits and disbenefits), for adaptation and sustainable development. This is the main content of your brief.  Clear and concrete policy recommendations to address the issues.

The Paris Agreement

The reasoning for your recommendations and their prioritisation should be clear (300 words*). ● Bibliography of every reference cited in your text. (* these word limits are indicative and will not incur any penalties) Assessment criteria In specific criteria for this exercise, higher marks to be awarded for: ● The depth, technical accuracy and example appropriateness/fit of points given and critical arguments made; ● The effective use of data and examples including international comparisons;  Standards and attractiveness of presentation, and for effectiveness as a ‘briefing paper’ as conceived above.

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