The Deep Decarbonization Pathways (DDP) project was launched in October 2013 as a joint collaboration between IDDRI and SDSN, under the leadership of Laurence Tubiana and Jeffrey Sachs. Its primary objective was to support a positive outcome at COP21, by demonstrating that country-driven deep decarbonization pathways to 2050 can be a relevant instrument to guide national ambition and actions.

To do so, a group of domestic research teams from 16 countries – all large emitting G20 countries, both developed and emerging – was gathered to elaborate country-driven pathways consistent with the global goal of stabilizing global warming to 2°C. Up to the end of 2015, this group worked on defining the methodological foundations of the DDP in response to the intrinsic challenges posed by the approach itself (ie addressing a global problem as a composite of national analyses).

A landmark report which proposes detailed analyses of energy transition pathways for each of the 16 countries, as well as a cross-country analysis of challenges, opportunities and solutions for global decarbonization consistent with a temperature limit of 2°C anchored in the realities of countries, was drafted. Through the international and in-country dissemination of these findings, the DDP contributed to the Paris Agreement. 

Following the signature of the Paris Agreement, the DDP  evolved from being a single large project to becoming an initiative made up of a diversity of projects and activities, which share the same approach and methods but operationalize them in a more diversified manner. On the analytical side, the DDP has started to consider detailed sectoral analyses, including for transport, industry and non-energy sectors such as agriculture, forest and other land uses. While keeping a strong analytical and research component, the DDP has also progressively given more importance to the engagement in country policy processes. While continuing to work extensively in large emerging countries, the DDP has covered more and more developing countries, notably in Latin America and, since 2021, in Western Africa, leading to an increased focus on socio-economic and development dimensions. Finally, the DDP has started to develop approaches that can be relevant for companies and for the finance sector, namely public development banks.