Countries partner on national climate action plans

A new partnership dedicated to help both developing and developed countries deliver on the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change and related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) was launched today November 15, 2016 at the ongoing COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco.

The National Determined Contributions Partnership (NDC Partnership) is a new coalition of developing and developed countries and international institutions working together to ensure countries receive the technical and financial support they need to achieve ambitious climate and related sustainable development goals as fast and effectively as possible.

“National climate plans, or NDCs, are at the heart of the Paris Agreement,” said Dr. Hakima El Haite, Climate Champion and Minister Delegate in Charge of the Environment, Ministry of Energy, Mines, Water and the Environment, Morocco.

“Launching at COP22, the NDC Partnership comes at an opportune time to accelerate climate action worldwide. This Partnership is a vital, collaborative platform for helping countries embeds their NDCs into all sectors and all levels of decision-making. Through the NDC Partnership, we will also engage more of the private sector encourage South-South cooperation and make donors more responsive to countries’ needs. The NDC Partnership is exactly the sort of smart, action-oriented initiative that we need to deliver on the promise of the Paris Agreement.”

The global initiative will host a launch event at the U.N. climate negotiations in Marrakech, featuring ministers and other high-level representatives from many countries and institutions, including Climate Champions Hakima El Haite and Laurence Tubiana. At the event a diverse range of countries will announce they are joining the Partnership.

Germany will align its international climate finance – €2.7 billion from budgetary resources alone last year – to the Partnership and aims to further increase this support to €4 billion by 2020.

“The time for climate action is now,” said Dr. Gerd Müller, German Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development. “The intention behind the NDC Partnership is that we can best tackle climate change and support climate adaptation by pooling our strengths and our knowledge. If we try to go it alone in limiting global warming, we will fail. If we support each other in a real partnership, we will succeed.”

“The implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is now the urgent topic on the agenda for the international climate community, says Barbara Hendricks, German Environment Minister. “The NDC Partnership will play a vital role in coordinating and aligning efforts to support developing countries in achieving their domestic climate actions. I’m convinced that the only chance we have to limit warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius and keep 1.5 degrees Celsius goal in reach is if all parties swiftly and transparently turn their national climate plans into action and work towards more ambition.”

“Driving national climate action while accelerating economic development requires smart policies, smart politics and access to modern finance, knowledge and technology. This new dynamic partnership is designed to help. Whether boosting investments in clean technology, unlocking climate finance, or shining a light on best practices, this global coalition will help deliver support to countries when and where they need it,” said Dr. Andrew Steer, President and CEO, World Resources Institute. “The Paris Agreement has prompted a huge influx of technical assistance to accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon economy, but these programs demand greater coordination to make them efficient, ambitious and effective. The NDC Partnership will help connect the dots, ensuring these efforts are more impactful together than they would be on their own.”

The NDC Partnership enhances cooperation among nations so that developing countries have more effective access to the technical knowledge and financial support necessary to deliver on their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to address climate change and deliver on related sustainable development goals. There are many initiatives already underway focused on supporting national climate action. The Partnership aims to better align these international and in-country efforts and to improve understanding of existing resources, and will gradually expand capacity to respond to countries’ evolving needs.

“The reality is that developing countries will not reach their development goals if climate change is not addressed. We can and must work to accelerate climate and development action in tandem. That is what the NDC Partnership is all about, and that is why we are very happy to be involved,” said H.E. Vo Tuan Nhan, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment of Viet Nam.

“This partnership will help countries, technical experts, private investors, and multilateral institutions work faster and more coherently, in addressing climate and development challenges,” said Laura Tuck World Bank Group Vice President, Sustainable Development.  “It will also ensure that countries have access to the solutions that best suit their needs, and the knowledge and skills to put them into action.  We look forward to being an active member of the Partnership and contributing to its success.”

The NDC Partnership takes a three-pronged approach to driving ambitious climate action guided by country demand and priorities:

Create and disseminate insightful knowledge products that raise awareness of and enhance access to existing support initiatives, tools and resources, including finance.

Facilitate technical assistance and capacity building at national, regional and global levels by fostering greater collaboration between environment and development agencies.

Facilitate enhanced financial support of existing and new country-specific, bilateral and international NDC support programs.

The Partnership is initially co-chaired by the governments of Morocco and Germany. Membership is open to all countries and relevant international institutions. Membership is defined by support for the Partnership’s guiding principles that will help orient the Partnership’s work and that of its members. World Resources Institute hosts the support unit for the NDC Partnership.

In conjunction with today’s launch, the NDC Partnership unveiled the NDC Funding & Initiatives Navigator, the world’s most comprehensive online database of climate finance and support initiatives. Developed in collaboration the UNFCCC, the government of Morocco and the German agency GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit), the NDC Funding & Initiatives Navigator enables recipient countries to identify funds and initiatives that can accelerate climate and development action.

A better understanding of available support will also help donors make their programs more responsive and effective. As of today, the NDC Funding & Initiatives Navigator covers over 300 bilateral and multilateral funds and support initiatives relevant to implementing NDCs, spanning across 17 sectors.