Nationally determined contributions (NDCs) were key to adopting the 2015 Paris Agreement and will be central to its implementation. NDCs outline countries' ambitions and priorities for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and often include ambitions on adaptation, too. Costs of NDC implementation are high, and mitigation and adaptation contributions outlined in the NDCs of developing countries are often conditional upon receiving international support. While support from the international community has addressed some capacity gaps, many conditional NDCs of low-income countries have finance, capacity-building, and technological needs. Recipient countries are hindered by the lack of accurate monitoring of climate finance flows, which prevents them from making more informed decisions about planning, prioritization, allocation of climate change resources, and measuring and evaluating progress.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc, the world’s energies are rightly focused on efforts to contain the virus and manage the economic fallout. Yet, in the background, the climate emergency remains as urgent as ever. Climate change vulnerabilities, especially in developing coutries, continue to exacerbate the impacts of the COVDI-19. In the coming weeks and months, resources will be directed to support economic recovery programmes as well as more resilient development planning and risk preparedness. In this, Governments have the chance to tailor their recovery programmes to invest in the reduction of emissions and climate-resilient development. There is an opportunity for developing countries especially in Africa to renew actions towards meeting their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and for the world to achieve the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement.
