From 12 to 16 August, RCC Asia-Pacific is partnering with the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and the NDC Partnership to deliver the Driving Climate Ambition in the Pacific: NDCs 3.0 Regional Forum in Apia, Samoa, along with the Regional Capacity-Building Workshop on Carbon Pricing and Article 6 Training for the Pacific.

Hosted by the Government of Samoa, the Forum will engage technical personnel from Pacific countries responsible for preparing NDCs, reporting on transparency, and advancing the Article 6 process under the Paris Agreement. This event is also open to other participants from Parties and Non-Party Stakeholders in the Pacific.

Objectives

A week-long event will spotlight climate change impacts in the region, highlight the importance of regionally-specific, locally-driven mitigation efforts, and discuss ways to accelerate climate action and a just, inclusive transition in the region. The event offers a multi-faceted and practical approach to understanding, planning and implementing climate change mitigation strategies.

The Forum and Integrated Regional Capacity Building Workshop specifically aims to:

• Enhance understanding of NDCs 3.0 whereby participants gain clear guidance on developing and submitting their new NDCs in 2025, including identifying support needs and addressing gaps and challenges;
• Empower stakeholders, in particular, national experts, in the Pacific region by sharing best practices between Pacific countries and their partners, and providing them with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the ETF and prepare BTRs; as well as promote peer exchange and networking among participants;
• Share information and provide knowledge on Article 6, emissions trading and carbon markets with key stakeholders to increase their understanding and readiness for participation;
• Gain a comprehensive assessment of actions taken and progress made to address knowledge, capacity-building, monitoring and evaluation, technology and policy gaps in the Pacific region; 
• Improve the understanding of the Pacific region's progress in addressing climate knowledge gaps, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, finance mobilization, technology adoption, and policy development;
• Strengthen regional support for Pacific Island Countries from the UNFCCC secretariat through the RCC Asia-Pacific, fostering a long-term partnership for future climate action and ensuring heightened visibility of the Pacific countries;
• Co-create support frameworks between Pacific countries and support partners to address the challenges posed by climate change through a multi-faceted and multi-pronged practical approach;
• Provide an opportunity to convene a meeting of the NDC Hub Focal Points in the region, and update them on Phase 3 NDC implementation in the Blue Pacific through the Pacific Regional NDC Hub as well as provide more clarity and guidance on Phase 4 implementation commitments.

Agenda

A more detailed agenda will be shared ahead of the Forum. An initial proposed agenda is provided here. 

Background

Despite their negligible contribution to global emissions, Pacific nations are at the forefront of climate impacts and are actively working to build resilience through adaptation planning and investments. They have already made significant commitments to reduce their carbon footprints with all 14 Pacific Island Countries having submitted their first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), and several updating or submitting new plans including their National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). Mitigation and adaptation strategies are being integrated into domestic policies, but the region still faces significant challenges, including access to resources, information, and finance. Effective monitoring and coordination of these measures are crucial to addressing the capacity gaps in data collection and technology.

The next generation of NDCs (so-called NDCs 3.0), due in 2025, presents an opportunity to realign global efforts with the Paris Agreement objectives. New NDCs must be informed by the first Global Stocktake (GST) and need to drive transformational implementation, unlock finance, identify technology and capacity needs, increase resilience, and ensure that no one is left behind. 

This year also marks a pivotal moment for the implementation of the enhanced transparency framework (ETF) under the Paris Agreement, as Parties shall submit their biennial transparency reports (BTRs) and national inventory reports with the acknowledgement that least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing States (SIDS) may submit at their discretion. Having a huge interest among LDCs and SIDS to prepare and submit their BTRs to showcase their progress under the Paris Agreement and communicate their gaps and support needs, providing technical support and advice to the Pacific countries is crucial.

Furthermore, participation in international carbon markets and Article 6 can attract foreign investment into green projects, benefiting local economies and funding sustainable development. Technical expertise in measuring, reporting, and verifying emissions reductions can benefit greatly from carbon market participation. While some Pacific island states receive support, there is still much room for enhancing regional dialogues on effective carbon pricing strategies, stakeholder engagement strategies, and implementation pathways.

The final GST outcome from COP28 highlights the importance of ‘multi-stakeholder engagement, enhancing ownership by beneficiary countries, and sharing experiences and lessons learned, particularly at the regional level’, while recognizing the significant capacity constraints of the LDCs and small island states,making the Pacific region a priority area for collectively providing support.

Key insights and takeaways

• Participants benefitted from this workshop thanks to the regional cooperation between various organizations and partners. They appreciated the in-person format, which enabled broader country representation and allowed support providers to gain insight into the existing intergovernmental structures in the Pacific.

• The focus on the three workstreams -- Article 6, NDCs and Transparency, helped participants to understand the linkages between these topics. This approach was recommended for future trainings.

• A key takeaway was the insight into Pacific Islanders' way of life, vividly illustrating how these frontline communities are directly impacted by climate change.