Background and Objectives

Organized by RCC Caribbean and the NDC Partnership, this event will be held as a breakout session on the second day of the 3rd Caribbean Nationally Determined Contribution Finance Initiative Investment Forum and Market Place. The session aims to bring together government officials from Caribbean countries that are responsible for nationally determined contribution (NDC) development and implementation.

The objective is to provide a space for countries to share their experiences regarding NDC 3.0 development, and to have an open discussion around lessons learned, best practices and pathways for NDC implementation.

The session will highlight the linkages between NDC 3.0 and the ambition cycle Paris Agreement as well as the outline the guidance received from the first GST for ambitious, economy wide NDCs. It will also gauge how Caribbean countries are approaching NDC ambition-raising, which is not limited to mitigation targets and can encompass critical elements like Loss and Damage, Just Transition, and social protection.

Targeted Audience

• Country government representatives involved with NDCs (NDC Partnership and UNFCCC National Focal Points)
• Implementing and developing organizations supporting NDCs

Key Takeaways

• Participants identified that Ambition-Raising includes:

  • Developing sector-specific targets

  • Aligning with net-zero goals

  • Integrating more adaptation and loss and damage elements

  • Linking with transparency reporting

• Similarly, participants provided their views on the Meaning of Increase in Ambition at the National Level, including:

  • Energy security with increased investment in clean energ

  • Greater focus on resilience and adaptation

  • More private sector involvement

  • Alignment with national targets

  • Accelerated implementation and better climate financing access

  • Increased accountability

• St Lucia, which was the first Caribbean country and Small Island Developing State (SIDS) that presented their NDC 3.0, highlighted their journey as follows:

  • Consistent Stakeholder Engagement: Over 24 inclusive meetings across society, focusing on youth and the private sector.

  • Governance & Regulation: Led by the Department of Sustainable Development, backed by the National Climate Change Committee and aligned with the 2024 National Climate Change Act.

  • Balanced Ambition: The targets are both ambitious and realistic, such as a conditional 22–32% reduction in energy sector emissions by 2035.

  • Data Access Challenge: Tackled delays in data provision for technical analysis by building trust with data providers and ensuring confidentiality.

  • Financing Needs: Estimated over $500M USD is required for energy sector investments, with funding to come from multiple sources.

  • Best Practices:

    • Leveraging synergies with other projects

    • Creative and strategic stakeholder engagement

    • Early identification of process leaders and technical support, in particular the Ministry of Finance

    • Consistent engagement with high-level champions

• Discussions are ongoing on a potential follow-up webinar to provide more detailed information to fellow Caribbean countries and allowing for further opportunities to share on their best practices and lessons learnt.

Credit: UN Climate Change

Credit: UN Climate Change