Background
The next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is due in 2025, requiring more ambitious targets. NDCs are key for expressing climate ambition while aligning with national development and the Sustainable Development Goals. Although the Caribbean contributes minimally to global emissions, it faces severe climate impacts and remains committed to global climate goals under the Paris Agreement.
The first Global Stocktake (GST) at COP28 showed countries are not collectively on track to meet the Paris Agreement's goals. The GST also called for capacity-building support for the next NDCs, including through the UNFCCC's Regional Collaboration Centres.
In this context, the RCC Caribbean, NDC Partnership (NDCP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre (CCCCC) are highlighting Saint Lucia as the first Caribbean country and Small Island Developing State (SIDS) to present their NDC 3.0 which was communicated to the UNFCCC earlier this year on 6 February.
The webinar will be held on 5 August 2025, from 10:00 to 11:30 AST | 9:00 to 10:30 CST | 16:00 to 17:30 CET.
Objectives
- Share the key discussions from the recently concluded NDC Clinic held during the first Climate Week of 2025 in Panama City.
- Understand the process that Saint Lucia followed to prepare its NDC 3.0, highlighting approaches, best practices, challenges, and lessons learned.
- Encourage countries currently developing their NDC 3.0 to build on insights shared by Saint Lucia.
Target Audience
The webinar is specifically designed to provide information to government officials and other relevant stakeholders who are actively involved in the development and implementation of the NDCs.
Key Insights and Takeaways
The government of Saint Lucia submitted their NDC 3.0 on 6 February 2025 and was supported by Climate Analytics. During the webinar, they shared their experiences and lessons learnt in developing their NDC 3.0 and provided some insights into their plans for implementation. Some of the key points included:
- Institutional Arrangements: Saint Lucia’s success in finalizing the NDC 3.0 in advance of the deadline was largely due to the enabling mechanisms that exist locally including the National Climate Change Committee as the main institutional mechanism and having a dedicated person (NDC In-country Facilitator) to drive the process.
- Stakeholder Engagement: The process benefited from over 24 meetings convened during the period November 2023 to February 2025 with a wide range of stakeholders including government, private sector, youth, civil society organizations, etc.
- Data Collection: The NDC 3.0 was grounded by a robust data collection process with the data needs being identified during the initial planning, along with a detailed plan of action to develop the NDC.
- Inclusivity: A whole-of-society approach was adopted by Saint Lucia which included consultations with a wide range of stakeholders including the convening of a Youth focused Climate Change consultation. Throughout the process, the NDC 3.0 development team engaged with over 800 youths who provided valuable information to inform the process.
- NDC Implementation: In the upcoming months, Saint Lucia will be developing their NDC Implementation Plan with the support of Climate Analytics and will be utilizing the institutional arrangements that exist to guide the process. Several consultations are already being planned and the approach will be largely stakeholder-driven.
Credit: UN Climate Change
