1. Background

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are a core element of the Paris Agreement. NDCs define national commitments undertaken under the Agreement and underpin many other processes and requirements, including those under the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF). Progress towards achieving the NDCs will be reported by Parties through their biennial transparency reports, to be submitted no later than the end of 2024, and also considered at the first Global Stocktake to be held in 2023.

Through their decision 1/CP.21 (Paris, 2015), Parties agreed to prepare new/updated NDCs and communicate these to the UNFCCC secretariat by 2020. This represents a major opportunity for enhancing climate action which is urgently needed to close the ambition gap noted by Parties in their decision 1/CMA.2 (2019). The NDC submissions which have been communicated by Parties so far are available in the interim NDC registry (https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/ndcstaging/Pages/Home.aspx).

At this virtual event, under the lead of the current (Chile) and incoming (the United Kingdom) Presidencies of the COP, government representatives will share experiences and lessons learned from their process of preparing and submitting their new/updated NDC, in particular in the light of the guidance that has been adopted in Katowice in 2018 (COP 24) on the information to facilitate clarity, transparency and understanding (ICTU) of NDCs and how this guidance can help in the NDC preparation processes, including sharing views on the reporting associated with the enhanced transparency framework under the Paris Agreement.

2. Objective and description

The main objective of this event is to showcase the NDC preparation/update activities from all major regions around the world and to provide a platform for governments to share experiences and lessons learned relating to the preparation process and the application of the ICTU guidance.

The event aims to help governments in preparing and communicating their new/updated NDCs pursuant to decision 1/CP.21 and to apply the relevant ICTU guidance in that process.

Parties from different world regions will be invited to share their experiences.

The event will be moderated by Mr. Alfonso Enrique Galarce Jaramillo (Chile), Climate Change Office of the Ministry of Environment.

The event will be open to the public to follow through a webcast.

3. Proposed programme

• 17:00 - 17:05: Opening remarks by the moderator
• 17:05 – 17:10: Opening remarks by Mr. Felipe Andrés Díaz Bórquez on behalf of the COP25/CMP15/CMA2 Presidency
• 17:10: 18:20: Panel discussion: experiences with the preparation of new/updated NDCs and the application of the ICTU guidance. To launch the discussion, the participants will be asked to provide short (max. 5 min.) introduction/statement. This will be followed by a moderated discussion along the following guiding questions:
  • What are the key lessons you learned during the preparation of your new/updated NDCs?
  • How the application of the ICTU guidance helped you in engaging national stakeholders in the NDC preparation process and in enhancing national action on climate change?
  • Under the enhanced transparency framework, Parties will need to report, in their biennial transparency reports, information necessary to track progress made in implementing and achieving NDCs under Article 4 of the Paris Agreement.  Have you considered the relevant reporting provisions when updating your NDC, in particular when using the ICTU guidance; for example, what and how the indicator(s) to track progress towards the implementation and achievement of NDCs will be selected

• Representatives of Jamaica, Mongolia, Norway, Rwanda and Tonga will participate in the panel discussion:
  • Mr. Omar Y. Alcock, Ministry of Housing, Urban Renewal, Environment and Climate Change (Jamaica)
  • Mr. Batjargal Zamba, Ministry of Environment and Tourism (Mongolia)
  • Ms. Marianne Karlsen, Ministry of Climate and Environment (Norway)
  • Mr. Faustin Munyazikwiye, Environment Management Authority (Rwanda)
  • Ms. Luisa Tuiafitu-Malolo, Ministry of Environment, Information, Disaster, Energy and Climate Change (Tonga)

• 18:20: 18:40: Moderated Q&A session with audience
• 18:40 – 18:50: Closing remarks by Ms. Felicity Morrison on behalf of the incoming COP26/CMP16/CMA3 Presidency
• 18:50 – 19:00: Closing remarks by the moderator