Background:

The side event showcased two initiatives of RCC WAC Africa designed to support NDC 3.0 preparation, explore opportunities for enhancing NDC achievement through Article 6 and carbon pricing, and NDC tracking to ensure transparency and effective implementation of countries' NDCs under the Paris Agreement in West and Central Africa.  

This integrated event brought together policymakers, stakeholders, and experts from West and Central Africa to discuss the status of NDC preparations, explore carbon pricing as a tool for achieving NDC targets, and enhance development strategies for effective progress tracking. By fostering collaboration and sharing best practices, we seek to empower participants and countries as well as partners in the region to take meaningful action toward sustainable development and climate resilience in their respective countries. 

Objectives:

Key objectives of this side event include:

• Overview of the status of preparation of NDCs and the potential carbon pricing approaches for achieving NDC in the region  

• Better understand challenges by the selected countries and facilitate the sharing of experiences, best practices in establishing robust national institutional frameworks and planning processes for effective NDC tracking and implementation and outcomes among participating countries highlighting the progress and impact of these initiatives 

• Exchange insights among peers on the technical guidance on assumptions and methodologies to ensure NDCs are aligned with the requirements of Decision 4/CMA.1 and thus trackable 

• Discuss and share experiences on the targeted training and resources to be provided to the five countries to strengthen their NDC development and tracking capabilities. 

Key takeaways:

• Substantial support needed to develop NDCs 3.0: The current status of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) 3.0 highlights that countries require substantial support to develop ambitious and implementable NDCs ready for submission by 2025. This support is crucial for ensuring that these contributions are realistic and implementable, enabling countries to meet their climate goals effectively.
• Exploring carbon pricing approaches, a cost-effective tool to finance the implementation of NDCs 3.0: One promising avenue for supporting the implementation of NDCs is carbon pricing. By assigning a cost to carbon emissions, carbon pricing can incentivize reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and generate revenue that can be reinvested into climate action. This mechanism can play a significant role in funding the initiatives outlined in NDCs 3.0, thereby facilitating their successful implementation.
• NDC Tracking is essential : NDC tracking is critical to ensuring that countries adhere to their commitments and facilitate the reporting of National GHG inventories and BTRs. By systematically tracking progress, stakeholders, including support providers can identify areas where countries are excelling, and where they need additional support or adjustments.

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Credit: UN Climate Change

Credit: UN Climate Change	Credit: UN Climate Change	Credit: UN Climate Change
Credit: UN Climate Change	Credit: UN Climate Change	Credit: UN Climate Change