Below is an overview of strategic documents produced by the NDC Partnership.
Strategic Documents
NDC Partnership: Powering Collective Action (English): General brochure about the NDC Partnership. En français.
Partnership in Action Report (PiA) 2022 Executive Summary: The NDC Partnership launched its annual flagship publication: the 2022 Partnership in Action (PiA) Report. This year, the PiA2 022 focuses on climate finance and features groundbreaking stories from across our membership.
NDC Investment Planning Guide Summary Document: This NDC Investment Planning Guide provides step-by-step guidance for countries to develop and strengthen their climate commitments into actions by preparing investment plans based on current best practices collected by the NDC Partnership. En Français. En Español. In Russian. In Tajik.
NDC Investment Planning Guide: This document provides step-by-step guidance for countries to develop and strengthen their climate commitments into actions through the preparation of climate investment plans based on current best practices collected by the NDC Partnership.
External Evaluation of the NDC Partnership 2018-2020 Work Program: Final Evaluation Report
Knowledge and Learning Strategy (2022): The NDC Partnership has now been operating for five years. Building on the learning from the first Knowledge and Learning Strategy, this updated NDC Partnership Knowledge and Learning Strategy reflects the NDC Partnership’s Work Program 2021-2025 and the Partnership’s evolving knowledge and learning activities in support of countries’ needs and priorities.
Country Engagement Strategy: This Country Engagement Strategy provides an overview of the NDC Partnership’s approach to providing country support, including our guiding principles and the logic model, as well as our structures, roles and approaches for catalyzing targeted changes. The strategy builds on lessons learned during the NDC Partnership’s first five years of work.
Strategy for Engaging Major Emerging Economies: This strategy builds on the Partnership’s core principle of supporting country-driven processes, including responding to country members’ explicit requests. It highlights how established Partnership processes and lessons learned can be adapted and/or reinforced to add value for the Partnership’s MEEs.
The NDC Partnership Finance Strategy: Insufficient access to financing at speed and scale remains a chief constraint to achieving the Paris Agreement’s goals. The NDC Partnership adopts this strategy to heighten the impact of our 2021-2025 Work Program by enabling countries to access and deploy finance for NDC action at greater speed and scale.
NDC Partnership Readiness Support for Greening Central Banks: Central banks, as market regulators and supervisors, are responsible for assessing market vulnerability to such risks and taking action accordingly. In fact, the Network for Greening the Financial System (NGFS) underlines that “the cost of acting only when robust datasets and methods are established could be much higher than the cost of acting now given limited information.” Climate change is the ultimate systematic risk stemming from physical and transitional risks. Left unchecked, this could lead to a total market and societal failure. The question, therefore, is no longer if central banks’ mandate should be understanding and tackling climate change’s financial and economic risks; it is how, to what extent, and when.
Work Program 2021 - 2025: This Work Program sets out the ambitions of the NDC Partnership for the period from 2020 to 2025, strategies for achieving these objectives, and proposed contributions and activities of Members and the NDC Partnership Support Unit.
Work Program 2018 - 2020: This Work Program sets out the ambitions of the NDC Partnership for the period from 2018 to 2020, strategies for achieving these objectives, and proposed contributions and activities of Members and the NDC Partnership Support Unit.
Knowledge & Learning Strategy (2018-2020): This document provides an overview of the strategic goals of the Knowledge & Learning workstream and how this workstream will support the NDC Partnership is reaching its overarching goals.
NDC Partnership Gender Strategy: This strategy outlines how the NDC Partnership mainstreams gender equality considerations throughout the NDC Partnership’s Work Program and its component workstreams of Country Engagement, Knowledge & Learning, and Communications. The strategy is also available in Spanish and French.
Mainstreaming Gender into the NDC Partnership Country Engagement Process (Infographic): This infographic provides an overview of how the NDC Partnership integrates gender throughout its Country Engagement process.
Partnership in Action 2017: This report provides an overview of the NDC Partnership, including the country engagement process, portfolio of knowledge prodcuts, and key areas of support for NDC implementation in 2017.
Partnership in Action 2018: This publication reports on the Partnership’s progress in 2018, showcasing concrete results, innovative knowledge products, and strategic lessons learned as the Partnership expands on-the-ground work with countries.
Partnership in Action 2019: This publication reports on the Partnership’s progress in 2019, showcasing concrete results and scalable lessons learned as its work expands around the globe.
Partnership in Action 2020: This publication reports on the Partnership's progress in 2020, sharing key examples of country leadership as well as lessons learned on cross-cutting issues. We hope that these offer a real flavor of where Partnership members are making a difference and of the challenges still ahead.
Partnership in Action 2021: The NDC Partnership, 5 years on: Nearly 200 members, deploying over 100 embedded advisors, supporting 75 countries around the world.
Developing Gender Responsive NDC Action Plans: A Practical Guide: In September 2019, the NDC Partnership adopted its Gender Strategy to advance gender equality considerations in member countries' Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and climate action plans. Guided by the supportive country engagement process, the Gender Strategy identifies important opportunities to incorporate gender equality into NDC action. This practical guide builds on these opportunities, providing five steps countries can follow as they work towards mainstreaming gender into NDC Action Plans. The steps are presented as building blocks, enforcing the need for an integrated series of elements in order to effectively create gender equality. It is designed primarily for government representatives, in-country facilitators and advisors, and Support Unit staff. The guide is also available in Spanish and French.
Country and Insight Briefs
Zimbabwe Impact Brief: Zimbabwe has pioneered a successful whole-of-government approach to climate action and low-emission national development with comprehensive support from the NDC Partnership. The country has raised climate ambitions with new economy-wide commitments to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by committing to a 40% greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction per capita by 2030.
Finance for the agricultural sectors: This Insight Brief, developed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) based on NDC Partnership data, addresses requests related to finance in the agriculture sector and provides recommendations on how to strengthen support to countries
Finance at the NDC Partnership: This Insight Brief builds on previous analysis and provides an overview of the requests for support on climate finance to the NDC Partnership from 2017 to 2022 to analyze trends and identify support gaps
Gender and Finance in the NDC Partnership: This Insight Brief, developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, or IUCN, based on NDC Partnership data, addresses requests related to gender and finance activities and provides recommendations on how to strengthen gender inclusion in climate finance.
Jordan Country Impact Brief: In March 2017, Jordan joined the NDC Partnership, expressing the need for technical support to turn its pipeline of projects into bankable proposals and to align Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), development plans, and its NDC. Through its collaboration with the NDC Partnership, Jordan developed an Action Plan for its NDC followed by a sector-led prioritization exercise resulting in 35 costed climate projects for partner support that contribute to mitigation and adaptation.
Preconditions for Effective Climate Finance Discussion Paper: Climate finance has not yet reached the agreed-upon target of USD 100 billion annually. Furthermore, while growing in importance for developing countries, climate finance has often been directed by a diverse set of actors and priorities. The NDC Partnership Support Unit has therefore developed a discussion paper that—based on the principles of Effective Development Cooperation— provides a practical approach for countries aiming to enhance climate finance effectiveness and increase international support. Deploying a country-led model could maximize the impact of investments and facilitate an overall increase in climate finance.
Discussion on SDG and NDC Implementation - Country Trends and Examples from the NDC Partnership: The Technical Brief presents trends and examples of how countries are effectively linking SDG and NDC implementation. Although only 2% of all requests received through the NDC Partnership explicitly mention “SDGs”, sustainable development priorities are informally reflected in a much larger share of country requests, demonstrating strong alignment and mainstreaming efforts between climate and development. These requests for support, illustrate good practices on the ways in which countries can strengthen links between these agendas, particularly in their efforts to attract finance and investment, to enact and revise national strategies and plans, and to implement monitoring, reporting and valuation (MRV) systems.
Addressing support gaps for sustainable urbanization in the NDC Partnership: On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), GIZ Sector Project Cities analyzed requests for support from cities and subnational governments to the NDC Partnership, looking at how urban governance and planning are critical to achieving integrated climate action and supporting just transitions.
Energy & NDCs Insight Brief: Energy is one of the most popular sectors in which the NDC Partnership receives support requests from countries. This Insight Brief discusses how a more thorough understanding of the nature of energy-related requests will strengthen the NDC Partnership’s support for countries with energy-based needs.
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Insight Brief: This Insight Brief discusses the vulnerability of SIDS to climate change and addresses adaptation and resilience requests made to the Partnership. Small Island Developing States, or SIDS, are at the forefront of climate action. While most are low emitters, they are particularly exposed to climate change, with sea-level rise posing a threat to the very existence of some. Twenty out of 38 SIDS are NDC Partnership members, and are requesting support for activities focusing mostly on Oceans, Disaster Risk Reduction, and also Blue Economy, Finance, or Energy.
Mainstreaming Climate Action into National Development Planning: This Resource Brief provides a short list of key resources relating specifically to mainstreaming climate action and integrating NDCs into the national development planning process. Additional resources on the topic can be accessed through the search options on the NDC Partnership’s Knowledge Portal.
Analysis of disaster risk reduction-related requests to the NDC Partnership: Countries are more and more exposed to natural disasters, and many of them are actively working with the Partnership to reduce and adapt to these risks. This piece, developed by the Climate Center of the Red Cross Red Crescent, explores and analyses the trends on this topic within the Partnership.
Greening a Country: Armenia's Path Forward in an Uncertain Climate: Towering above the skyline of Armenia's capital city of Yerevan are the peaks of Mount Aragats, a biodiversity hotspot and cultural landmark. However, with its vital glaciers and snowcaps melting due to rising temperatures, Mount Aragats is also a looming reminder of our vulnerability to climate disaster. While the climate change challenges are great, Armenia's goals to counter them are ambitious. As a party to the Paris Agreement, Armenia is using its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) as an opportunity to navigate the impacts of a transforming climate through adaptation and mitigation, while finding ways to combine sustainable development and climate action.
Inclusive Growth and Climate Change: Lessons Learned from the NDC Partnership: The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) defines inclusive growth as "economic growth that is distributed fairly across society and creates opportunities for all." The COVID-19 crisis and the development of recovery plans have put the concept of inclusive growth in an unprecedented spotlight. Inclusive growth should be central to post-COVID-19 economic recovery packages as they need to be more inclusive, benefit all segments of society, and leave no one behind. Inclusive growth is also closely linked to climate change, the impact of which will force us to redefine economic growth, and the concept appears in a number of NDCs. This Insight Brief explores inclusive growth and highlights lessons that the NDC Partnership has learned through its work.
Burkina Faso: How to Create Climate-Resilient Development in Rural Areas: More than 90 percent of households in Burkina Faso do not have access to modern cooking fuels and less than 30 percent of the population has access to electricity, a figure that reaches two percent in rural areas. In this situation, biomass is the main source of energy for Burkinabè families—especially charcoal, which accounts for more than 80 percent of domestic and industrial energy consumption. However, its combustion has harmful effects on the environment—particularly in terms of deforestation, which is estimated to hit more than 100,000 hectares per year (the equivalent of 140,000 football fields), with nine million tonnes of wood used for the country's energy needs. This Country Brief explores how Burkina Faso promotes the green economy in Africa through biodigester technology. A version of this brief in French is available here.
Georgia Shapes Its Climate Goals to Avert Disasters and Protect Its Legacy: Surrounded by the Greater Caucasus Mountains on the northeast and the Black Sea to its west, Georgia has long been celebrated for its varied natural beauty and rich cultural history. But Georgia's unique geographic location also makes it extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change. This Country Brief examines Georgia's efforts to decrease GHG emissions, the work that remains in streamlining Georgia's climate goals across different sectors of government ministries and local authorities, and the country's efforts to translate its NDC into concrete policies and projects with clearly defined goals and objectives.
Adaptation and the NDCs: Countries are increasingly bringing adaptation to the forefront of their national agendas through NDCs accompanying their National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). Both processes play a crucial role in helping countries identify priority adaptation actions to be mainstreamed into development plans and budgets, as well as mobilizing adaptation finance. The NDC Partnership is uniquely positioned to assess member countries' requests for support for NDC implementation and enhancement and deliver the technical and financial support needed. This Insight Brief provides insights based on adaptation requests from 64 countries while highlighting concrete actions being undertaken, gaps in support, and key inputs required to accelerate adaptation action.
Adaptation brief: Where developing countries are requesting Partnership support: A growing number of countries are including adaptation targets and actions in their NDCs, and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat reports that enhanced nationally determined contributions (NDCs) have had “increased focus on national adaptation planning, in particular on the process to formulate and implement NAPs.” This Insight Brief analyzes requests for support the NDC Partnership has received from developing country members that are related to adaptation. It identifies trends related to country requests and support offerings, informing how the Partnership can refine and scale up support for adaptation.
Adaptation and Risk Finance in NDCs: With vulnerable countries already experiencing severe effects of climate change, including extreme weather events, droughts, and sea level rise, the costs of adaptation have been projected to be up to US$300 billion annually by 2030 and US$500 billion annually by 2050. With developed countries still falling short of their climate finance commitments, current adaptation costs are likely to exceed required international public finance by 6-10 times, creating what has been called an 'adaptation finance gap'. This gap must be bridged in order to successfully deliver the Paris Agreement and address the realities of climate change in vulnerable countries. This Insight Brief explores the challenges to financing adaptation action and the opportunities that exist for governments to use the co-benefits of climate adaptation and resilience, human health, and socio-economic stability as a leverage point for additional adaptation spending.
Extended Report: Adaptation and NDCs—From Analysis and Planning to Action and Ambition Raising: To date, the NDC Partnership is engaged on the ground in 70+ countries, of which 42 countries have submitted specific requests for support through request letters or the development of Partnership Plans. In addition, 63 countries are receiving support for NDC Enhancement in 2020 through the Climate Action Enhancement Package (CAEP). In response to country requests to the Partnership, members provide targeted and coordinated support while leveraging their resources and expertise. This extended report analyzes the specific requests that the Partnership has received to provide a broad and high-level overview of emerging country needs for NDC implementation and updating. Across all requests for Partnership support, around a quarter focus on adaptation and nearly half of requests address both mitigation and adaptation. Therefore, the Partnership is uniquely positioned to share trends identified in countries' adaptation-related needs and insights.
Finance in Latin American and Caribbean NDCs: The NDC Partnership is actively engaged in 22 Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) member countries to help mobilize climate finance and related technical support in the areas of NDC implementation and enhancement. This Insight Brief is aimed at sharing trends in climate financing needs emerging from country requests to the Partnership.
Health in NDCs: Climate change presents one of the greatest threats to public health in the 21st century, imposing severe economic, physical, and psychological hardships on every country. Increased incidence of respiratory and cardiovascular disease, premature deaths related to extreme weather events, food and nutrition insecurity, water-borne illnesses, and other infectious diseases, as well as mental health disorders, threaten to undermine the "right to health" grounded within a number of declarations and the Paris Agreement, while also hindering the implementation of countries' Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). By taking a whole-of-government approach to health-climate alignment, countries may unlock new sources of adaptation and resilience in finance, tackle public health issues, and bolster their economies for the long term.
NDC Enhancement: 2020 is a critical year for countries to raise their climate ambition. Under the Paris Agreement, countries revise their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) every five years to cut greenhouse gas emissions and implement solutions to adapt to the effects of climate change. The updating of NDCs presents countries with significant opportunities to align their climate and development agendas to promote sustainable growth, but it also presents challenges in reinventing policies and mobilizing investment.
Energy Efficiency and NDCs: An Overview of the NDC Partnership's Work on Energy Efficiency: Energy efficiency is aa major tool in the fight against climate change in terms of both mitigation and adaptation, as well as a key enabler for development. Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 on Affordable and Clean Energy includes the target of doubling the energy efficiency rate of improvement by 2030. More specifically, benefits of energy efficiency measures can include the immediate reduction of energy emissions and local pollution, as well as reduction of energy bills.
Building Gender-Responsive NDCs: This Insight Brief provides an overview of key insights and learning gained by the NDC Partnership Support Unit as it works to facilitate gender mainstreaming in NDC planning and implementation through the integral support of Partnership members. A review of experiences across the Partnership shows effective practices, barriers, and gaps in developing gender-responsive climate action, trends in gender mainstreaming needs of countries, and how the Partnership is working to meet country needs.
Climate change: an opportunity to transform the private sector? An insight on Morocco’s Experience: This Country Brief reports on important progress made in Morocco to engage the private sector in the transition process towards low carbon economic growth. The role of Maghreb steel and the significance of the availability of renewable energy are highlighted.
Understanding NDC Financing Needs: This Insight Brief reflects on the last three years of member country climate finance requests and explores opportunities to strengthen support and accelerate response going forward.
Engaging Subnational Governments in Climate Action: This Insight Brief provides lessons learned from the NDC Partnership Support Unit and its members on engaging with subnational governments.
Understanding the Use of Knowledge Resources in Supporting Climate Action: This paper offers lessons, drawn from NDC Partnership members, for those involved in the funding and development of knowledge resources on how to make these resources most effective and useful.
NDC Partnership Experience with Multi-Stakeholder Engagement: Key Lessons Learned: This Insight Brief gives an overview of lessons learned by the Support Unit of the NDC Partnership during the multi-stakeholder engagement process.
Enhancing Access to Global Climate Funds: Lessons from the GCF In Asia Pacific: This Insight Brief shares valuable insights from our member countries that have successfully used different approaches for accessing the global climate funds, with a focus on the role of NDAs.
Samoa's NDC Implementation Roadmap and Investment Plan 2021
NDC Investment Planning Guide Best Practice Brief: NDC investment planning is a crucial process that countries can leverage to unlock investment for achieving NDC targets. Robust and actionable investment planning is constructed through data-driven analysis, whole-of-society engagement, and granular alignment with national priorities. This Best Practice Brief outlines best practices in NDC investment planning derived from literature and country experiences from the NDC Partnership.
Climate Action Enhancement Package Brochure