Letter to the Troika and HoD: Time to ramp up the NDC 3.0 cycle
To date, 18 of the 195 parties to the Paris Agreement have submitted their new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – so called ‘NDCs 3.0’. Alarmingly, this group includes just seven developed countries, which must lead the way on climate ambition and action. CAN welcomes all NDCs submitted so far and emphasizes the importance that NDCs 3.0 adequately address the aspects below:
Equity through fair shares and adequate finance
CAN is worried that none of the developed countries’ NDCs to date respond to the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, going substantially beyond the minimal collective emission reduction necessity of minus 60% by 2035 compared to 2019, as set out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for meeting the 1.5℃ guardrail. What is more, CAN is concerned that developed and rich countries have yet to revisit ambition in 2030 climate pledges, an act necessary to address the pre-2030 ambition gap and protect lives, livelihoods, health and nature. This means that NDCs 3.0 are still well off track in ensuring that global GHG emissions reductions amount collectively to 43% by 2030 compared to 2019.
At the same time, the indications for the provisions of finance in developed countries’ NDCs are bleak, leaving a lot of room to guess how even the unsatisfactory climate finance decision of COP29 can be reached. Therefore, these first NDCs, collectively, are not in line with a 1.5℃ degree pathway and climate justice, which CAN deems fundamental.
Implementing the first Global Stocktake
NDCs must directly respond to the first Global Stocktake, including its decisions to transition away from fossil fuels, scale up renewables, energy efficiency, halt destruction of and restore ecosystems. We regret that so far, most NDCs 3.0 fail to provide timelines for phasing out fossil fuels as well as targets for tripling renewable energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency. Most also do not provide concrete targets, measures and policies to reach the goal of halting and reversing deforestation and forest degradation by 2030. This is really concerning.
Solidarity and Justice, including Adaptation, Loss and Damage and Just Transition
Some of the NDCs include information on measures related to adaptation, Loss and Damage and Just Transition, as well as on how public consultations were carried out. CAN acknowledges these efforts to produce NDCs that are comprehensive climate action plans. However, CAN is worried that the
description of public participation in the NDC repeatedly differs starkly from what CAN is expecting based on best and democratic participatory practice. Meaningful stakeholder consultations must be reflected in the level of ambition and shape of the final NDC document as it is local actors who
implement climate action on the ground.
Expectations – What we want to see in NDCs
It is our view that NDCs 3.0 must consist of comprehensive climate action plans from all countries in line with 1.5 and climate justice, excluding dangerous distractions such as nuclear, CCS, large-scale
afforestation and geoengineering. To this end, CAN attaches our Guidelines for NDCs 3.0: Delivering on the GST outcome and beyond for your reference.
CAN reiterated the importance of 2025 as when Parties must deliver new and updated ambition, re-aligning climate ambition with the long term goals of the Paris Agreement in order to keep 1.5°C within reach. CAN invites you to evaluate your NDC 3.0 submission through the lens of the attached
guidelines, and submit your NDC well ahead of COP30, in time to be included in the UNFCCC NDC synthesis report.
Expectations – What we want to do together with you
We believe that it is high-time to convene fruitful exchanges to drive forward the Paris Ambition Cycle. For this, CAN suggests:
– A discussion of the NDC synthesis report (for example through presidency led roundtables) throughout COP30, to be reflected in the negotiated and non-negotiated outcomes of COP30.
– An initial and honest assessment of the level of ambition of NDCs 3.0 at the UN Secretary General’s NDC event to be convened during the climate leader summit 2025.
In a complementary manner, and in preparation of COP30, we suggest that the Troika and the COP30 Presidency organize a Presidency Dialogue in Bonn (SB62) to exchange ideas and discuss plans to operationalize the different elements of the first Global Stocktake outcome and how to translate them
into actionable, comprehensive, just and ambitious NDCs.
We hope that all these points we have highlighted are useful for your mandate. CAN looks forward to a fruitful collaboration with the Troika, the COP30 Presidency and all parties ahead of COP30.
Sincerely,
Tasneem Essop
On behalf of Climate Action Network
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Download file: http://CANI-NDC-Letter-to-Troika.pdf