The African Development Bank has called for global collaboration to ensure consistent and coordinated support to African countries in the implementation of their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
Speaking on the Bank's vision to develop the continent inclusively and within planetary boundaries, the Bank's Director for Climate Change & Green Growth, Dr. Anthony Nyong, highlighted the need for coordination across countries and sectors: "Implementing the commitments made by African nations under their NDCs requires about $3 trillion by 2030. No single institution can deliver this alone. We therefore need coordination amongst the multiple partners working towards a common goal in order to avoid duplication of efforts, and incoherent implementation strategies. "
Dr. Nyong was speaking at the 4th UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) held in Nairobi, Kenya from 11 - 15 March 2019. The gathering, which was attended by country ministers, organisation heads, senior officials and key stakeholders, was convened to discuss innovative solutions for environmental challenges, including NDC implementation and progress made in transforming NDCs into investment plans.
Nyong added that transforming NDCs into investment plans must be achieved within the context of sustainable development, while recognizing each country's special requirements. "Different countries need different interventions to achieve sustainable development. We must carry everyone along while ensuring that high emitters reduce their emissions, and low emitters stay low," he said.
To date, 50 African countries have ratified the Paris Agreement and adopted NDCs with ambitious targets, together with national strategies and plans to achieve their targets. In line with the Bank's 10-Year strategy, whose objectives comprise inclusive and green growth, the Bank established the Africa NDC Hub in 2017 to support, coordinate needs, and address gaps in the implementation of NDCs in African countries. Focusing on adaptation, private sector participation, and the development and implementation of sub-national NDCs, the hub currently has 17 active member institutions, with three more set to join. Gender equity is streamlined across the various focus areas.
The hub's three pillars include supporting countries to develop long-term climate change national actions and pathways that contribute to global climate change goals by mainstreaming NDCs into National Development Strategies and Plans; mobilizing the required financial, technical capacity, and technological resources to support the development of relevant policies to support NDC implementation; and creation of collaborative partnerships around the implementation of the NDCs.
The NDC hub interventions have notably resulted in a detailed gap analysis and work programme to address identified gaps by 2020, guidance notes for integrating NDCs into SDGs and National Development Strategies and Plans in partnership with the UNDP; Country engagements with the Global NDC Partnerships in Uganda, Rwanda, Morocco, Namibia, Kenya, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Seychelles; training of SMEs, banks and parliamentarians on NDCs and green finance; and overall improvement in the understanding of NDCs in Africa.
More on the Africa NDC Hub here: https://www.afdb.org/en/topics-and-sectors/initiatives-partnerships/africa-ndc-hub/
Technical Contact: Davinah Milenge Uwella, Principal Programme Coordinator, African Development Bank.
