Aligning Nationally Determined Contributions with Long Term Low-Emission Development Strategies on Climate. Opportunities and Challenges in Africa.

• Workshop for Climate Innovation Series
• https://www.innovate4climate.com/
• Recording of the session: https://events.innovate4climate.com/meetings/virtual/BjZja82ch3bHmJseQ
• 25 May 2021, 9.30AM EDT / 1.30PM GMT / 3.30PM CET / 4.30PM EAT

The goal of the Paris Agreement is to keep the global temperature increase to well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5°C. Parties to the Agreement have been invited to communicate their long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategies considering the common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national circumstances. Similarly, Parties are invited to update and revise their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) reflecting their ambition.
In order to demonstrate the practicability and benefits of aligning the two processes of long-term planning and setting NDCs, the GIZ Global Carbon Markets (GCM) Programme in Uganda in collaboration with the Climate Change Department of the Ministry of Water and Environment with support from the Germany Federal Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety conducted a workshop. The workshop discussed the two policy processes important for understanding which short- and medium-term investments and measures can contribute to a country’s climate goals while enabling countries to reach their long-term goals. LTSs introduce a long-term perspective to policy planning that allows to consider whether certain activities may create long term lock-in effects into fossil fuel infrastructure even if they promise short term emission reductions compared to the status quo. This has implications on how to allocate resources, including international climate finance, capacity building and technology transfer.

Key takeaways:
• Long-term strategies can provide a clear signal that countries are committed to the ‘well below 2C’ goal. Showcase how countries are planning to achieve the required transformation while at the same time achieving their short to medium term climate goals.
• Provide a platform for countries to show progress and demonstrate how aligning the two processes helps them to advance the goals of the Paris Agreement by merging the development, mitigation and adaptation agendas.
• When embarking on these processes it is important to consider the role of national stakeholders from across society.

STEPHAN HOCH
Perspectives Climate Group