Background
The Global Stocktake outcome at COP28 highlighted urgent climate challenges and underscored the need for stronger, transformative climate actions in key sectors, including energy, nature conservation, and road transport.
Among ESCAP member States, 12 have updated their nationally determined commitments (NDCs) more than twice, showing varied levels of ambition in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The COP28 decision emphasizes the need for countries to update their 2030 targets and establish new targets for 2035, aligning with the IPCC's recommendations to reduce global GHG emissions by 60% from 2019 levels by 2035 to limit warming to 1.5°C. It recognizes ambition and implementation gaps in current NDCs and urges Parties to take immediate action to address these issues.
To close these gaps, the next round of NDCs (NDC 3.0) will need to be based on more ambitious, meaningful, and implementable targets. The process of developing the NDCs will need to be strengthened, and the planning for implementation and financing of the NDCs requires further attention. Current NDCs are often based on business-as-usual (BAU) or intensity targets, and there are steps to integrate recent emissions data as baselines in the next NDC updates. With strong momentum behind NDCs ahead of 2025, these commitments have the potential to act as an integrator and enabler of national development priorities, strategies, and investments across sectors and national development agendas.
Among other opportunities, nature-based solutions (NbS), increasingly referenced in climate policies for mitigation and adaptation, require concrete actions and measurable targets for meaningful integration into NDCs. A recent review of regional NDCs by ESCAP revealed that the majority of governments in the region set NbS-related mitigation targets and/or actions. However, untapped opportunities remain to raise the ambition of NDC targets in the region by further promoting NbS, quantifying NbS-related baseline emissions, and setting quantifiable targets for emissions reduction through NbS.
In view of the above, the Nineteenth Policy Consultation Forum of the Seoul Initiative Network on Green Growth (SINGG), focusing on "National Effort and Region-wide Collaboration for Climate Actions in Asia and the Pacific" will be co-organized by the UN Issue-Based Coalition (IBC) on Raising Ambitions on Climate Action in Seoul, Republic of Korea.
The Forum will serve as a platform for peer review, sharing successful practices and common challenges for NDC updates, and discussing suggestions that enhance ambition and enable the implementation of NDC 3.0 in the region. This collaborative approach aims to provide member states, especially those in special situations, with effective access to a wide range of resources for tackling NDC update and implementation challenges, promoting a collective regional response towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
While covering key aspects of NDC delivery, the Forum will pay particular attention to the specific needs of the Asia-Pacific region, including better targets, integrating NbS-related targets, opportunities for strengthening integrated mitigation and adaptation strategies, implementation planning, and financing strategies.
Objectives
The major objectives of the Forum are the following:
- To provide a platform for member States to discuss challenges and needs, lessons learned and successful practices on NDC implementation and updates.
- To identify suggestions and available support that enhance ambition and enable implementation of the NDC 3.0.
- To strengthen NDC commitments by member States, including enhancing regional and multilateral cooperation with a particular focus on nature-based solutions.
Target Group
- Government officials from environment and climate related ministries and/or government agencies responsible for developing, implementing, and reviewing NDC 3.0 updates, sustainable development strategies and climate actions.
More information, please visit: https://www.unescap.org/events/2024/19thSINGGFORUM
