Frauke Röser, Niklas Höhne and Thomas Day presented on "Preparation of first NDCs kick-started national mitigation policy process, but momentum needs to be maintained", at the "Making climate action more transparent and ambitious" side event at COP24 in December 2018.

1. Preparation of first NDCs kick-
started national mitigation policy
process, but momentum needs to
be maintained
Frauke Röser, Niklas Höhne, Thomas Day
Katowice, 4 December 2018

2. Surveys with stakeholders before and after the Paris Agreement
• December 2015
• March/ April 2017
• September/ October 2017
Question:
• What are the lessons learned from mitigation NDC preparation?
• What is needed within countries to broaden coverage?
Inputs
o www.ambitiontoaction.org
o https://newclimate.org/2015/12/01/indcs-as-a-catalyst-for-national-climate-action/
o https://newclimate.org/2015/08/31/overcoming-the-challenges-of-indc-preparation-experiences-and-
lessons-learned-2/
o https://newclimate.org/2017/08/01/sectoral-implementation-of-nationally-determined-contributions-
ndcs/
o https://newclimate.org/2017/11/13/ndc-update-report-the-long-and-steep-climb-towards-a-1-5-c-
world-nov-2017/
04/12/2018 www.newclimate.org 2
Methods

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Challenges in preparation of INDCs
December 2015
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Lackofhighlevelpoliticalsupport/mandate
Conflictwithotherpoliticalpriorities
Difficultiestoassesstheleveloffairnessandambition
LimitedunderstandingofhowtoformulatetheINDC
Lackofcoordinationwithandbetweenvariousministries
Lackofunderstandingoftheobjectiveamongstministries
Lackofprogressinotherparallelclimatestrategyprocesses
Difficultiestoconsultbroadernon-governmentalstakeholders
Lackofcapacity/personnel
Limitedavailabilityofinformation/expertiseontechnicaloptions
Limitedsynchronisationbetweenthepolitical&technicalprocess
Difficultiestoassesseconomicimpactsandco-benefits
Difficultiestoassessfinancialandsupportneeds
Stronglydisagree Somewhatdisagree Neitheragreenordisagree Somewhatagree Stronglyagree
Difficulties to assess financial and support needs
Difficulties to assess impacts and co-benefits
Limited synchronisation between political & technical process
Limited availability of information/expertise on technical options
Lack of capacity/personnel
Difficulties to consult broader non-governmental stakeholders
Lack of progress in other parallel climate strategy processes
Lack of understanding of the objective among ministries
Lack of coordination with and between various ministries
Limited understanding of how to formulate INDC
Difficulties in assessing the level of fairness and ambition
Conflict with other political priorities
Lack of high level political support / mandate
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Lack of high level political support / mandate
Conflict with other political priorities
Difficulties to assess the level of fairness and ambition
Limited understanding of how to formulate the INDC
Lack of coordination with and between various ministries
Lack of understanding of the objective amongst ministries
Lack of progress in other parallel climate strategy processes
Difficulties to consult broader non-governmental stakeholders
Lack of capacity/ personnel
Limited availability of information / expertise on technical options
Limited synchronisation between the political & technical process
Difficulties to assess economic impacts and co-benefits
Difficulties to assess financial and support needs
Strongly disagree Somewhat disagree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat agree Strongly agree

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Challenges in preparation of INDCs
December 2015
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Lackofhighlevelpoliticalsupport/mandate
Conflictwithotherpoliticalpriorities
Difficultiestoassesstheleveloffairnessandambition
LimitedunderstandingofhowtoformulatetheINDC
Lackofcoordinationwithandbetweenvariousministries
Lackofunderstandingoftheobjectiveamongstministries
Lackofprogressinotherparallelclimatestrategyprocesses
Difficultiestoconsultbroadernon-governmentalstakeholders
Lackofcapacity/personnel
Limitedavailabilityofinformation/expertiseontechnicaloptions
Limitedsynchronisationbetweenthepolitical&technicalprocess
Difficultiestoassesseconomicimpactsandco-benefits
Difficultiestoassessfinancialandsupportneeds
Stronglydisagree Somewhatdisagree Neitheragreenordisagree Somewhatagree Stronglyagree
Difficulties to assess financial and support needs
Difficulties to assess impacts and co-benefits
Limited synchronisation between political & technical process
Limited availability of information/expertise on technical options
Lack of capacity/personnel
Difficulties to consult broader non-governmental stakeholders
Lack of progress in other parallel climate strategy processes
Lack of understanding of the objective among ministries
Lack of coordination with and between various ministries
Limited understanding of how to formulate INDC
Difficulties in assessing the level of fairness and ambition
Conflict with other political priorities
Lack of high level political support / mandate
0% 25% 50% 75% 100%
Lack of high level political support / mandate
Conflict with other political priorities
Difficulties to assess the level of fairness and ambition
Limited understanding of how to formulate the INDC
Lack of coordination with and between various ministries
Lack of understanding of the objective amongst ministries
Lack of progress in other parallel climate strategy processes
Difficulties to consult broader non-governmental stakeholders
Lack of capacity/ personnel
Limited availability of information / expertise on technical options
Limited synchronisation between the political & technical process
Difficulties to assess economic impacts and co-benefits
Difficulties to assess financial and support needs
Strongly disagree Somewhat disagree Neither agree nor disagree Somewhat agree Strongly agree
Technical
issues
remain key
Political
landscape
improving
 Fewer than ¼ of countries lacked strong political mandate and
very few reported the low priority of climate change policy as a
barrier
 Ca. ⅔ of countries faced barriers with assessment of technical
options, impacts, financial and support needs.
 Political and technical processes remain too disjointed

5. NDC process a catalyst of national
climate action
5Survey of 52 countries in October 2015 www.mitigationpartnership.net/indcs-catalysts-climate-action

6. NDC process a catalyst of national
climate action
6Survey of 52 countries in October 2015 www.mitigationpartnership.net/indcs-catalysts-climate-action

7. 7
Current implementation
https://newclimate.org/2017/11/13/ndc-update-report-the-long-and-steep-climb-towards-a-1-5-c-world-nov-2017/
Detail NDC to sector level targets
Align sector development plans with NDC
Identify and selection actions to implement NDC
Secure funding for these actions
Secure sufficient political support
for NDC implementation
Secure sufficient political support
from private stakeholders
Implement strategies
Meet international and domestic transparency needs

8. 8
Sector coverage of NDCs
Based on
https://newclimate.org/2017/08/01/sec
toral-implementation-of-nationally-
determined-contributions-ndcs/
Sectoral coverage can be
enhanced, especially in
buildings

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Sectors where higher ambition than
current NDC could be achieved
https://newclimate.org/2017/11/13/ndc-update-report-the-long-and-steep-climb-towards-a-1-5-c-world-nov-2017/

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Raising ambition
Sneak preview of NDC update report 2018, www.ambitiontoaction.org

11. Preparation of first NDCs has kick-started national mitigation policy process
• Catalysed new momentum for new policies, new action plans
• Climate action now seen as a continuous engagement
Political momentum needs to be maintained
• Slow progress on securing funding
• Slow progress on private sector support
Next NDCs: High level consideration needs to be translated to sectoral level
• Ensure that national and sector-level strategies are aligned with measures set forth in the
NDCs
• Ensure that NDCs are compatible with national development plans and SDGs
• Advance on mid-term emission reduction targets and actions by providing details on long-
term plans for full decarbonisation and fossil fuel phaseout, including at the sectoral level
where possible.
• Update sector, sub-sector and economy-wide ambition regularly
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Conclusions

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Backup

13. Six key challenges
Challenge Learning
1 Data management and
analysis
Improve data collection across sectors/ gov‘t
Targeted new technical analyses + capacities
2 Defining scope and type of
INDC
Ltd data/ analysis affects scope
Move to broaden but not at cost of ambition
3 Demonstrating fairness and
ambition
High importance: transparency/ trust
Use of available methods (e.g. effort sharing)
4 Understanding economic
impact and co benefits
Key opportunity to enhance ambition/ buy in
Deepen analysis to understand linkages
5 Articulating finance and
support needs
Bottom up sector based investment planning
Understand role of national budgets / private
6 Synchronisation of technical
& political process
Build on existing processes and structures
Develop clear roadmaps for future process

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Technical and financial support
better understood but inadequate