This guidelines document describes a general approach for developing a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) Implementation Roadmap (hereinafter referred to as an NDC Roadmap). The document is intended for any country implementing an NDC under the Paris Agreement, with a specific focus on small island developing states (SIDS). It sets out a high-level outline of the steps that countries can undertake to create an overall NDC implementation plan for one or more sectors. The guidance in this document is intended primarily to assist in planning for implementation of the mitigation (or carbon emission reduction) aspects of an NDC, although parts of the document are also relevant for adaption implementation planning.
The intended audience of this document are the key stakeholders involved in the development of an NDC Roadmap in a specific country. These can include: government employees involved in national or sectoral planning, regulation, and implementation; employees of development agencies supporting governments; and consultants
or institutions providing capacity building, technical assistance, and other services.
Developing countries, in particular SIDS, face common challenges when designing and implementing sustainableclimate change policies and national plans. The challenges faced in implementing NDCs are no exception, and can include:
- Building awareness among stakeholders on the relevance of actions, and describing the benefits of the actions
• Integrating climate change into national planning and development processes
• Strengthening links between sectoral, national development, and climate change plans, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially their gender and social dimensions
• Building capacity to analyze, develop, and implement climate policies and plans
• Establishing and maintaining information and data systems to collect the necessary information
• Addressing resource constraints in developing and implementing climate change mitigation and/or adaptation actions
This document provides guidelines which can contribute to addressing these challenges by describing a step-wise and practical approach for countries to develop their NDC Roadmap in an integrated manner. The steps focus on:
• Review and analysis of sectoral data and broad national-level information
• Assessment of existing and potential new mitigation actions and technologies, and their impacts
and resource needs
• Prioritization of actions
- Continuous and intensive engagement with stakeholders
• Documentation of the roadmap development process and results in a comprehensive and logical manner
An overview of the general approach for developing an NDC Roadmap (with all main components) is provided in section 2.
This guideline takes the approach that an NDC Roadmap is a “living” document, meaning that information in a final NDC Roadmap document represents the understanding of the country at the time it is published. The roadmap should be periodically updated to ensure validity, transparency, and accuracy over time as new information and technologies become available.
