The NDC Partnership is a network of over 120 countries, facilitated by UNFCCC, that is dedicated to helping each other strengthen their Paris Agreement Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Pledges. The Partnership has just released Version 3.0 of the NDC Navigator, an interactive tool that supports the development of updated country NDCs to be submitted in 2025. Below are Climate Scorecard Country Managers’ advice to their countries of what needs to be done to strengthen their NDCs based on the framework of the NDC Partnership Navigator.
Chief Directorate – International Climate Change Relations and Negotiations (Mr Maesela Kekana)
Dear Mr. Masesela Kekana,
I am the Climate Scorecard Project Country Manager for South Africa. Climate Scorecard is a non-profit organization working to strengthen climate mitigation and adaptation efforts in leading greenhouse gas-emitting countries. (www.climatescorecard.org )
I am contacting you to share suggestions from the new NDC Partnership on strengthening your Paris Agreement Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The NDC Partnership brings together more than 200 members, including more than 120 developed and developing countries and more than 80 institutions , to create and deliver on ambitious climate action that helps achieve the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UNFCCC facilitates it. The Partnership recently issued Navigator Guidelines to countries for strengthening their NDCs that can be accessed by clicking https://ndcnavigator.org/routes/
I am using insights from the newly released NDC 3.0 Navigator to provide suggestions across the Navigator’s three key routes for strengthening country NDCs identified by this tool. We hope our vision can be insightful for the OCC team working on this issue.
Route #1 Making South Africa’s NDC more aligned with the Paris Agreement temperature goal
- South Africa should follow the Presidential Climate Committee’s (PCC) guidance and pursue a low-cost renewables-based electricity system. According to the PCC, South Africa should not add new coal or nuclear due to high costs and should transition to more affordable renewables with co-located storage.
- South Africa should accelerate coal decommissioning and plan to phase out coal power plants. This goal should be incorporated into critical national plans, including the finalized Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET IP) and updated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Adding new coal capacity is not cost-effective or compatible with limiting global warming to 1.5ºC. Therefore, South Africa must reduce its coal power reliance by 2030 and phase it out by 2040.
Route #2 Making South Africa’s NDC more aligned with the Paris Agreement’s global goal of adaptation
- South Africa should improve climate resilience by promoting climate change risk and vulnerability assessments. This involves assessing how future climate change impacts will create new or alter current climate-related risks and taking steps to better cope with these risks.
- South Africa should also improve its adaptation strategies for disaster preparedness and emergency response by designing and launching community volunteer response programs, identifying and protecting critical infrastructure and vulnerable neighborhoods, improving internal and external communication networks, and working with the government to develop and adopt a multi-hazard mitigation plan.
- South Africa should develop a framework that sets out the policy measures and undertakings by different social partners. This will help minimize the social and economic impacts of the climate transition and improve the livelihoods of those most vulnerable to climate change.
Route #3 South Africa’s NDC should help support a just and equitable transition
- South Africa should prioritize urgent investments in transmission and distribution infrastructure. As specified in the JET IP, investment in transmission and distribution infrastructure is critical to ensuring the uptake of private sector-driven deployment of renewable energy. Grid infrastructure will need additional external support in the form of concessional finance and budget assistance.
- South Africa should improve policy certainty to support investment and implementation by accelerating the adoption of several important draft policies and laws, including the Climate Change Bill, the Renewable Energy Master Plan, the updated IRP, and the Electricity Regulator Act Amendment Bill.
- South Africa should offer financial incentives to companies that go above and beyond environmental compliance. The financial incentives may include grants to implement sustainable practices or subsidies for investing in renewable energy.
By implementing these actions, South Africa could significantly enhance its NDCs, ensuring they contribute to global climate goals while promoting sustainable development and domestic social equity. Climate Scorecard strongly recommends incorporating these recommendations into the upcoming NDC revision.
Please let me know if you agree with these suggestions and need any support in implementing them.
I look forward to hearing back from you.
Thank you for your continued commitment to advancing Spain’s climate leadership.
Best Regards,
Rugare Zhou
Climate Scorecard South Africa Country Manager