Upscaling Zimbabwe’s NDC Implementation and Raising Ambition for NDC 3.0

This project supports Zimbabwe in preparing its next-generation NDC 3.0 for 2025–2035, enhancing the country’s climate ambition by expanding mitigation actions beyond the energy sector to include AFOLU, waste, and IPPU, aiming at increasing GHG emission reductions per capita from 33% to 40% by 2030, while also strengthening the country’s adaptation framework to address growing climate risks across key sectors such as agriculture, water, and infrastructure.

UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre provides technical support to assess progress under the current NDC, identify ambitious mitigation and adaptation actions, update adaptation targets and mitigation scenarios and facilitate stakeholder consultations, drafting, validation, and dissemination of the NDC 3.0 document. UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre works closely with the Climate Change Management Department (CCMD) under the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife, Zimbabwe, ensuring strong national ownership and alignment with existing policy frameworks. The project also engages a wide range of stakeholders, including government ministries, sector experts, local authorities, development partners, civil society, women’s, youth and children’s associations, and research institutions, to ensure an inclusive, participatory, and transparent process.

The project will strengthen Zimbabwe’s data systems for tracking NDC implementation, including enhancing scenario modelling and data infrastructure through a sustainable Database Management System to improve transparency, enable long-term tracking, and support future updates. In addition, it promotes the integration of gender equality and social inclusion throughout the NDC development process, ensuring that climate actions reflect the needs and priorities of diverse population groups.

Through this comprehensive technical support, the project will strengthen Zimbabwe’s climate action by promoting evidence-based planning, enhancing national capacity for mitigation and adaptation target-setting, improving data management systems for NDC tracking, and ensuring a more inclusive and gender-responsive development of NDC 3.0. Ultimately, the project will contribute to more robust, implementable, and finance-ready climate commitments, supporting Zimbabwe’s long-term low-emission and climate-resilient development pathway.

This work is funded by the NDC Partnership Action Fund, a funding mechanism for countries to have greater access to technical and financial resources to respond to climate action needs.  

Since 2023, UNEP and the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre have supported developing countries in fast-tracking their NDC implementation and bridging gaps in support with funding from the NDC Partnership Action Fund.