Metadata and Definitions
The NDC Partnership’s Knowledge Portal uses many terms to describe resources related to climate action. These terms may be used to search and filter for different resource, or to provide details about individual resources. The Knowledge Portal also has four primary databases: the Good Practice Database, the Climate Toolbox, the Climate Funds Explorer, and the Climate Finance Bulletin. Some terms may appear in one of these modules, but may be absent from another.
This page serves as a guide for all metadata and terminology used across the Knowledge Portal, including the name of the term, its definition, and where it might be found by users. Continue reading below to learn more about these terms and definitions.
Climate Objective
The primary objective of the climate intervention, namely adaptation to climate change impacts, mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, or cross-cutting objectives involving both adaptation and mitigation.
Terminology | Definition | Modules |
|---|---|---|
| Adaptation | Focus is on resilience, disaster reduction or buffering climate impacts. | Good Climate Climate |
| Mitigation | Focus is on emission reductions. | |
| Cross-cutting | Focus on integrated climate action or the development of climate policy or laws that touch on both adaptation and mitigation. |
Co-financing Requirements
Definition | Modules |
|---|---|
| Co-financing refers to project or program funds which are jointly provided from organizations additional to the primary support provider. If required, applicants will work with multiple providers to access this climate finance opportunity. | Climate Climate |
Consortium Requirement
Definition | Modules |
|---|---|
| A consortium refers to multiple entities that work together jointly to implement a climate project. If required, the applying entity may be required to form or participate in a consortium to access the climate finance opportunity. | Climate Finance Bulletin |
Country Grouping
Refers to country categorizations separate from geography and which reflect unique attributes or vulnerabilities to climate change, namely Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Terminology | Definition | Modules |
|---|---|---|
| Least Developed Countries (LDCs) | Countries characterized by historically weak development capacity, low and unequally distributed income, and scarcity of domestic financial resources, as defined by the United Nations. | Good Climate Climate |
| Small Island Developing States (SIDS) | Low-lying coastal countries which face increased challenges related to their remote geography – including factors like small population size, high transportation costs, and vulnerability to climate change, biodiversity loss and economic shocks – as defined by the United Nations. |
Eligibility Criteria
Definition | Modules |
|---|---|
| Requirements a public entity, stakeholder, or other applicant must meet in order to access this climate finance opportunity. | Climate Climate |
Eligible to submit a proposal
Definition | Modules |
|---|---|
| Entities that may apply for the climate finance opportunity, including: non-state actors (such as academic institutions or non-profits), public entities, private companies, and accredited entities (organizations that support providers formally approve after meeting certain criteria to partner on project implementation). | Climate Finance Bulletin |
Expertise Level
Target audiences and/or users of a resource, including generalists, practitioners, and specialists.
Terminology | Definition | Modules |
|---|---|---|
| Generalist | Someone with a baseline understanding of climate change and NDCs, such as a member of the public. | Climate Toolbox |
| Practitioner | Someone who engages with NDC planning and implementation regularly as part of their occupation or profession, such as government official in an environmental ministry. | |
| Specialist | Someone with advanced expertise on topics relevant to NDC planning and implementation, such as an economist specializing in climate finance or a climate scientist. |
Funding Type
Types of funding opportunities offered by support providers, including grants, loans, in-kind support, and other instruments.
Terminology | Definition | Modules |
|---|---|---|
| Grants | Financial aid given to support projects and programs, which usually do not need to be repaid by the recipient. | Climate Climate |
| Loans (concessional and market-rate) | Financial aid provided to support projects and programs, under an agreement that the support provider will be repaid with interest by the recipient. Concessional loans set repayment rates below market to support climate or development objectives, while market-rate loans set repayment based on market fluctuations and other economic criteria. | |
| In-kind contributions | Non-monetary goods or services provided to support climate objectives. In-kind contributions may include physical provisions (e.g., early warning system technologies) as well as technical assistance (e.g., trainings on climate-smart agriculture practices). | |
| Other | Alternative types of funding which do not fit into the above categories, such as equity, insurance, and guarantees. |
Inputs Needed
Definition | Modules |
|---|---|
| Any data, information, or other inputs that may be required to effectively utilize a tool or resource. | Climate Toolbox |
Membership Requirement
Definition | Modules |
|---|---|
| Denotes whether any form of membership or affiliation with the entity that developed or manages the tool is required to access or utilize the resource. Does not refer to membership requirements with the NDC Partnership. | Climate Toolbox |
Monitoring and Reporting Procedures
Definition | Modules |
|---|---|
| Information on criteria for project implementation set by the funding entity, including requirements for monitoring and reporting progress, which will be required from applicants. | Climate Funds Explorer |
Organizational and Decision Making Structure
Definition | Modules |
|---|---|
| Information on how the funding entity operates and makes decisions, including the process by which proposals are approved and funds are awarded. | Climate Funds Explorer |
Outputs Provided
Definition | Modules |
|---|---|
| Analysis, visualizations, or bespoke guidance provided by a tool during use, often after inputting data. | Climate Toolbox |
Planning and Implementation Activities
Terminology | Definition | Modules |
|---|---|---|
| Developing Strategies and Plans | Resources for developing relevant national strategies and planning documents, including nationally determined contributions (NDCs), low emission development strategies (LEDS), national adaptation plans (NAPs), and long-term strategies (LTS), among other related strategies and plans. | Good Practice Database |
| Developing and Implementing Policies and Measures | Resources for evaluating, developing, and implementing policies to advance climate adaptation and mitigation priorities. | |
| Sub-national Action and Integration | Resources for implementing climate mitigation and adaptation actions at the sub-national level, including regional and local activities. | |
| Linking with the Sustainable Development Goals | Resources for activities with linkages to one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as defined by the United Nations. | |
| Reviewing and Enhancing Ambition | Resources for strengthening mitigation or adaptation targets and actions over time. Enhancing ambition may refer to a wide variety of climate actions, including strengthening emissions reduction targets, broadening sectoral coverage, setting unconditional targets, shortening timelines, adding qualitative measures, or setting long-term adaptation strategies. | |
| Understand the Basics of NDCs | Resources for general understanding of the fundamentals of NDCs and framework around NDC planning and implementation (explainers/NDCs 101). | Climate Toolbox |
| Assess Needs and Capacity | Resources for understanding how to assess barriers and gaps in institutional, human, financial, and technical capacity for NDC planning and implementation. | |
| Identify and Analyze Climate Actions | Resources for identifying potential climate mitigation and adaptation actions and assessing them for feasibility, costs, benefits, and other impacts. | |
| Evaluate Potential Development Impacts and Benefits | Resources for conducting assessments of the associated development impacts of climate projects and policies. | |
| Develop an Implementation Plan | Resources for drafting NDC implementation plans and integrating NDC planning into existing planning processes. | |
| Establish Institutional Arrangements and Engage Stakeholders | Resources for establishing governance and institutional structures that support planning, implementation, and mainstreaming of NDCs. | Good Climate |
| Collect Data and Understand Current Context | Resources for collecting and analyzing data necessary for the assessment of mitigation and adaptation needs, priorities, and potential, which will inform NDC planning, implementation, and tracking of progress. | |
| Financing Implementation | Resources for understanding how to assess funding circumstances and needs, plan for and evaluate funding opportunities, and develop projects and proposals. | |
| Evaluate, Monitor, and Report Impacts | Resources for understanding how to design and implement an MRV/ M&E system, including quality assurance and quality control, reporting frameworks, and indicator development. |
Purpose of Support
Definition | Modules |
|---|---|
| Intended outcome of support provided, for example, strengthening capacity, preparing project proposals, implementing programs, and complying with reporting requirements. | Climate Funds Explorer |
Region
Definition | Modules |
|---|---|
| Seven geographic regions of the world, classified according to analytical grouping by the World Bank. | Good Climate Climate Climate |
Resource Type
Different resources designed to aid in NDC planning and implementation activities, including tools (guidance and frameworks, templates, analysis tools), platforms, and technical support, among others.
Terminology | Definition | Modules |
|---|---|---|
| Guidance and Frameworks | Tools that provide any form of stepwise guidance, analytical frameworks, recommendations, or principles for advancing NDC planning and implementation activities. | Climate Toolbox |
| Templates | Tools that support the production of documents relevant to NDC planning and implementation in a consistently replicable format. | |
| Analysis Tools | Tools which enable data analysis on topics related to NDC planning and implementation, such as greenhouse gas inventories or climate change vulnerability assessments. Tools in this category such as maps, atlases, and dashboards may also aid in data visualization and interpretation. | |
| Platforms | Repositories of resources (e.g., tools, data, methodologies, case studies, guidance documents) that facilitate peer-to-peer knowledge sharing to support NDC planning and implementation. | |
| Technical Support | Direct assistance for NDC planning and implementation, either free or paid, provided by an organization or initiative. Technical support includes virtual technical expert support (through email, forums, or a help desk), online tutorials, courses, and webinars. | |
| Other | Alternative resources which are relevant to NDC planning and implementation but do not fit into the above "Resource Type" categories. |
Resources Provided
Definition | Modules |
|---|---|
| Types of resources accessible on a knowledge platform, including case studies, expert support, peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, and tools. | Climate Toolbox |
Scale
Levels of governance or strategic application for which a resource is designed, including the national, sub-national, and project levels.
Terminology | Definition | Modules |
|---|---|---|
| National | Resources applicable to country governments or those which are designed for application on a country-wide scale. | Climate Toolbox |
| Sub-national | Resources designed for use by regional or local actors, such as provincial or municipal governments, cities, and townships. | |
| Project-level | Resources created for application on individual projects, often considering local communities and context. Projects themselves may be national or sub-national in scope. |
Sectors and Themes
Socioeconomic sectors and broader themes relevant to NDC planning and implementation. Sectors include agriculture, energy, forestry and land use, infrastructure and industry, transport, waste management, and water. Themes include cities, disaster risk reduction, economic recovery, education, gender, health, jobs, nature-based solutions and ecosystem services, oceans and coasts, poverty, rural development, and youth.
Terminology | Definition | Modules |
|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | Activities related to growing crops (irrigation, species selection, etc.) and raising animals (i.e. livestock and fisheries -- domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce labor and commodities such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather & wool) from a farm, ranch or their natural habitats. This sector encompasses entries pertaining to food security or the reliable access to enough quantity of affordable and nutritious food -- including climate-smart and climate-resilient agriculture and disaster relief interventions for food security. | Good Climate Climate Climate |
| Cities | Actions targeted towards cities, sub-urban, and urban areas. | |
| Disaster Risk Reduction | Practices that build individual, community, organizational, and state ability to prepare and recover from climate disasters and extreme weather events. This includes (not limited to) early warning systems and tools, integrated water management, and issues pertaining to drought management (the promotion of better land management to reduce drought and desertification). | |
| Economic Recovery | Refers to policies, actions, etc. that focus on recovering from economic shocks (including the COVID-19 pandemic). | |
| Education | Efforts directed towards enhancing public knowledge and raising awareness about climate change, including the integration of climate change into national curricula and educational campaigns. | |
| Energy | Production, sale or distribution of energy; includes renewable energy, energy efficiency, or other low-carbon energy technologies. | |
| Forestry and Other Land Use | Activities related to planting and managing forests or the management and modification of the natural environment into built environment or settlements, such as semi-natural habitat and managed woods. | |
| Gender | Refers to the roles, behaviors, activities, and attributes that a given society at a given time considers appropriate for girls, women, boys, men and gender diverse people. It influences how people perceive themselves and each other, how they interact, and the distribution of power and resources in society. Also refers to gender-responsive approaches which work to address and change gender norms, roles and access to resources, to ultimately close gender gaps and achieve greater gender equality and equity. | |
| Health | Physical, mental and social well-being of individuals, as well as enhancements to medical care. | |
| Infrastructure and Industry | Activities related to physical and organizational structures and facilities or the economic activities concerned with the processing of raw materials and manufacture of goods in factories. | |
| Jobs | A paid potion of regular employment; includes creation of decent employment opportunities (i.e. greening of enterprises, workplace practices and the labor market at a whole). | |
| Nature-based Solutions and Ecosystem Services | Actions to protect, sustainably manage, and restore natural or modified ecosystems that also provide human well-being and biodiversity benefits; ecosystem services can include food and water production, climate and disease regulation and oxygen production, among others. | |
| Oceans and Coasts | Protecting and restoring ocean and costal ecosystems; includes coastal zones where sea and land processes occur; also includes the sustainable development of oceans as an engine for economic growth (blue economy). | |
| Poverty | Activities designed to improve the medium- and long-term quality of life and economic well-being of those who lack enough resources or capabilities to meet their basic needs. | |
| Rural Development | Actions designed to improve the quality of life and economic well-being of those living in sparsely populated areas. | |
| Transport | Movement of people or goods from point A to point B, including air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline and space; also relates to infrastructure, vehicle and operational processes pertaining to transport. | |
| Waste | Management of any discarded, unwanted or unusable substances, including recyclable, compostable and inorganic materials. | |
| Water | Collection, conservation, and recovery of water resources, including watershed management, efficient water use, liquid waste management and accessibility to potable water, among others. | |
| Youth | Refers to children, adolescents, young people engaging in action and advocacy to address climate change. Also refers to child- or youth-sensitive policies which work to lower child vulnerability to climate change and position children and youth populations to be more aware, educated, empowered, and resilient. |
Support Type
Definition | Modules |
|---|---|
| Different forms of support provided by a source of technical assistance, including direct support, e-learning, events, and training (both via webinars and in-person). | Climate Toolbox |
Type of Recipient
Definition | Modules |
|---|---|
| Entities eligible to access the climate finance opportunity include: public entities at the national, sub-national, or regional level, international organizations, non-profit or civil society organizations, private sector entities, and community-level organizations. | Climate Funds Explorer |
Type of Support Provider
Entities providing financial aid or in-kind support for a climate finance opportunity, including bilateral, multilateral, or philanthropic entities, as well as other organizations and initiatives.
Terminology | Definition | Modules |
|---|---|---|
| Bilateral | Funds provided directly from a country government or development agency, such as USAID, AFD, or GIZ. | Climate Climate |
| Multilateral | Funds sourced from multiple governmental and non-governmental organizations; often centrally managed and distributed by a coordinative entity, such as the Adaptation Fund or Inter-American Development Bank. | |
| Philanthropic | Funds provided by non-profit, non-governmental entities, charities, and other social initiatives. | |
| Other | Funds provided by alternative sources, such as from the private sector or via specific initiatives which do not fit into the above categories. |