Côte d'Ivoire Deploys Multiple Collaborations to Strengthen NDC Planning and Implementation

“The GCF [works]  at the macro level of NDC implementation while the Partnership Plan is at the micro level [so that] the Partnership Plan can support the implementation of actions referred to in the Country Program.”  

-Dr. Tiangoua Koné, Côte d'Ivoire’s National Designated Authority (NDA), and NDC Partnership Focal Point Mr. Frédéric Zakpa from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development/Ministère de l’Environnement et du Développement Durable  

Since joining the NDC Partnership in 2018, Côte d’Ivoire worked with various partners to integrate its climate ambitions across government planning. These collaborations delivered unprecedented learning opportunities and set the stage for effective, coordinated, and impactful NDC implementation.

SCALING UP NDC AMBITIONS 

Côte d’Ivoire is scaling-up NDC ambitions with the involvement of various government ministries and partner organizations. While adding new sectors, such as waste and short-lived climate pollutants, each ministry is working on specific targets and activities in its own field. For example, the Ministry for Petrol, Energy and Renewable Energy is developing renewable energy targets and projects while strengthening mining sector monitoring. For its part, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development is building capacity in climate-smart agriculture and technology transfer.

Nine development partners (UNDP, the AfDB, Expertise France, Germany (through GIZ), FAO, UNEP, ILO, UNCDF, and the European Union) are contributing to Côte d’Ivoire’s NDC revision process. The Government’s unprecedented collaboration with these partners offers three main advantages. First, each partner comes with different expertise and experiences that enrich the revision process. Second, this broad support allows Côte d’Ivoire to move beyond traditional mitigation and adaptation sectors. For instance, ILO supported the Government’s ability to analyze NDC impact on employment. Finally, these partners’ involvement in the revision process will facilitate their engagement in implementation. 

For development partners, this collaboration puts into practice the NDC Partnership’s purpose. Regular communications between partners provides more visibility on programs, avoiding duplication and bringing to light complementarity. Most importantly, this experience sets the stage for collaboration in Côte d’Ivoire’s NDC implementation.

COLLABORATING ON FINANCE READINESS 

Côte d'Ivoire led a pioneering process to develop the Green Climate Fund Country Program (GCF CP) and its Partnership Plan (see How the Partnership Works section), working closely with the Partnership and the GCF. This allowed the country to establish foundations for translating national climate programs, such as NDCs, into investment strategies prioritizing a pipeline of projects and programs for financial support by GCF and beyond.

Joint work between the Partnership Plan and Country Program brings several advantages, including identifying priority actions on climate change adaptation and mitigation in a systematic way; calculating required investments, from developing a policy framework to designing and implementing projects; securing finance; and tracking and reporting on spending. Aligning these processes avoids duplication and reduces workload while improving coordination and learning among involved stakeholders. Above all, it ensures complementary tools reinforce each other.

For instance, the Partnership Plan is well-suited to support countries in developing legal and regulatory frameworks that facilitate investment. The Country Program, meanwhile, directly connects projects and programs to large-scale finance the GCF and others can bring. 

INNOVATIVE PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP 

Côte d’Ivoire supports the private sector through an innovative public-private partnership between the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development and the General Confederation of Enterprises of Côte d'Ivoire (CGECI)—the country’s largest private sector employers' organization. This project combines training, preparation, and support for CGECI member companies to adopt a new economy model based on green investments. It is structured around four main components: diagnosing Ivorian private sector companies in terms of green investments and low-carbon technologies; creating companies’ awareness on green investment opportunities; building business capacity on green finance and low-carbon technologies; and supporting the private sector in the transition to green investments resilient to climate change.

To facilitate knowledge exchange and lesson learning, the NDC Partnership organized a series of dialogues between governments and private sector representatives in Francophone Africa. Côte d’Ivoire and the CGECI are very active in these meetings which also bring together Burkina Faso, Mali, Morocco, Togo, and Tunisia.

Members supporting Côte d’Ivoire: The AfDB; the European Union; Expertise France; FAO; GCF; Germany (through GIZ); ILO; UNCDF; UNDP; and UNEP.

This is a PiA 2020 story: Browse the multimedia version or PDF version.