Five Years of Country Climate Priorities: A Deep Dive into the Data
Since the NDC Partnership began programmatic operations in 2017, more than 100 countries have submitted nearly 7,000 requests for support to develop, implement and finance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
By capturing country requests and support provided by implementing and development partners, the NDC Partnership has gathered thousands of datapoints that offer a robust picture of emerging challenges and trends in climate action by country, region, sector, topic and other dimensions.
In a new insight brief and companion paper, the NDC Partnership Support Unit has analyzed data from the last five-year NDC ambition cycle — covering trends in country needs and partner support, including the six thematic axes under the COP30 Action Agenda.
Key findings in the briefs include:
The number of countries requesting support has grown steadily each year (faster than growth in membership). Nearly three times as many countries requested NDC Partnership support in 2024 compared to 2021, with 80 countries requesting support in 2024 alone.
Partner support is not keeping pace with demand, leaving a gap between country needs and available support. This finding underscores the urgency of scaling support over the next ambition cycle while maximizing available resources through the NDC Partnership.
Countries have increasingly requested sector-specific support following the findings of the first Global Stocktake released in 2023. Energy, water and agriculture are among the most commonly requested sectors. Energy remains the top area in country requests for support, covering energy efficiency, renewable energy generation and distribution, and access and affordability.
Access to finance remains a chief constraint for developing countries. Access to finance and investment planned is the most common topic among country requests for support. Even though the support rate for these requests exceeds the overall rate from the past five years, countries still face significant finance gaps. Closing these gaps is essential for countries to deliver on their NDCs.
Capacity building has been the most common activity type among requests for support. This finding reaffirms that building in-country capacity is instrumental in country-led climate action, helping to strengthen decision-making, mobilize resources and coordinate whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches to planning and implementation.
These findings underscore the critical role the NDC Partnership continues to play in tracking country requests in real time and streamlining technical and financial support to countries.
Both the insight brief and supporting paper are designed to inform discussions on emerging country priorities and help scale support for countries seeking to develop, implement and finance their NDCs. Countries and partners can use the information in these briefs to inform meetings and speaking engagements at COP30 — as well as ongoing programming discussions.
Cover photo by tadamichi / Adobe Stock