Tunisia Hosts International Investment Conference to Mobilize Support for NDC Implementation
May 25, 2023, Tunis, Tunisia
The Tunisian Ministry of Environment is organizing its first international NDC investment conference on May 25-26 with support from the NDC Partnership, the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Tunisia is situated in one of the most arid, water-scarce regions of the world, making it highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Adaptation and mitigation plans are fast-becoming national development priorities as the country embraces socioeconomic modernization policies that simultaneously reduce the threat of climate change-induced food, water and energy insecurity.
The Tunisian government will use the conference as a platform to present its climate priorities and engage international partners in mobilizing support for the implementation of its revised NDC. The NDC Partnership Focal Point at the Ministry of Environment, Mr. Mohamed Zmerli, said: “As a member of the NDC Partnership, Tunisia hopes to leverage this international network of partners to explore new financing opportunities to accelerate the implementation of their NDC Action Plan and exchange information and experiences with international experts.’’
In 2021 with the NDC Partnership’s support, Tunisia submitted a more ambitious NDC outlining the country’s motivation to achieve national economic development goals while reducing the carbon intensity of its economy and increasing its overall adaptive capacity to climate change. The implementation of this updated NDC requires the mobilization of significant financial resources, estimated at approximately USD 19.4 billion, between 2021-2030. These investments will build the momentum for a deeper transformation of the Tunisian economy in line with the country’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, as reflected in the Long-term Low Emission Development Strategy (LT LEDS) submitted to the UNFCCC in 2022.
‘’With more ambitious mitigation objectives, Tunisia continues to reaffirm its commitment towards addressing the threat of climate change and achieving the objectives provided for in Article 2 of the Paris Agreement,’’ stated Mr. Zmerli. ‘’Thanks to its membership in the NDC Partnership, Tunisia kickstarted a process of coordination, monitoring and synergy which has resulted in the identification of priority actions and urgent projects to implement its NDC.’’
Tunisia, with direct support from the NDC Partnership, has been conducting consultations with key national sectors to identify, and mobilize, investment projects that align with the sectoral priorities of its NDC. With this first international investment conference, the Ministry of the Environment is aiming to bring visibility to the NDC’s priorities and flagship projects, providing an important opportunity to catalyze investment in support of the NDC’s objectives.
NDC Partnership Country Engagement Director, Mariana Panuncio-Feldman, said, “The Ministry of the Environment has launched an inclusive process to translate national climate commitments into investment actions across key sectors of the economy, giving a strong signal that Tunisia seeks to accelerate the transition of its economy towards carbon neutrality. As Tunisia prepares to implement its ambitious climate commitments, the country will need more resources and support to access them. Countries have set the bar high during this latest NDC review cycle and their commitments must now be supported with equally ambitious resource mobilization for effective implementation.”
For media inquiries:
Caitlin Pinkard, Communications Manager, Outreach & Governance, NDC Partnership Support Unit: caitlin.pinkard@ndcpartnership.org
About the NDC Partnership
The NDC Partnership brings together more than 200 members, including more than 115 countries, developed and developing, and more than 80 institutions to create and deliver on ambitious climate action that help achieve the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Governments identify their NDC implementation priorities and the type of support that is needed to translate them into actionable policies and programs. Based on these requests, the membership offers a tailored package of expertise, technical assistance, and funding. This collaborative response provides developing countries with efficient access to a wide range of resources to adapt to and mitigate climate change and foster more equitable and sustainable development.