The African Development Bank Group has emphasized the need for stronger collaboration and sustained coordination among global climate institutions to help developing countries achieve their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Speaking at the 5th Partners’ Roundtable on NDC Implementation during COP30 in Belém, Brazil, Dr. Al Hamndou Dorsouma, Manager for Climate Change and Green Growth at the Bank, noted that African countries have shown strong ambition but often lack the resources required to implement their climate commitments. He highlighted that enhanced collaboration and reinforced coordination among financial and technical assistance providers are essential for supporting NDCs across the continent.
The roundtable gathered development finance institutions, global climate funds, and UN agencies to review financing and technical assistance pledges, evaluate private sector engagement, and explore ways to ensure climate finance reaches vulnerable communities. Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, stressed that the cost of inaction on climate change far exceeds the cost of action and urged developed nations, multilateral development banks, and the private sector to increase their efforts. He also noted that local governments have contributed 17% of adaptation solutions since the Paris Agreement, emphasizing that COP30 focuses on the effective implementation of NDCs rather than just their submission.
Participants discussed progress and ongoing challenges, including resource mobilization, coordination gaps, institutional capacity limitations, and difficulties in reaching vulnerable groups. Pablo Vieira, Global Director of the NDC Partnership Support Unit, reported that around 101 countries that submitted NDCs received partnership support. Jennifer Baumwoll of the UNDP highlighted the UN system’s role in integrating NDCs into national budgets while addressing community priorities. Despite these challenges, 47 African countries have updated and submitted their NDCs, with 23 submitting more ambitious versions ahead of COP30.
Dr. Dorsouma explained that the African Development Bank Group focuses on helping countries transition from planning to investment. Through the Africa NDC Hub, the Bank has assisted Uganda in formulating its NDC, Mozambique in strengthening institutions for its ten-year climate plan, Burkina Faso in preparing its NDC investment plan, and Ethiopia in developing bankable NDC projects and securing large-scale financing. Botswana, Gabon, Lesotho, and Liberia have also received support to craft long-term climate visions aligned with the Paris Agreement through 2050.
In 2024, the Bank mobilized $5.5 billion in climate finance, with 56% dedicated to adaptation, and 83% of its climate finance sourced from its own resources, demonstrating strong internal commitment. Innovative tools like the Climate Action Window raised $451 million in concessional financing, 73% for adaptation, which enabled the mobilization of $1.39 billion in co-financing for 39 projects across 31 countries. The Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP), implemented with the Global Centre on Adaptation, has mobilized $19 billion of the targeted $25 billion by the end of 2025, with $11.9 billion already deployed to benefit 60 million people. However, Dr. Dorsouma noted that private capital remains underutilized in adaptation efforts.
