Posted on May, 11 2021

Countries in the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region have already taken steps to address climate change including, for example, through protection of forests, building multi-sector coalitions and kick-starting the energy transition. The submission of updated National Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) brings an opportunity for all countries to increase ambition and show progress in other areas, such as adaptation, contributing to sustainable development, participation and inclusiveness and transparent systems to track progress.

However, the findings of the 2021 NDC Synthesis Report shows that although individual countries have mostly increased mitigation targets, overall it falls far short of what the science says we need to keep the rise in global temperature to 1.5 ̊C. Countries should submit their new or enhanced NDC ahead of COP 26, ideally by 30 July so they can feed into the UNFCCC final NDC Synthesis Report.

In an effort to foster NDC enhancement, WWF has developed the #NDCsWeWant Checklist to benchmark updated NDCs submitted in 2020/21 against five areas:

1. Ambition (in mitigation, adaptation and finance)
2. Fostering systemic change
3. Inclusiveness and participation in the NDC design process
4. Contribution to sustainable development, and
5. Systems for tracking progress.

Using the Checklist enables WWF to hold countries accountable and to shine a light on the main advances and challenges towards implementation of the Paris Agreement. The checklist is also used to open conversations with governments on how to improve NDCs – to lay foundations for a proper long-term response to the climate crisis. WWF also provides resources to support enhancing NDCs in several areas.

This paper brings together WWF's assessments of the NDCs of LAC countries to share the lessons learned, opportunities which can be harnessed for a green recovery in the wake of COVID-19.

With COP26 postponed until November 2021, countries have been given a greater window to reflect on their ambition and propose stronger targets and measures. There is still opportunity for all LAC countries to reflect on regional progress, COVID-19 recovery plans, and apply lessons learned to further develop their own NDC commitments ahead of COP26.