What Can the G20 Learn from NDCs of Climate-Vulnerable Nations?

The report analyzes the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of climate-vulnerable countries—specifically the Maldives, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Saint Lucia—to provide a blueprint for G20 nations. It highlights best practices such as integrating mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage into single strategies, and prioritizing climate-resilient development over short-term fossil fuel gains. The document urges G20 members to submit updated NDCs by September 2025 that target at least a 43% emissions reduction by 2030 and 60% by 2035, while scaling up financial support to close a $5.8–5.9 trillion financing gap for developing countries.

• G20 countries are critical to the global climate trajectory as they represent 80% of global GDP and were responsible for 77% of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2023.
• Climate-vulnerable nations demonstrate high ambition through integrated strategies that combine mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage, as well as whole-of-government planning aligned with national development goals.
• The Maldives has set a highly ambitious conditional target to reach net-zero emissions by 2030 and aims for 33% of its electricity needs to be met by renewable energy by 2028.
• Kenya has prioritized climate leadership by pledging to achieve 100% renewable electricity generation by 2035 and explicitly choosing to forgo the development of its oil and coal reserves.
• Ethiopia integrates its climate action into its Ten-Year Development Plan (2020–2030) and has committed to a 68.8% reduction in emissions by 2030 relative to business-as-usual.
• Saint Lucia's third NDC, submitted in February 2025, more than doubled its previous 2030 target, now committing to a 14.7% reduction in energy and transport sectors by 2035.
• To align with a 1.5 degrees C pathway, G20 countries should target at least a 43% emissions reduction from 2019 levels by 2030 and at least 60% by 2035.
• Developing countries face a financing gap of $5.8–5.9 trillion to meet pre-2030 climate goals, while the annual adaptation finance gap is estimated at up to $359 billion.

APA

de Zoysa, K., & Swaby, G. (2025). What Can the G20 Learn from NDCs of Climate-Vulnerable Nations? World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2025-07/what-can-g20-learn-ndcs-climate-vulnerable-nations.pdf

Chicago

de Zoysa, Kiyomi, and Gabrielle Swaby. What Can the G20 Learn from NDCs of Climate-Vulnerable Nations? World Resources Institute, 2025. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2025-07/what-can-g20-learn-ndcs-climate-vulnerable-nations.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=de Zoysa |first1=Kiyomi |last2=Swaby |first2=Gabrielle |title=What Can the G20 Learn from NDCs of Climate-Vulnerable Nations? |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=July 2025 |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2025-07/what-can-g20-learn-ndcs-climate-vulnerable-nations.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dezoysa2025what, author = {de Zoysa, Kiyomi and Swaby, Gabrielle}, title = {{What Can the G20 Learn from NDCs of Climate-Vulnerable Nations?}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2025}, month = jul, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2025-07/what-can-g20-learn-ndcs-climate-vulnerable-nations.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }