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The Kingdom of Tonga is seeking USD 500,000 from the Green Climate Fund to enhance its institutional capacity to manage climate finance. The proposal focuses on strengthening the National Designated Authority (NDA), prioritizing project pipelines under the Tonga Country Programme, and improving direct access to finance through the accreditation of the Ministry of Finance and National Planning (MoFNP). Key activities include developing a climate finance tracking mechanism, mainstreaming gender and vulnerable group needs into programming, and increasing private sector engagement to develop bankable project concepts.

The case study highlights Sri Lanka's progress in linking sustainable development, climate change, and disaster risk reduction, noting that alignment is facilitated when a single ministry, the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment, leads the processes. It identifies the iterative updates of the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP) as key opportunities for further alignment and suggests that integrating monitoring and evaluation systems can create significant efficiencies.

The document highlights Colombia's progress in aligning its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) strategy. It notes that these policy processes reference one another to provide coherent adaptation messaging and suggests further alignment through improved information-sharing tools, sub-national capacity building, and enhanced monitoring and evaluation (M&E) systems.

The Government of Kenya has aligned its climate and development efforts by integrating the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2015–2030 and Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) into the National Climate Change Action Plan 2018–2022 (NCCAP). While alignment is achieved through identifying synergies in policy documents, the study identifies needs for better coordination, financing strategies, and monitoring systems.

The document argues that explicit consideration of the water cycle is essential for effective climate change mitigation and adaptation. It outlines a six-step process for integrating water into NDCs, including establishing institutional arrangements, assessing priorities, and aligning with finance processes. The guide emphasizes that effective water management can improve water security, lower emissions, and support carbon sequestration through actions such as managing the water-energy nexus and preserving wetlands.

The document highlights the critical need for countries to reach an agreement on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement before COP25. It identifies four primary areas of contention: the transition of old Kyoto Protocol credits, the prevention of double counting through corresponding adjustments, the move away from offsetting logic toward true emission reductions, and the necessity of integrating social and environmental safeguards to protect human rights and support sustainable development.

The document examines the integration of ocean-based climate actions in the NDCs of island and coastal nations. An analysis of 106 new and updated NDCs reveals that 77 of them, or 73 percent, incorporate at least one target, policy, or measure focused on ocean-based climate actions.

The GCF's Private Sector Facility (PSF) aims to green the financial systems of developing countries by addressing capacity, market, and policy barriers. The GCF utilizes three primary pillars: providing concessional financing and project preparation grants, implementing policy-level interventions through its Readiness Programme, and conducting outreach through partnerships with global networks. The document highlights the critical role of central banks as regulators and the importance of local financial institutions (LFIs) in reaching micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and households. Case studies from Mongolia, Ghana, and West Africa demonstrate the use of on-lending models and risk-sharing instruments to scale up renewable energy and climate-resilient agriculture.

Colombia has made significant progress in aligning its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), National Adaptation Plan (NAP), and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) strategy. The National Planning Department (DNP) plays a central role in coordinating these agendas, particularly by using the SDG agenda as the entry point for the 2018–2022 National Development Plan. While synergies exist—such as the NAP serving as the basis for the NDC's adaptation component—the document identifies a lack of formal coordination mechanisms between the national climate change system (SISCLIMA) and the High-Level Commission for the SDGs, as well as between the National Disaster Risk Management System and the NAP process.

The Government of Kenya has integrated its climate adaptation, disaster risk management, and sustainable development goals through a systemic alignment of policy frameworks. Central to this is the National Climate Change Action Plan 2018–2022 (NCCAP), which serves as the implementation vehicle for both the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2015–2030 and the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The document highlights that while strategic alignment exists in policy documents, further opportunities for enhancement lie in improving coordination mechanisms, sharing climate risk information, harmonizing financing strategies, and coordinating monitoring and evaluation systems.

The document analyzes the institutional and policy landscape of climate-resilient development in Sri Lanka, identifying existing synergies between the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It highlights that having the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment lead both sustainable development and climate change coordination simplifies alignment. The study identifies four key entry points for enhanced strategic alignment: updating the NDC and NAP, developing the National Policy and Strategy on Sustainable Development (NPSSD), establishing integrated monitoring and evaluation systems, and initiating provincial adaptation planning.

The document examines the institutional coordination and policy alignment in Colombia regarding climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable development goals. It highlights the central role of the Departamento Nacional de Planeación (DNP) and identifies synergies between the National Adaptation Plan (PNAD), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), and the Sendai Framework. The study proposes strengthening formal coordination between the National Climate Change System (SISCLIMA) and the High-Level Commission for the SDGs, as well as improving vertical integration between national and subnational governments.

The document analyzes Kenya's systemic alignment of climate adaptation, disaster risk management, and sustainable development goals. It highlights the role of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), both implemented through the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP) 2018-2022. The study identifies synergies across policy documents and suggests improvements in coordination mechanisms, climate risk information sharing, harmonized financing, and integrated monitoring and evaluation systems.

Sri Lanka is transitioning from informal to strategic alignment of its climate and development policies. The country benefits from having both sustainable development and climate change under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Development and Environment of Mahaweli. Key policy instruments include the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) 2016-2025 and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), both of which are closely linked and scheduled for updates. The document identifies four primary entry points for improving alignment: the updating of NDCs and the NAP, the development of the National Sustainable Development Strategy and Policy (NPSSD), the creation of integrated monitoring and evaluation systems, and the integration of adaptation into provincial planning processes.

The document analyzes the institutional mechanisms and policy frameworks Colombia uses to integrate climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable development goals. It identifies significant synergies between the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) strategy, while highlighting the need for formal coordination mechanisms between key national commissions to avoid duplication and improve subnational implementation.

The document analyzes Kenya's systemic alignment of the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It highlights how the National Climate Change Action Plan (PANCC) 2018–2022 serves as a primary implementation tool for both the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) and the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), integrating disaster risk management and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into a shared vision for climate-resilient development.

The document analyzes the institutional frameworks and policy synergies in Sri Lanka aimed at integrating the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement, and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. It identifies key entry points for strengthening this alignment, including the updating of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), the development of National Policies and Strategies for Sustainable Development (NPSSD), and the creation of integrated monitoring and evaluation systems.

The document emphasizes that achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 requires increasing the capacity of global carbon sinks through land-use management. Drawing on an IPCC special report, it identifies four high-potential mitigation categories: BECCS, reforestation/forest restoration, afforestation, and biochar. The author advocates for a 'portfolio' approach tailored to regional conditions, particularly in tropical and subtropical areas, while warning that high land demand could pressure food prices and biodiversity. Key success factors include prioritizing optimal biomass conversion, developing multifunctional landscapes, ensuring fair community participation, prioritizing the avoidance of deforestation, and increasing R&D for biochar and BECCS.

The briefing discusses the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit, highlighting the need to accelerate action due to IPCC warnings and youth-led climate strikes. It notes that while mitigation has seen progress with 183 parties submitting NDCs, adaptation remains severely under-implemented, particularly in developing countries. The author advocates for the integration of Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) into global strategies, noting its dual benefit for resilience and carbon sequestration, especially in Africa.

The document argues that while NDCs (short-to-medium term commitments) and LTSs (mid-century visions) serve different legal and functional roles, they should be developed synergistically. Aligning them prevents the 'lock-in' of carbon-intensive infrastructure and reduces administrative costs by sharing data, modeling, and stakeholder consultations. The authors suggest that ideally, an LTS should inform the NDC, though they provide options for countries developing both in parallel or those updating NDCs without a formal LTS.