NDC Navigator 3.0 produced with support by Ricardo

Interactive tool produced with support by Ricardo will help nations prepare more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions in line with the Paris Agreement

A new interactive tool designed and produced by Ricardo has been launched to help governments update their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) towards reducing global emissions and ensuring communities adapt to climate change.

The NDC 3.0 Navigator is an online resource that provides climate policy teams with up-to-date technical information and resources to help them prepare their forthcoming NDCs, which are due for submission in 2025.

The content ranges from setting emission reduction targets to planning how to adapt to climate impacts, securing financial investment, and engaging with community stakeholders.

The site is owned and hosted by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the NDC Partnership, an international support network of more than 180 members, including developed and developing countries.

Ricardo’s previous experience of supporting countries in developing earlier rounds of NDCs was a key reason behind our appointment by the NDC Partnership to develop the tool. 

NDCs, the Paris Agreement, and the first Global Stocktake 

NDCs are central to the legally binding 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change.

The Agreement requires all Parties to prepare individual NDCs setting out their commitments towards the shared goal of limiting temperature increase to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels (and well below 2C). 

Furthermore, it requires that updated NDCs are submitted every five years, with each submission representing a notable progression in terms of ambition from the previous submission. All Parties are required to submit their third NDCs (NDCs 3.0) in early 2025.

As noted by UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell, “NDCs 3.0 will be the most important climate documents produced so far this century”.

The NDC 3.0 Navigator

The aim of the NDC 3.0 Navigator is to assist developing countries in producing NDCs that reflect not only the highest possible ambitions but will also be implementable under an accelerated timetable. 

Researching and compiling NDCs, however, is a detailed process that many countries will find challenging from a resource point of view, particularly given the closing deadline of February 2025.

Bringing together a wealth of guidance into one centralised location, the NDC 3.0 Navigator will provide support by offering easy-to-understand summary information, case studies and in-depth guidance across all the various technical elements of NDCs (e.g. target setting, reflecting adaptation, just and equitable transition considerations), as well as the process elements (e.g. unlocking finance, engaging all-of-government and all-of-society, identifying support needs, and ensuring technically sound documents).

The tool, which was designed following extensive surveys, interviews and engagements with country stakeholders, will be regularly updated to ensure it provides the most relevant information available.

Although the primary audience is governments in developing countries and the organisations and individuals supporting them, the Navigator contains useful information for anyone interested in understanding the wider context around NDCs and their role in underpinning the world’s progress towards meeting the Paris Agreement goals.

For further information, visit: ndcnavigator.org/learn/