Evolving NDCs: Latin America’s leadership in protecting the climate and biodiversity

As the countdown to the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) continues, Latin America and the Caribbean are asserting themselves as key players in a process of transformation in response to the climate crisis that blends technology, social inclusion and nature-based solutions.

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are the backbone of the Paris Agreement. They define the level of ambition of each country. To ensure these goals move from paper to practice, the International Climate Initiative (IKI) has been supporting governments worldwide in turning commitments into action. At present, IKI funds 18 projects directly aimed at NDC implementation and another 69 that contribute indirectly. Together, these benefit 74 countries with measures ranging from policy design and long-term planning to the development of transparency systems and climate finance mechanisms.

These projects range from capacity building and designing mitigation and adaptation policies to creating climate finance instruments and transparency mechanisms required under the Paris Agreement.

In Latin America and the Caribbean, this collaboration has already yielded tangible progress. With IKI support, countries have strengthened climate governance, raised their level of ambition and created conditions to align national policies with innovative low-carbon solutions. In Brazil, the Climate Policy Programme (PoMuC) connects science, public administration and social inclusion. In Costa Rica, ACCIÓN Clima turned the NDC update into a widely participatory process. In Colombia, IKI Interface mainstreamed gender and cultural diversity into climate planning. All these efforts have one thing in common: NDCs are ceasing to be technical documents — they are becoming engines of innovation, inclusion and sustainable development.

Brazil: NDCs and Climate Governance

As the host of the upcoming COP, Brazil has played a leading role in implementing and updating its NDCs. The country presented its first in 2015 and has since revised its commitments in line with the Paris Agreement. Today, it pledges to cut emissions by 48.4% by 2025 and 53.1% by 2030 compared with 2005 levels, and to reach net zero by 2050. To underpin these targets, it has established the National Policy on Climate Change and sectoral plans that guide both public and private action.

“Our focus is on improving monitoring, transparency and implementation tools of national targets. We are ensuring Brazil makes steady progress in meeting its climate commitments and in developing evidence-based solutions,” said Ana Paula Cunha Cavalcante, Director of the Department of Climate Governance and Articulation (DGov) at the Brazilian Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change (MMA) and PoMuC.

On the ground, this effort has also been driven by initiatives supported by IKI. One key partner has been PoMuC, implemented by the D*eutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit *(GIZ) GmbH with IKI support.

Active in Brazil since 2016, PoMuC combines science, governance and social inclusion to strengthen national climate policy. In its current phase (2024–2029), the programme provides technical support to the Interministerial Committee on Climate Change (CIM). It also develops an automated system for monitoring climate actions and fosters innovative solutions for the Amazon — supporting low-impact value chains and integrating local communities into mitigation policies.

In 2025, Brazil also became a global benchmark by launching the world’s first Indigenous NDC, collectively developed by organisations such as Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil (APIB) and Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB). The document is grounded in the principle that “our territories are the response to the climate crisis” and calls for the demarcation and protection of Indigenous lands to be recognised as a central mitigation and adaptation policy within Brazil’s official NDC. The figures are striking: Indigenous territories cover 13.8% of the country, store 58% of the Amazon’s above-ground carbon, and have recorded the lowest deforestation rates — just 1.2% of native vegetation loss over four decades.

This unprecedented achievement was supported by several initiatives, including IKI projects such as PoMuC and Forest Guardians. By setting their own targets, creating direct climate finance mechanisms and valuing traditional knowledge, the Indigenous NDC expands Brazil’s ambition. It also represents an innovation in climate justice that could inspire other regions across the world.

Costa Rica: Participation and Ownership

In Costa Rica, the update of the NDC 3.0 became a collective exercise that reinforces the country’s tradition of combining climate ambition with social participation. With the support of the Supporting the Implementation of the Paris Agreement (SPA) project and the ACCIÓN Clima project — both implemented by GIZ under the IKI framework — the process engaged hundreds of people in regional and sectoral workshops, as well as dialogues with Indigenous communities and local stakeholders. As Johannes Kissel, director of the ACCIÓN Clima project and IKI Interface for Costa Rica, Central America and the Caribbean, explains: “the update was not just technical, but a participatory and visionary construction that reaffirms the country’s commitment to ambitious, fair and science-based climate action.”

As part of a national process of awareness and ownership, Costa Rica decided to use the Spanish acronym CND (Contribución Nacionalmente Determinada) instead of continuing with the English abbreviation. With this, the country seeks to underline that climate targets are a collective responsibility and to invite different national, sectoral, local and civil society actors to engage with the document and take ownership of the commitments.

This articulation has also strengthened the alignment between IKI projects and national climate priorities. As Johannes adds: “more than implementing isolated activities, we aim to co-create solutions with governments and local actors that reinforce existing national processes. The synergy between national and regional levels positions IKI projects as effective bridges between international cooperation and a just transformation across Central America.” The new NDC is expected to be officially presented during COP30, consolidating itself as a strategic instrument to accelerate decarbonisation and strengthen the country’s resilience.

Colombia: Sectoral Goals and Cultural Diversity

In Colombia, the NDC 3.0 update was characterised by both technical and social progress, supported by the IKI Interface project. The process included the creation of a carbon budget, approved by the Intersectoral Commission on Climate Change. It also assessed 34 mitigation and adaptation measures, 18 of which have already been integrated into the national plan. As Project Director Sören Kirstein explains: “The carbon budget clarifies both how much the country needs to cut emissions and in which sectors. It is a concrete tool to guide public and private decisions.”

The strategy also stood out for its participatory approach. Regional workshops brought together local governments, civil society, the private sector and traditional communities, ensuring an intersectional approach. “We made sure the NDC update was built inclusively, incorporating gender, cultural diversity and social justice,” Sören highlights. This openness enabled rural women, Afro-descendant groups and Indigenous peoples to directly shape both the new NDC and the updated National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP).

The experience, he says, offers lessons that transcend borders. “The exchange of experiences among countries in the region can deliver more ambitious outcomes and consolidate a global leadership role for Latin America.”

In addition, the Colombian process was accompanied by an innovative communication strategy. It used infographics and short audiovisual pieces to make technical topics accessible to the general public, enhancing transparency and social engagement. By integrating science, cultural diversity and social participation, Colombia is also positioning itself as a regional example of how to transform climate commitments into inclusive and widely endorsed public policy.

Mexico: gender, justice and a just transition

Mexico is preparing to present its NDC 3.0 featuring more ambitious mitigation and adaptation targets, with a strong emphasis on social justice. Under President Sheinbaum’s leadership, the country has put at the forefront an environmental policy that is feminist, ecological and humanistic. It integrates gender equality, intersectionality and human rights throughout.

In this context, the IKI Interface Mexico project has supported key ministries — including Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT), the National Institute of Ecology and Climate Change (INECC) and the Ministry of Women — in developing the Strategic Plan on Gender, Human Rights and Climate Change (PEGDHCC), to be unveiled as part of the updated NDC at COP30. This groundbreaking policy seeks to systemically embed gender and human rights approaches into climate action, coordinated by the Interministerial Commission on Climate Change (CICC).

At the same time, Mexico–Germany cooperation has gained fresh momentum. In 2025, more than 70 representatives from ministries, state governments, academia, civil society and the private sector came together at the IKI Mexico Meeting and during field visits to Oaxaca, Yucatán, Quintana Roo and Nuevo León. The discussed initiatives — ranging from dune restoration and urban innovation to nature-based solutions — highlight pathways that can be replicated to strengthen community resilience, protect ecosystems and mobilise private investment for a just transition.

The financial sector is also gaining momentum. Through the 30 by 30 Zero programme, IFC and the Renewables Academy (RENAC) have been building capacity in green finance. They are training pension funds, banks and non-bank institutions to align their portfolios with climate targets. More than 60 issuers have already been trained in green and sustainable bonds. Pension funds managing over 20% of GDP are adopting new climate tools. Agreements have also been reached with associations of micro and small enterprises, which account for two-thirds of employment in the country. These advances demonstrate how Mexico is turning its NDC into a comprehensive strategy that unites public policy, social innovation and climate finance.

Latin America and the Caribbean: Transforming the Future

From the Brazilian Amazon to Caribbean reefs, through Colombian cities, Costa Rican communities and Mexican initiatives, Latin America’s experience shows that NDCs are moving beyond formal commitments to become living instruments of transformation.

With IKI support, governments, civil society organisations and traditional peoples have shown that it is possible to align climate ambition with social innovation, science and justice. This blend — integrating robust public policy, public participation and nature-based solutions — places the region in a distinct position on the global stage.

On the eve of COP30, the message resounding from Latin America and the Caribbean is clear: meeting and enhancing NDCs is not just an international obligation but an opportunity to build a fairer, more resilient and sustainable future — for the region and for the planet.