The Government of Tajikistan unveiled its NDC Implementation Plan and Climate Finance Plan at the Climate Finance Forum for Central Asia & South Caucasus in July 2023, detailing the country’s strategy to achieve its updated and enhanced NDC targets under the global Paris Agreement.

The Forum, organized by the NDC Partnership and United Nations (UN) Climate Change Secretariat, brought together more than 130 participants from NDC Partnership country members, international finance institutions, and other development partners to identify areas of collaboration and regional cooperation towards effective NDC implementation.

Mobilizing the finance required to achieve the Paris Agreement targets requires a transformational vision. Tajikistan’s experiences were discussed throughout the 4-day event. In the country, through the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP), the government is developing the required policy frameworks and enabling spaces for stakeholder exchange and engagement.

Through the peer exchange session, participants shared their main challenges in creating enabling environments and institutional arrangements for NDC finance mobilization, such as the limited institutional capacity and insufficient resources hindering the effective execution of climate action plans. Additionally, information gaps pose a significant obstacle, as crucial data necessary for decision-making may be unavailable.

Furthermore, inadequate communication and collaboration between ministries and government agencies hamper coordinated efforts toward NDC implementation. Moreover, the lack of access to international resources further exacerbates these countries’ difficulties in achieving climate goals. Addressing these barriers is crucial to enhance NDC implementation and promote sustainable development in the region.

Participants also shared their insights on the main challenges and best practices to prioritize investments and engage stakeholders in the process. In accessing financing for projects, considering the level of decentralization is crucial. Highly decentralized countries require additional support, so governments should prioritize projects rigorously to allocate resources efficiently and guide development partners effectively.

This involves identifying national development and climate priorities, including plans, strategies, and commitments such as NDCs and NAPs. It also entails conducting socio-economic analysis, engaging stakeholders, and employing modeling systems to assess project impacts and resilience.

Representatives from development partners, the private sector, multilateral development banks, and multilateral climate funds also discussed their perspectives and success stories surrounding climate finance mobilization. This session allowed participants to understand the complex landscape of climate finance and explore potential collaboration and resource mobilization pathways.