Climate experts gathered this week in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, for a three-day workshop organized by the ICAT Regional Hub for Central America. The objective of the workshop was to strengthen capacity for using climate data from national transparency frameworks for developing stronger Nationally Determined Contributions, updated climate pledges under the Paris Agreement, due in 2025.

Workshop participants. Photo: CCAD/SICA

Climate change impacts are more and more deeply felt in Central America, threatening its environment, economy, livelihoods and communities. Central American populations are experiencing an increased frequency of disastrous extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, rising sea levels that displace coastal communities, and unpredictable weather extremes that threaten crops and food security. In the face of these climate challenges, Central American countries are upping their climate action efforts to contribute to meeting the objectives of the Paris Agreement. 

2025 marks a key milestone in the global climate action process. All countries are expected to submit updated climate pledges under the Paris Agreement, the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in the language of the Agreement. These pledges must reflect higher ambition in order to achieve real progress in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. However, they must also be realistically achievable, founded on evidence and based on data, so that the targets that they contain can be translated into concrete measures and investments on the ground. 

Emilia Pimentel Primary, Viceminister of Climate Change and Sustainability of the Dominican Republic. Photo: CCAD/SICA

“In 2025, all countries must submit our NDC 3.0, demonstrating significant progress on our climate commitments. These contributions are the roadmap for addressing the challenges of climate change and building more resilient societies. We thank CCAD and the ICAT hub for their support in organizing this workshop, a space to exchange experiences and strengthen our strategies to implement the Paris Agreement,” noted Emilia Pimentel Primary, Viceminister of Climate Change and Sustainability of the Dominican Republic.

Transparency is the foundation for ambitious and realistic action. Quality data is collected, analysed, verified and reported in transparency reports. This data holds the answers to key questions. Which sectors are producing the most greenhouse gas emissions? Which policies can be the most successful in achieving emission reductions? What is the cost of different climate measures? 

In the workshop, regional and international climate transparency experts trained participants in using data to develop stronger NDCs. Sessions with presentations, panel discussions and practical exercises delved into different topics, including how to understand and leverage NDCs as national policy instruments, how to set up evidence-based targets that can be tracked and reported, and how to use tools and templates for NDC preparation. Experts from the UNFCCC secretariat and the Regional Collaboration Centre in Panama provided insights on the topic of climate change adaptation.

Participants engage in a practical exercise. Photo: CCAD/SICA

The workshop also facilitated the exchange of best practices to support enhanced action, through discussions on strengthening institutional arrangements, aligning national policies with NDC commitments, and building national capacity and expertise. The workshop also reinforced collaboration among climate experts from Central American countries, who form a technical working group on NDCs, under the umbrella of the Hub. Participants from Cuba also attended this workshop, sharing their experiences and insights on using transparency for refining and enhancing their NDCs. 

ICAT’s Hub in Central America supports the eight countries of the Central American Integration System-SICA (Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama) in strengthening their capacity and frameworks to comply with the Paris Agreement and the Enhanced Transparency Framework. It delivers its support through various trainings, workshops and other activities based on an analysis of country needs, gaps and areas for improvement. The Hub is hosted by the Central American Commission for Environment and Development-CCAD, and supported by international experts from the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute and Libélula.