NDCs
  • Jamie
  • No Comments

Livestock and Climate Action in Africa’s NDCs
Livestock and Climate Action in Africa’s NDCs 1600 900 Jamie

Livestock and Climate Action in Africa’s NDCs

As the impacts of climate change become increasingly evident, the urgency of global climate action continues to grow. Countries are being called upon to raise their ambition to both mitigate Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to the impacts of a warming climate. For many African countries, however, the central challenge is not ambition alone, but the need for evidence-based actions with clear implementation pathways and viable financing models.

For the livestock sector, evidence based climate action is particularly critical. Global climate discourse has often portrayed livestock as a major contributor to climate change due to its emissions profile. While some stakeholders advocate for reducing cattle numbers, such approaches are neither feasible nor appropriate in most African contexts. Livestock plays a vital economic, social, and cultural role across the continent, supporting livelihoods, food security, and poverty reduction. In a region already facing significant development challenges, climate action in the livestock sector must therefore focus on improving efficiency and resilience, rather than reducing herd sizes.

Through improved feed and feeding practices, better animal genetics, and expanded access to veterinary services, it is possible to reduce emissions intensity while simultaneously increasing productivity and resilience. These climate smart livestock interventions can deliver adaptation and mitigation benefits alongside broader development outcomes.

This brief provides an overview of the climate ambitions outlined by African countries for the livestock sector within their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Drawing on a review of NDC submissions up to April 2026, the brief highlights progress made in integrating livestock into national climate commitments, as well as key gaps in mitigation target setting, implementation pathways, and financing.

Gain more insights and download the brief below:

Download Brief
  • Jamie
  • No Comments

Aligning SDG 7 with NDCs
Aligning SDG 7 with NDCs 1600 900 Jamie

Powering Climate Action: Aligning Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)

On the 21st of August 2025, the African Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP) together with the Growing Government Engagement in Energy Access Project (GGE-EA), funded with UK aid from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access platform (TEA), and the African Association for Rural Electrification (CLUB-ER), co-convened a webinar entitled ‘Powering Climate Action: Aligning Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7 with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)’.

Energy access remains a major development challenge in Africa, efforts to expand access often operate in isolation from climate goals, missing key opportunities for alignment and financing. The webinar explored how SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) aligns with the goals of the Paris Agreement, and how these frameworks could be leveraged to drive the deployment of clean energy solutions. It unpacked the linkages between SDG 7 and climate action, highlighting the role of renewable energy in reducing emissions, and examining how countries can better align clean energy initiatives with national climate targets.  

The first presentation was done by Minky Groenewald from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Regional Collaboration Centers (RCC) for East & Southern Africa (EASA). She provided a clear introduction to the Paris Agreement and its role in global climate governance, emphasisng the shift toward country-led commitments through COP negotiations. She explained the importance of NDCs and Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategies (LT-LEDS) as tools for setting and achieving climate mitigation targets, highlighting how these frameworks enable countries to align with global goals, attract climate finance, and promote sustainable development. Crucially, she underscored the need to integrate energy access into NDCs and LT-LEDS, especially in regions like Sub-Saharan Africa, by prioritising renewable energy, clean cooking solutions, and inclusive strategies that support a just transition and equitable growth.  

This was followed by a country experience presentation conducted by Esther Wang’ombe, Director Renewable Energy, Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, from Kenya. Wang’ombe offered a comprehensive overview of Kenya’s energy access goals, emphasising the efforts to expand reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy services to underserved communities, with clear targets aimed at achieving universal access. She then outlined the nation’s climate ambitions and NDCs, detailing mitigation and adaptation strategies designed to meet international climate commitments while fostering resilience. Finally, the presentation explored the alignment between SDG 7 and climate objectives, illustrating how integrated policy frameworks and cross-sectoral implementation approaches are being used to advance both agendas simultaneously, ensuring inclusive development and environmental sustainability. 

Aimee Tredoux, Project Manager & Research Assistant at SouthSouthNorth (SSN), delivered an engaging presentation on Climate Finance as a Catalyst for Climate Action. She began by defining climate finance and its critical role in enabling low-carbon, climate-resilient development. She highlighted the persistent climate finance gap, underscoring the disparity between available funding and the scale of investment needed to meet global climate goals. The presentation explored the synergies between illustrating how aligned financial flows can accelerate progress on both climate and energy access fronts. Aimee unpacked various financing mechanisms and traced the movement of climate-related funds, using case studies from South Africa and Nigeria to ground the discussion in real-world examples. She addressed practical challenges such as access barriers, institutional capacity, and policy coherence, before concluding with actionable next steps and key takeaways, emphasising the urgency of mobilising finance to unlock transformative climate action.  

To view the recording of the webinar and presentations please use the links down below: 

Webinar Presentation
Webinar Recording

The Growing Government Engagement in Energy Access project has been funded with UK aid from the UK government via the Transforming Energy Access platform; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.  
  • Jamie
  • No Comments

Strengthening Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) through robust Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories
Strengthening Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) through robust Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories 2594 1405 Jamie

Strengthening Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) revisions through robust Livestock Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories

To strengthen climate ambitions and effectively contribute to the goals under the Paris Agreement, many African countries will be submitting their revised Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by 2025. A critical area for improvement in NDC commitments, is to strengthen national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, particularly in agriculture, where accurate data is crucial for aligning climate goals with food security targets. Moving from tier 1 to tier 2 inventories would enhance reporting and monitoring systems, enabling countries to set robust climate targets.

However, African nations face challenges, including lack of reliable data on agricultural practices, land use and emission estimates, limited technical expertise, limited resources, and weak institutional frameworks which hinder accurate agricultural inventories and limit the ability to set robust targets. Addressing these gaps could enhance reporting, improve monitoring, provide insights on emissions from farming practices, and guide targeted mitigation.

To discuss these issues, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Regional Collaboration Centre (RCC) for East and Southern Africa and the Africa Climate Action Partnership (AfCAP) hosted a webinar entitled “Strengthening NDC revisions through robust livestock GHG inventories” on the 18th of September 2024.

This webinar provided an overview of the process and the necessary steps for developing tier 2 inventories and how to translate these into NDC targets. Experts from Kenya and Zimbabwe shared their experiences of challenges and limitations in developing inventories and highlighting opportunities to mobilise resources to strengthen GHG inventories. During the session participants had the opportunity to explore more robust and concrete NDC targets.

To view the recording of the webinar and presentations please use the links down below:

Webinar Recording
Webinar Presentation
Back to top