Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, it is an honor to join you at this important event.

UNDP is proud to have been an active member of the NDC Partnership since its inception. We are honored to sit on its Steering Committee and are deeply committed to scaling up its impact on the ground as one of its largest implementing partners.

Our world is already confronting the harsh realities of the climate crisis - from unprecedented heatwaves and intensifying storms to the rapid loss of biodiversity, communities around the globe are grappling with the tangible consequences of climate inaction. 

And yet, many of those developing countries most vulnerable to these impacts, are the ones leading the way on climate action. In the second generation of NDCs, 92% of developing countries raised ambition, including almost all of SIDS and LDCs. 

Leading by example, this ambition is already starting to be translated into concrete action to advance a just green transition – and the momentum is strong.

For example: Uruguay now derives some 98% of its power from renewables – creating 50,000 new green jobs during the transition. In China, EVs account for 50% of all new car registrations  – initiating a mobility transition that could drive a breakthrough globally in less than 10 or even 5 years.  In fact, clean energy accounted for 9.0% of China's GDP in 2023

Continuing to deliver on Paris Agreement goals requires a deeper convergence on the understanding that climate ambition is a strong development choice. It is about choosing to co-invest in the future.  

This is why the entire UN system is mobilizing to support developing countries on the next generation of NDCs.  NDCs offer an opportunity to chart this transition pathway. 

At the request of the Secretary General, and leveraging our Climate Promise, UNDP is leading a coordinated effort with over 30 UN Entities, who are coming together to provide joint support for this process. This represents the UN System’s contribution to the NDC Partnership.

We are grateful for the support of our donor partners – Germany, UK and others, who have also stepped up to provide this surge support, so clearly needed to respond to the requests of our developing country partners. 

As part of this effort, we must also look beyond 2025—bending the curve requires robust and sustained implementation. The NDC Partnership’s model is uniquely positioned to address today’s implementation challenges. Its country-driven approach prioritizes local ownership and tailored support, ensuring that NDCs are more than ambitious commitments. They are actionable, sustainable, and implementable roadmaps embedded in each country’s unique context and national development priorities.

With our collective support, countries have already made meaningful strides in target setting, policy integration, adaptation planning, stakeholder engagement, and finance planning. Our commitment to fostering partnerships across governments, the private sector, civil society, and international development partners has been instrumental in driving climate action. This collaborative model remains a powerful tool for achieving the transformative changes envisioned in NDCs 3.0.

Yet, we must recognize the need for us all to do more – particularly in tackling the critical issue of driving finance towards these ambitious pledges.  At UNDP, we are leveraging existing SDG finance mechanisms and tools to mobilize resources that strengthen climate action while simultaneously delivering development outcomes.  For example, we are building on mechanisms introduced under the Financing for Development processes, Integrated National Financing Frameworks, that help define and deliver key instruments for sustainable development finance – such as budget reforms, tax policies, green bonds, carbon markets, the development of bankable projects, and private sector engagement.

While the changing geo-political dynamics worldwide continue to challenge the nature of international cooperation for climate action, the role of this Partnership becomes even more critical. NDCs are the backbone of the Paris Agreement, and the need to reinforce, strengthen and demonstrate their impact is needed now more than ever.  

UNDP and the entire UN System stand ready to join with our Partnership members to create a cohesive pathway for global climate action. NDCs remind us that the most impactful investments we make today are the opportunities we create for the many generations to come.