Central American Countries Put Inclusion at the Heart of Their Climate Action

In Latin America and the Caribbean, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)’s Climate Promise initiative is working in 25 countries to support the review of their climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, also known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Here are three countries demonstrating inclusive climate action. 

96% of the developing countries of the Climate Promise initiative that submitted new or revised NDCs have included references to women's empowerment and/or gender equality, compared to 48% in the first-generation NDCs. 

El Salvador is an example of this highly inclusive and gender-sensitive NDC revision process. The revised NDC recognizes gender equality as a central part of its vision by including, for example, an ambitious target focused on protecting the rights of rural women through the creation of employment and training opportunities for women in the sugar sector. 

Honduras ' NDC is presented as a "commitment of our people" and has been the result of a highly inclusive review process led by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MiAmbiente+). By involving many different groups in national consultations, the government was able to put in place measures to ensure the promotion of gender equality and the inclusion of youth, indigenous peoples, and Afro-Honduran populations in the implementation of the NDC. 

In its enhanced NDC, submitted in 2020, Panama recognized the transformative role of women in climate action. The NDC included a gender-sensitive planning and decision-making approach as one of its three key methodological pillars. The country is developing a National Gender and Climate Change Action Plan through a multi-sectoral and participatory process. It will promote a rights-based approach and gender equality in climate change mitigation and adaptation actions in sectors such as energy, biodiversity, coastal zones, infrastructure, water, and forests. With UNDP support, the government initiated consultations with women and minority groups to understand and integrate their perceptions of climate change. UNDP's Climate Promise initiative is the largest global offering of support to NDCs, covering more than 120 countries and territories, representing 80% of all developing countries globally, including 40 least developed countries, 28 small island developing states, and 14 major emitters, to enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions under the Paris Agreement. 

Implemented in collaboration with a wide range of partners, it is the world's largest offer of support for improving climate pledges.

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