26 September 2015: The UNFCCC Secretariat has reported that Kiribati and Senegal have formally submitted their intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs), bringing the total number of Parties to have done so to 81.

Kiribati has submitted a contribution of reducing greenhouse (GHG) emissions by 13.7% below business as usual (BAU) projections in 2025 and by 12.8% in 2030. The country adds that, with international assistance, it can contribute a further 48.8% reduction in GHG emissions by 2025 and a 49% reduction by 2030, compared to the BAU projection. This would result in a total 61.8% reduction below the BAU projection in 2030. The INDC covers the energy sector (power and transport) and maritime and coastal sector (including mangrove, coastal vegetation and seagrass beds).

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the only gas covered as it is estimated to make up over 99% of Kiribati’s inventory. As fossil fuel use comprises more than 98% of the reported national inventory, Kiribati highlights renewable energy and energy efficiency as major components of its mitigation strategy. A section on adaptation details the country’s vulnerabilities to climate change and planned adaptation policies and programmes.

In its INDC, Senegal puts forward mitigation activities that can be undertaken in targeted sectors, classifying them as either unconditional (can be implemented with national resources) or conditional (require the support of the international community). The targeted sectors are energy (including power production, energy efficiency and transport); agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU); industry; and waste. The contribution covers CO2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). Senegal identifies the estimated costs of the activities in each sector and sub-sector, totaling US$1.8 billion for unconditional activities and US$5 billion for the conditional. The country also includes information on adaptation measures, estimating the total needed from both internal and external sources at almost US$14.6 billion.

All Parties to the UNFCCC are expected to submit INDCs in advance of the Paris Climate Change Conference, which will take place in November-December 2015. Those submitted by 1 October 2015 will be included in a synthesis report on their aggregate effect by 1 November 2015. Parties are anticipated to agree on a global climate change agreement to take effect in 2020 at the Paris Climate Change Conference. [UNFCCC Press Release, Kiribati] [Kiribati’s INDC] [UNFCCC Press Release, Senegal] [Senegal’s INDC] [UNFCCC INDC Portal]