Responding to the need for dialogue and partnership building in the preparation of countries’ climate plans, the Global NDC Conference 2025 brought together policymakers from more than 50 countries, climate experts, practitioners, researchers, and innovators involved in the development and implementation of nationally determined contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement on climate change. The Conference aimed to catalyze ambition and ease access to financial flows from a broad donor base.

Under the Paris Agreement, countries must submit NDCs every five years. Each successive NDC must represent a progression beyond each party’s current NDC and reflect the highest possible ambition, in line with common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities and different national circumstances. The goal is to ratchet up aggregate and individual ambition over time. The next round of NDCs, with an end date of 2035, is due “at least 9 to 12 months in advance of the seventh session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (November 2025) with a view to facilitating the clarity, transparency and understanding of these contributions.”

Supported by the International Climate Initiative (IKI), hosted by the Federal Government of Germany, and co-organized by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the NDC Partnership, and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Global NDC Conference 2025 took place in Berlin, Germany, from 11-13 June 2025. The meeting sought to accelerate NDC implementation, turn commitments into action, and “shift into sprint mode” for the next round of NDCs.

Participants discussed good practices on how to improve NDCs, raise ambition, and implement NDCs effectively. They reflected on the role of finance as a crucial enabler for NDC implementation in the pursuit of global climate goals, highlighting the importance of “investable” NDCs and de-risking approaches to attract private investment. Discussions focused on how to design ready-to-finance projects for mitigation and adaptation and on mobilizing context-specific private and public investments.

Speakers highlighted challenges, discussed best practices, and learned about proven solutions around NDC implementation, scaling, and replication – from funding and technology to urban and nature-climate solutions.

The Global NDC Conference convened in advance of the June sessions of the UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies and the 2025 UN Climate Change Conference, to be held in Belém, Brazil, in November. [Recap of Conference Day 1] [Recap of Conference Day 2] [Recap of Conference Day 3]