22 November 2018: The Marshall Islands has become the first country to submit its second nationally determined contribution (NDC), which sets a revised, more ambitious binding target of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to at least 32% below 2010 levels by 2025 and to at least 45% below 2010 levels by 2030.

The Marshall Islands submitted its second NDC ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference, which will convene from 2-14 December 2018 in Katowice, Poland.

In its second NDC, the Marshall Islands also commits to:

• produce a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) by the end of 2019 that sets out milestones to adapt to the impacts of climate change and transition to climate resilience, suggests implementation measures and includes a plan to generate financing;
• submit an adaptation communication to the UNFCCC by 2020;
• a gender-responsive and human rights-based approach in NDC-related planning, programming and implementation; and
• continue using the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines.

The NDC also communicates an indicative target to reduce emissions by at least 58% below 2010 levels by 2035; and reaffirms the Marshall Islands’ aspiration to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest.

The NDC’s context and vision are set out in the country’s long-term climate strategy (LTS) titled, ‘Tile Til Eo 2050 Climate Strategy: Lighting the Way,’ which was published in September 2018 and is annexed to the communication.[Second NDC of the Marshall Islands] [Interim NDC Registry]