The national workshop to validate Cameroon’s third generation Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) was held from October 22 to 24, 2025, in the city of Yaoundé. The country hopes to be well prepared to take part in the 30th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP 30).
“Transforming the challenges of climate change into opportunities for development” is Cameroon’s slogan, as reflected in its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which sets out ambitious targets: reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 38% by 2030. This national technical validation workshop aimed to gather national assessments and contributions to improve the country’s third-generation NDC (NDC 3.0) draft. Over three days, the meeting brought together various stakeholders in the city of Yaoundé. These included technical experts and representatives from relevant ministries and institutions (energy, agriculture, forestry, transport, and industry), civil society organizations, administrative and academic institutions, decentralized local authorities, research centers, and technical and financial partners.
The aim was for all participants to conduct a comprehensive review and in-depth consultation on the draft NDC 3.0 to ensure that the submissions reflect the national consensus. It was also important to ensure that NDC 3.0 complies with the Paris Climate Agreement, to which Cameroon has been a signatory since 2016, and with the relevant decisions of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA), while highlighting national priorities.
A wealth of suggestions for improvement
De Souza Feujio, President of the Network of Women Leaders for the Environment and Forests (REFELEF) and Head of the Natural Resource Management Program at the Support Service for Local Development Initiatives (SAILD), took part in the workshop.
For her, this high-level technical validation workshop is a crucial step toward achieving a consensual NDC. “We had an obligation to ensure that NDC 3.0 was fully aligned with sectoral strategies, which would ensure greater ownership by all stakeholders. The diversity of these stakeholders contributed to a real enrichment of the draft NDC 3.0. The proposals for improvements made were very rich. They were evaluated and appreciated during the discussions. The most relevant and realistic ones were incorporated into the draft. Nevertheless, we needed to focus more on the participatory and inclusive implementation of adaptation and mitigation actions so that the interests of the most vulnerable (local communities, indigenous peoples, women, children, and people with disabilities) are preserved and protected,” she emphasized.
The event organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) through its Regional Collaboration Center for West and Central Africa (RCC WACA); in partnership with the Cameroonian Ministry of Environment (MINEPDED) and the Ministry of Economy (MINEPAT), follows a long participatory process.
“Cameroon has included in its climate agenda the development of its National Climate Plan (NCP) and the revision of its NDC 2.0. To this end, consultants have carried out a series of eight studies. The deliverables of the work were presented and validated during two workshops from June 2 to 5, 2025, and then from June 30 to July 5, 2025, in Mbankomo,” explained De Souza.
It was by national consensus that Cameroon was able to finalize its NDC 3.0 for submission before the 30th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP 30), scheduled for November 10-21 in Belém, Brazil.
- Sharon Mché
