BEIRUT – Lebanon enhances the ambition of its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and renewable energy targets by 2030, adopts more comprehensive adaptation priorities as part of its adaptation communication, and aligns climate action with sustainable development, green recovery, and the green and blue economy.

Lebanon updated its national climate pledge (also known as Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), marking its renewed commitment to the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement that agrees to advance universal climate actions to limit temperature rise to well below 2 degrees Celsius, while pursuing efforts to limit to a safer 1.5 degrees.

The agreement calls on countries to revise and strengthen their NDCs every five years. Enhanced ambition is needed as the combined 2015 NDCs failed to put the world on track to limit the temperature rise agreed under the Paris Agreement. Therefore, urgent steps must be taken to reverse current unsustainable trends, leading to high expectations for governments to commit to ambitious pledges that leave no-one behind.

Some key components from Lebanon’s updated pledge include:

• Increase in mitigation ambition: Lebanon commits to increase its GHG emission reduction target relative to the Business-as-Usual (BAU) scenario from 15 to 20 percent (as unconditional target), and from 30 to 31 percent (as conditional target).
• Commitment to unconditionally generate 18 percent of the country’s electricity demand and 11 percent of its heat demand (in the building sector) from renewable energy sources in 2030, compared to a combined 15 percent in 2015. As a result, Lebanon ais to reach 30 percent of its power demand (i.e. electricity demand) and 16.5 percent of its heat demand (in the building sector) from renewable energy sources in 2030, compared to a combined 20 percent in 2015, as conditional targets.
• Enhancement in adaptation clarity: More clarity is provided on Lebanon’s adaptation guiding principles and priorities, forming part of its adaptation communication.
• Synchronization with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, prioritizing a whole-of-society approach through the consideration of vulnerable groups, youth, and gender- responsiveness in climate action.

“Lebanon’s updated NDC is an important milestone for an ambitious climate action in the country, with clear implications for the implementation of Agenda 2030 for sustainable development, particularly in relation to green economic growth, affordable and clean energy, food security, improved air quality, and gender equality,” said Celine Moyroud, UNDP Resident Representative. “In this sense, these climate pledges, priorities, and enablers constitute a critical roadmap for implementation and support, as well as an important contribution towards addressing the many challenges Lebanon is facing.”

The submission of this updated NDC comes at a difficult time for Lebanon, as the country is experiencing a myriad of challenges, including an economic, banking, financial and monetary crisis, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, the August 4 port explosion, and the impact of the Syria crisis. Lebanon’s NDC however tackles these challenges through green recovery, sustainable development and building back better.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has supported Lebanon’s updated climate pledge within the framework of the Nationally Determined Contribution Support Programme (NDCSP) with the support of German Federal Environment Ministry (BMU), German Ministry of Economic Development (BMZ), European Union (EU), Government of Spain and NDC Partnership.

 UNDP also has leveraged the global Climate Promise Initiative to support the climate-proofing of Lebanon’s development and recovery plans to avoid locking-in carbon emissions, and to safeguard the resilience of future investments. The climate-proofing exercise is an important first step towards NDC implementation, while showcasing the economic and societal benefits of climate action in financial terms.

You can read further on Lebanon’s NDC and get more information on Lebanon’s Climate Proofing and the Climate Promise.

For editor’s information:

UNDP supported Lebanon’s new climate pledge through the Climate Promise by climate-proofing priority investments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and increase their resilience, therefore accelerating NDC implementation. UNDP’s Climate Promise aims to support global, transformational climate action by supporting countries to enhance their NDCs in 2021 and beyond. The initiative being delivered in over 118 countries – making it the world’s largest support offer of this kind. UNDP’s Climate Promise is supported by Germany, Sweden, EU, Italy, Spain and other core contributors.

For more information on the Climate Promise, please visit https://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/climatepromise.html

Contact information

UNDP Lebanon | Rana Moughabghab| rana.moughabghab@undp.org  | +961 3 835 351

UNDP is the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet.