This NDC 3.0 is a comprehensive document aimed at strengthening Zambia’s national commitments and strategies for mitigation and adaptation for the 2025–2030 period, demonstrating increased ambition in addressing climate change. The main objectives set out in the document are to (i) reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with targets of 25% unconditional and 47% conditional reductions by 2030 compared to business-as-usual levels; (ii) strengthen climate adaptation and resilience by expanding and detailing adaptation actions across key sectors such as agriculture, forestry, water, energy, tourism, transport, infrastructure, and mining; (iii) broaden sectoral coverage toward an economy-wide approach, including the addition of tourism, water security, green buildings, and IPPU; (iv) enhance clarity, transparency, and understanding (ICTU) by providing updated methodologies, data, and indicators aligned with the Enhanced Transparency Framework; (v) guide implementation and mobilize support, outlining institutional arrangements, financing needs, and reliance on domestic and international support, ncluiding opportunities under Article 6 (carbon markets).
Zambia’s NDC 3.0 outlines a comprehensive set of sector-specific strategies, together with cross-sectoral systems and financing and governance mechanisms, to achieve its climate objectives. As for sector-specific mitigation and adaptation strategies, they concern: (i) Forestry / AFOLU, aiming to reduce emissions and enhance carbon sinks by expanding sustainable forest management and community forestry, scaling up REDD+, and restoring key ecosystems through reforestation and catchment rehabilitation; (ii) Agriculture, strengthening climate-resilient food systems by scaling up climate-smart agriculture, improving soil and water management, enhancing livestock and fisheries practices, and expanding solar-powered irrigation for smallholder farmers; (iii) Energy, accelerating the clean energy transition by expanding renewable energy generation capacity, increasing the share of non-large hydro renewables, and promoting electrification and clean cooking solutions; (iv) Transport, aiming to build climate-resilient mobility systems by upgrading roads and bridges with climate-proof engineering and integrating climate risk mapping; (v) Water Security, strengthening catchment protection and allocation planning, expanding rainwater harvesting in drought-prone areas, and enhancing regional cooperation; (vi) Waste Management, reducing methane and other emissions by implementing integrated waste management systems and improving waste treatment and disposal practices; (vii) Industrial Processes and Product Use (IPPU), targeting emission reductions from industry by incorporating cement production as a priority mitigation area with significant abatement potential; (viii) Tourism, strengthening climate-resilient infrastructure, deploying early warning and visitor safety systems, and promoting sustainable tourism standards and low-carbon transport; (ix) Infrastructure (Green Buildings), promoting climate-resilient public infrastructure by retrofitting buildings with renewable energy and efficiency measures and advancing the use of sustainable materials and net-zero energy building models; and (x) Mining and Coal, enhancing resilience in mining regions by improving sediment and water management, conducting site-specific climate risk assessments, and supporting livelihood diversification for a just transition. Regarding governance, planning, and institutional strategies, Zambia plans to strengthen NDC implementation through the Green Economy and Climate Change Act No. 18 of 2024, establishing a coordinated governance system led by the Council of Ministers, supported by the Technical Committee on Green Economy and Climate Change (also serving as the DNA for carbon markets), and aligned with sub-national coordination structures for effective local implementation.