Integrating the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) through the Water, Energy, Food and Ecosystems (WEFE) nexus approach

Human and environmental well-being face unprecedented challenges from the interlinked and crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. A new brief calls for integrating policy frameworks, coordinating efforts to combat climate change and biodiversity loss through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD), respectively.

Developed under the UNFCCC, Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are dynamic, ‘living’ policy documents outlining countries’ commitments to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change, aligned with the Paris Agreement. Under the UNCBD, National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs) lay out countries’ plans to conserve and use biodiversity and equitably share the benefits of genetic resources, in line with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KM-GBF). The two policy instruments seek to address environmental goals, and each recognize the interconnection of these two topics: For example, the Paris Agreement refers to the importance of the ‘integrity of ecosystems’ for climate action while the KM-GBF refers to ‘climate action’ as an important part of biodiversity protection.

However, the efficiency and effectiveness of NDCs and NBSAPs have been limited, partly because they are implemented in silos. Fragmented and uncoordinated implementation fails to account for interconnections and misses potential opportunities for synergistic outcomes. This inadvertently duplicates efforts and causes inefficiencies and sometimes conflicting outcomes that undermine sustainability objectives.