About this guide
The objective of this guide is to present a step-by-step framework to support countries to design and assess green recovery and green economy options that build on NDC processes and incorporate climate action
The following framework aims to:
- help practitioners use existing tools to align NDC measures and climate policies with COVID-19 recovery plans and measures and to streamline financing for key programs;
- help formulate processes to develop sustainable recovery plans by guiding the selection of NDC and other climate measures based on their economic, environmental, and social dimensions; and,
- provide practical implementation guidance by addressing political engagement, financial feasibility and monitoring of green recovery plans.
The framework is organized as follows: definitions of the main concepts are presented first, followed by step-by-step guidance with references to key tools that can help countries align NDC and recovery packages.
By proposing a process that guides countries in formulating sustainable recovery plans, the framework takes a step beyond developing an inventory of relevant tools for aligning NDC measures and climate policies with COVID-19 recovery plans and measures. Indeed, it offers recommendations as to when and how these tools could be used, identifies gaps, and proposes additional tools and methodologies to address them.
Timing is key when applying the framework, whose purpose is to enable inclusion of climate-aligned actions in country recovery packages. Timeliness also implies anticipating legislative and administrative obstacles that could decrease the recovery measures’ effectiveness. It is thus useful to distinguish among the temporal phases: immediate response, recovery and post-pandemic. Although countries are starting to move beyond their emergency response to COVID-19, the pace of this movement varies based on the level of COVID-19 infections. And with the possibility of new variants, the timescale for achieving a green recovery from the global COVID-19 pandemic cannot be known with confidence.
Together with already limited resources, countries tend to choose recovery measures with lower capital costs, short lead times, or large immediate employment benefits that undermine long-term sustainable development. This makes it more difficult for them to reach long-term transition objectives by locking in technologies and infrastructure that do not help countries on a trajectory towards net zero emissions by 2050 or through five-year NDC cycles. The unprecedented speed at which recovery plans are being designed also risks leaving behind vulnerable populations. This again underscores the unique value of NDCs and long-term strategies (LTS) in providing guidance for the long term. The decisions taken now will have implications for decades to come. The urgent focus on short-term needs should not lead us to overlook opportunities to achieve long-term goals.
Main concepts
Steps
Resource library
- All
- Step I: Understanding context and needs
- Step II: Aligning climate-COVID-19 recovery
- Step III: Securing societal and political support
- Step IV: Financing and implementing
- Step V: Monitoring and Evaluation