Cameroon - Enhancing agricultural methane ambition in Cameroon's climate commitments and large-scale investments [CM-23-002]

Overview

Agriculture is an important economic activity for Cameroon employing half the workforce. The country’s 2021 updated NDC reports that in 2010, 69% (24.07 MtCO₂eq) of Cameroon’s GHG emissions came from the agriculture sector. Agriculture is recognized as one of the priority sectors in Cameroon’s last NDC representing 16.1% of overall reduction ambition.

Rice is a major staple food consumed in Cameroon with growing levels of production (140,170 tones, 2020; 362,294 tones, 2021) and one of the commodities (rice, milk and fish) for import substitution in the country. With these growing levels of production, the rice sector contributes enormously to national methane emissions and moreover, rice has the lowest adaptive capacity and the highest vulnerability index to changes to climate change. In fact, emissions from the rice sector have tripled between 2010 and 2018.

Although agriculture is categorized as one of the priority sectors in the recent NDC, which provides details on mitigation and adaptation measures including for the livestock sector, the modelling is based on a generic model. The latest inventory that was undertaken in the country in 2020 is based on Tier 1 methods. This is the simplest tier that is adopted if there is limited country-specific data and emission factors.

This project will support Cameroon’s methane mitigation ambitions in the next NDC update in the livestock and rice sub-sectors with improved emission and emission reduction data. Improved emissions data for the sector can better account for the impact of practice change on emissions from agriculture subsectors and can capture variations in emissions over time. It will increase methane mitigation by supporting the implementation of Cameroon’s ‘National Climate Smart Livestock Strategy’, the revision and update of Cameroon’s national rice sector strategy, mainstreaming of methane mitigation into WB funded rice sector projects, and strengthening the capacity of the private sector on low emission rice production.

The project builds on the revised NDC of Cameroon, the National Development Plan 2020-2030, the Livestock Development Project (PRODEL) assessment, National Agricultural Investment Plan, the national strategy for rice growing in Cameroon, VIVA Benoue and VIVA Logone project documents, etc. It will also build on the findings and recommendations in Cameroon’s national methane roadmap, which will be developed through CCAC funding in parallel. Relevant policies and programmes include: 

• Cameroon National Development Strategy
• Livestock Development Project (press release)
• National Agriculture Investment Plan
• Cameroon updated NDC
• National strategy for rice growing in Cameroon
• VIVA Logone and VIVA Benoue development projects (agreement and evaluation)

More information on Cameroon's involvement in the CCAC is available on their Partner Page.

Who to involve

This project will require close collaboration and engagement with: Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA), Ministry of Agriculture and Sustainable Development, Ministry on Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development (SNIGES team in include SLCP in their data base); Chamber of Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock and Forestry of Cameroon (CAPEF), Institute of Agricultural Research for Development (IRAD), Society for Animal Production Development (SODEPA), Council authorities of big and medium size cities, Agriculture and Livestock’s economic operators (Private sector), World Bank.

Expected results

Applicants are encouraged to propose additional outputs as needed to ensure the expected project outcomes are achieved. Applicants can determine the scope of outputs if not specified. The project is expected to deliver at a minimum:

1. The Government of Cameroon increases its capacity for GHG/SLCP inventory compilation for the rice and livestock sub-sectors by the end of the project.

Indicator: Number of government entities with a demonstrated improved capacity for SLCP action.

Output 1.1: GHG inventory compilation training, including guidance and tools on using IPCC Tier 2 methods, and action planning to strengthen institutional and individual technical capacities of representatives from the Ministry of Environment Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development and other national institutions to apply tools to assess agricultural GHG, with a focus on the rice and livestock subsectors, and SLCP emissions and update over time. 

Output 1.2: Define data collection needs for the livestock and rice subsectors.

Output 1.3: Identify the climate change indicators, data collection and processing procedures, and recommendations of the organizations where indicator data can be obtained for the agriculture sector.

Output 1.4: Reference GHG and SLCP emissions and emission projection estimates from the agriculture sector, including methane from the livestock and rice sectors, for an appropriate time series. 

2. The government adopts the evaluation of mitigation options in the agriculture sector and integrates priority SLCP mitigation measures, targets, and/or co-benefits assessments related to the rice and livestock subsectors in the revised NDC, implementation plan, MRV frameworks and other relevant plans and strategies by 2025.

Indicator: Number of NDCs targeting SLCPs. 

Output 2.1: Assessments and recommendations for the inclusion of SLCP reduction priorities, targets, and co-benefits in the agriculture sector in Cameroon's 2025 NDC and MRV framework.

Output 2.2: Recommendations for enhancing and implementing SLCP relevant mitigation options of Cameroon’s ‘National Climate Smart Livestock Strategy.

3. The government approves recommendations for revising its national rice strategy to enhance methane mitigation and approves methane mitigation strategies for new World Bank supported rice projects by the end of the project or soon after.

Indicator: Number of action plans, roadmaps, strategies, or other future plans with SLCP targets or mitigation measures formally adopted, endorsed and/or implemented

Output 3.1: An evaluation of mitigation options in the rice sector to quantify their SLCP emission reduction potential to provide recommendations as to the specific policies and measures that can:

• Contribute to Cameroon’s NDC commitments
• Enhance ambition in the 2025 NDC update
• Update and revise Cameroon’s national rice strategy
• Be mainstreamed in the design of the WB’s rice sector projects currently being designed

4. Cameroon’s main rice producing companies have increased capacity for producing low emission rice and have improved sustainable business models by the end of the project.

Indicator: Number of non-government entities with a demonstrated improved capacity for SLCP action

Output 4.1: Training workshops for main rice producing companies to produce low emission rice

Output 4.2: Development of improved sustainable business models for low emission rice

Application process

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for consideration, project proposals must meet the following requirements:

• Complete and submitted before the deadline
• Submitted by a non-governmental organization (NGO), intergovernmental organization (IGO), or other not-for-profit entity. Governments are not eligible to apply directly for funding in this call.
• Requested funding is within the estimated budget amount, or includes a clear justification for additional expenses 
• Project duration is less than 24 months
• Budget criteria are met and spending caps on expenses are respected. 

Please note that entities will be required to provide the last three (3) audited financial statements to be eligible for CCAC funding. These statements may be provided along with the application for funding or at the request of the CCAC Secretariat during the evaluation process.

For-profit entities may only participate in the project as stakeholders, co-funders, or end users. Applicants are encouraged to include for-profit entities in the development of the project proposal and/or during project implementation if their ownership of the proposed solution is key to the project’s success.  

How to apply

Eligible applicants are invited to apply using the Application Form and Excel Budget Form. Specific instructions on completing these forms are available in both documents. 

Applicants may choose to follow the cost range proposed above OR propose a different budget supported by a clear justification. However, applicants should note that cost efficiency will play a significant role in the selection process.

The completed Application Form and Excel Budget Form should be submitted to secretariat [at] ccacoalition.org (secretariat[at]ccacoalition[dot]org).

Evaluation criteria

Proposals will be evaluated against the following criteria:

• Presents a clear plan to achieve the required outcomes during the lifetime of the project or soon after
• Includes a plan or activities to enable the scaling up of, replication of, or sustained use of project results over time
• Sets out a clear approach for enabling or contributing to SLCP emissions reductions and resulting co-benefits
• Involves relevant stakeholders 
• Approach is grounded in a strong understanding of relevant risks
• Complements other relevant initiatives, funding mechanisms, and existing policy processes
• Applicant demonstrates necessary capacity and experience to perform the work
• A realistic, cost-effective, and clearly justified budget and approach is proposed
• Project meets the minimum requirements for the OECD DAC gender equality marker Score 1

Selection process

• A preliminary review of proposals submitted by the deadline will be conducted by members of the CCAC Secretariat, Funding Task Team, and Board, in consultation with relevant CCAC Partners.  
• Shortlisted applicants will be invited to present their proposals in further detail and to respond to follow-up questions about their application.
• Successful applicants will be invited to develop a Project Implementation Plan and Detailed Budget in consultation with the CCAC Secretariat and relevant CCAC Partners.

The selection process may take up to 6 months after the closing date of the call for proposals. Due to the high volume of requests, the CCAC will not respond to requests for updates or feedback during this time.

Note: Due diligence 

In addition to eligibility criteria outlined above, qualified UNEP/CCAC implementers* must meet the following criteria: 

• Have adequate financial resources to perform the contract and meet all existing commitments (financial health)
• Be able to provide proof of registration, proof of not-for-profit status and audited financial statements for the last three completed fiscal years 
• Have a record of satisfactory performance with UNEP/CCAC, when applicable; and  - Not have been suspended or debarred by UNEP/CCAC or another UN agency. UNEP/CCAC also considers entities included in the Security Council Resolution Lists to be ineligible for UNEP/CCAC agreements.

* (inter)governmental entities/ United Nations are exempt from this requirement

Procurement

As a general rule, Implementation Agreements allow for incidental procurement only, and as such, total costs in the following categories must fall below a certain threshold*:

• Contractual Services
• Equipment, Vehicles and Furniture
• Operating and other Direct costs
• Supplies, Commodities and Materials

*Agreements of $200,000 and below: up to $20,000 or 15% of total budget, whichever is lower.

*Agreements of above $200,000: up to $40,000 or 15%. * United Nations agencies are exempt from this requirement.