Dominican Republic - Institutional Strengthening/Capacity Building in support of NDC 3.0 Action Plan preparation

Rationale

This project responds to a request made by the National Council of Climate Change and Carbon Market (CNCCMC) of the Dominican Republic for support to strengthen institutional and technical capacity to implement mitigation actions targeting methane (CH₄) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), contributing directly to the achievement of the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and the preparation of the NDC 3.0 Action Plan.

Immediate support is required to capitalize on the momentum generated by the January 2026 high-level dialogue hosted by the CNCCMC with regional legislative representatives on methane and waste regulation. The meeting identified urgent regulatory, institutional, and measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) gaps that must be addressed to support implementation of the Dominican Republic’s NDC 3.0 and the newly proposed National Methane Roundtable.

Timely technical assistance will enable rapid analysis and policy design to support near-term climate mitigation goals.

The Dominican Republic has made significant commitments to addressing climate change through its Nationally Determined Contribution and the implementation of mitigation policies in strategic sectors such as energy, industry, agriculture, waste and land use. However, institutional, regulatory and technical challenges continue to limit the effective implementation and monitoring of mitigation measures.

Key challenges include:

• Supporting the development of the Dominican Republic NDC 3.0 Action Plan (RD-2025) to translate policies, actions and targets into measurable activities and indicators, particularly for mitigation measures related to methane (CH₄) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).
• Updating regulatory frameworks to facilitate implementation of sector-specific climate actions aimed at reducing CH₄ and HFC emissions in key sectors of the Dominican economy.
• Strengthening capacity to mobilize climate finance and investment for projects supporting mitigation policies, actions and measures (PAMs).
• Addressing institutional and technical gaps in the measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of emissions and mitigation actions associated with CH₄ emissions from the agriculture and waste sectors and HFC emissions from the industrial processes and product use sector.
• Developing analytical tools and pre-investment studies needed to accelerate climate project implementation and support carbon market assessments under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.

In this context, the project will provide technical assistance and strategic analysis to strengthen the Dominican Republic’s readiness to implement climate mitigation measures in priority emitting sectors involving short-lived climate pollutants, particularly methane and HFCs.

Objectives

The project will strengthen institutional, regulatory and technical capacity in the Dominican Republic to advance implementation of national climate mitigation priorities, support preparation of the NDC 3.0 Action Plan, mobilize climate finance and strengthen sectoral MRV systems for short-lived climate pollutants.

Outcome 1

The Government of the Dominican Republic has strengthened capacity to advance national climate mitigation priorities to reduce methane and HFC emissions in key sectors such as agriculture, waste management and industry by the end of the project.

Output 1.1
Assessment of regulatory, institutional and technical gaps in key methane- and HFC-emitting sectors, particularly industry, agriculture and waste management, to identify barriers and opportunities for mitigation.

Outcome 2

The Government of the Dominican Republic will adopt an NDC 3.0 Action Plan by the end of the project.

Output 2.1
Development of proposals for the NDC 3.0 Action Plan (2026–2030), incorporating policies, measures and targets related to methane and HFC mitigation into quantifiable activities and indicators linked to national mitigation actions (PAMs).

Output 2.2
Preparation of a preliminary climate investment plan and resource mobilization strategy to support priority SLCP mitigation measures and identify opportunities to leverage public, private and international climate finance.

Outcome 3

The Government of the Dominican Republic will adopt and incorporate SLCPs into sectoral MRV tools by the end of the project.

Output 3.1
Design or strengthening of sectoral MRV tools, building on Decree 541-20 establishing the National Climate Transparency System, to improve monitoring, reporting and verification of emissions and the evaluation of SLCP mitigation actions under the NDC 3.0 Action Plan.