Component 2
Stakeholder engagement
A multistakeholder engagement strategy strengthens climate investment planning and mobilization and garners support from diverse stakeholders.
Critically, it allows for the early identification of capable national project proponents and guides capacity-building efforts. A multistakeholder strategy involves mapping and meaningfully engaging relevant stakeholders in essential activities while considering their objectives. Necessary capacity-building activities should also be implemented to address any existing gaps.
Step 4
Map stakeholders and engagement frameworks
To ensure stakeholder involvement across the NDC components, assign responsibility for stakeholder mapping, maintain and update the mapping, and engage stakeholders. For example, designate a leading agency or delegate the coordination of stakeholder engagement for specific components and subcomponents of NDC investment planning to the relevant public bodies identified in the institutional map.
Stakeholder mapping is a crucial step for identifying a broader set of actors outside the government who will be involved in the climate investment planning and mobilization process, identifying capacity gaps, and pinpointing relevant engagement frameworks. Stakeholders can be categorized into the following groups:
- cross-cutting ministries or agencies (e.g., ministries of finance, environment, gender/inclusion affairs, investment promotion agencies);
- sectoral leads (e.g., representatives from relevant sectors);
- subnational authorities and finance partners (e.g., climate funds and MDBs/DFIs);
- the private sector, academia, and civil society (e.g., representatives from relevant sectorial organizations and business associations);
- the financial sector, affected communities, Indigenous peoples, and vulnerable groups.
It is also vital to consider possible national project proponents for climate investments. For instance, blended finance, which requires a multistakeholder approach, can frame country-level partnership design. It can help identify relevant public-sector and private-sector stakeholders and their complementary roles (e.g., offering technical assistance, de-risking, or co-financing) to mobilize private capital at scale.
Example: Rwanda mapped out the stakeholders in preparing the NDC implementation plan, determining their roles. For example, for civil society organizations, the implementation indicates that they will be contacted regularly to ensure that any relevant project they are implementing will be recorded in the NDC implementation framework. A template for data collection with each stakeholder was prepared to ensure the recorded information’s consistency. This process was led by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, with support from the Ministry of Environment.
Step 5
Develop stakeholder engagement frameworks
Developing comprehensive stakeholder engagement frameworks facilitates the staged involvement of relevant stakeholders in the planning and execution of initiatives aimed at achieving climate-related goals and commitments. Where applicable, engage stakeholders at the subnational level and adopt sectoral or thematic approaches (such as biodiversity, water, or food systems nexus points).
Countries should consider utilizing existing frameworks for stakeholder engagement—such as those established under multi-year climate finance ecosystem planning, including GCF Working Programmes, NDC Implementation Plans, and other investment plans—rather than creating new arrangements. This approach promotes synergies with and avoids duplication of previous efforts.
Example: Cambodia’s NDC Roadmap and Stakeholder Engagement Plan (2019–2030) serves as a comprehensive framework to guide the country’s climate action efforts over a decade. The roadmap outlines key strategies for achieving Cambodia’s NDC targets, emphasizing cross-sectoral collaboration, capacity building, and resource mobilization. A central feature of the plan is its robust stakeholder engagement approach, which seeks to ensure the active participation of government agencies, private sector actors, civil society organizations, and local communities. The plan aims to align national priorities with grassroots perspectives, enhance institutional coordination, and secure the necessary financial and technical resources to address climate change effectively. This strategic effort reflects Cambodia’s commitment to sustainable development and resilience in the face of climate challenges.
Step 6
Analyse and address gaps between stakeholder capacity and expertise
Once key stakeholders are identified, especially those involved in the programming and delivery of climate investments, assess their capacities and expertise to assist in making early decisions about whether to direct support toward building or strengthening needed capacities. Special attention should be given to the capacity and expertise of potential national project proponents, including those in the local financial and private sectors. Measures such as training and capacity-building initiatives, knowledge sharing, and collaboration can ensure that all stakeholders are aligned and can contribute effectively to investment planning and mobilization.
Example: Kenya’s NDC investment plan development included a comprehensive multi-stakeholder engagement process, including workshops and training sessions, to equip government ministries, private sector actors, and civil society organizations with the necessary knowledge and skills to identify, develop, and advocate for climate-related investment projects aligned with their NDC priorities.
The Critical Roles of Finance Ministries, Economy Ministries, and National Development Banks
As planners of economic policy and national budgets, ministries of economy and finance play a central role in enabling the necessary investments at scale to achieve goals outlined in NDCs, NAPs, and LT-LEDS. These ministries are ideally positioned to conduct macroeconomic assessments related to proposed climate policies; determine investment needs for NDCs, NAPs, and LT-LEDS; and develop policies and instruments to attract private-sector investments. By overseeing national budgets, ministries of finance can secure allocations for climate change priorities.
Similarly, national development banks are well-placed to use their instruments to catalyze private-sector climate finance at scale. These banks can provide public financing with special conditions and establish incentives to attract private investors for climate investments. Moreover, their considerable experience in investments at the local level makes them a key partner in identifying, understanding, and overcoming local barriers to climate investment.
Read more about the work of the NDC Partnership with Ministries of Finance here.
Support resources
The following resources can be considered. Explore the NDC Partnership Knowledge Portal Climate Toolbox for additional stakeholder engagement resources.