From insights to impact 

UNDP piloted the Integrated NDC x SDG Insights initiative in El Salvador, Uzbekistan, Cambodia, Liberia, and Tunisia to bridge the gap between national climate commitments and development. At the heart of this effort was a guiding question: What are countries’ key climate and development priorities and how can their interlinkages shape both the NDC 3.0 process and power development breakthroughs? 

By gaining a deeper understanding of each country’s specific priorities within the context of the SDGs and climate action, UNDP used these insights as strategic entry points to guide NDC 3.0 strategies, advancing climate goals while supporting broader economic and social transformation. 

• In El Salvador the NDC x SDG report emphasizes the opportunity for strategic investments in agriculture, ecosystem restoration, waste management, and climate-resilient infrastructure that would accelerate the country’s goal to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. This is a key accelerator for The National Comprehensive Development Strategy 2023 to promote the economic, social and cultural transformation of El Salvador, through accelerated, resilient and inclusive growth.
• For Uzbekistan to achieve the ambition to become an upper middle-income country by 2030 the report shows that the government should increase its NDC 3.0 ambition further reducing energy costs for businesses and households while increasing participation of public scientific institutions, women and local communities in planning and management.
• In Cambodia the report reveals the opportunity for development priorities and guiding principles to be integrated in the NDC 3.0. The integration of NDC with SDGs will foster more ambitious and holistic climate targets for 2035, reflecting national development priorities.
• In Liberia NDC 3.0 is poised to be a powerful vehicle for delivering the government's ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development. The report highlights how NDC 3.0 can support programmes for environmental governance, forest resource management and energy under the strategic policy on climate change, while contributing to Agenda 2030.
• In Tunisia the report highlights the opportunity to strengthen the alignment between its climate policies and national development strategies by strengthening institutional frameworks and policy coherence to better facilitate decision-making that promotes both climate and developmental goals. 

With the success of the first five pilot countries and as nations prepare to update their NDCs this year, UNDP is scaling up its NDC x SDG Insights initiative, expanding to 15 more countries. This reflects UNDP’s commitment to helping align climate action with national development and uncover the integrated solutions needed to accelerate progress on poverty, inequality, and resilience.

The NDC x SDG methodology 

The NDC x SDG Insights process is a data-driven, AI-powered approach designed to integrate national climate commitments with sustainable development priorities. Each report harnesses systems intelligence to provide a comprehensive analysis through four key components. 

It begins with the NDC x SDG Moment phase, offering a high-level overview of a country's development and climate challenges. This section contextualizes key data on economic growth, environmental pressures, and societal well-being, setting the stage for a deeper analysis.  

The NDC x SDG Alignment phase analyses a country’s NDC activities, custom-built machine learning to synthesize national priorities, and provides a snapshot of the relative NDC x SDG alignment.  

The NDC x SDG Interlinkages phase identifies synergies between NDC activities and SDG targets to chart policy pathways with the largest expected multiplier effects. 

Finally, the Finance & Stimulus component assesses fiscal and financial conditions, offering insights into economic stress indicators and potential stimulus measures.