This Third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC 3.0) constitutes a comprehensive framework submitted by the State of Palestine (SoP) pursuant to Article 4 of the Paris Agreement. It establishes the SoP’s adaptation and mitigation priorities through 2035, with an extended target horizon to 2040, taking into account national circumstances, assessed climate risks, lessons learned from the implementation of the two preceding NDC cycles, and the structural constraints that shape the country’s capacity to deliver on its commitments. NDC 3.0 serves 3 complementary purposes (1) it fulfils the SoP’s commitment under the Paris Agreement, incorporating the information required by the Convention to ensure clarity, transparency and understanding; (2) it provides a national planning framework grounded in evidence and institutional accountability: adaptation priorities are informed by governorate-level vulnerability assessments, mitigation targets are based on a rebased greenhouse gas inventory and long-term modelling, and each sectoral target is endorsed by the institution responsible for its implementation; (3) it establishes a platform for climate finance by ensuring that the needs of ministries, authorities, municipalities and sectoral institutions are identified, quantified, prioritised and nationally endorsed, thereby strengthening the basis for mobilising resources and translating climate commitments into implementation. This contribution builds on the national priorities as well as mitigation and adaptation measures established in the previous NDCs. Adaptation remains the overriding priority, and the distinction between prevailing and improved conditions is retained and extended into four modeled pathways. What is strengthened is the analytical basis: an updated inventory and emissions modeling to 2050, a national vulnerability assessment, the stocktake of implementation under the previous cycle, structured sectoral prioritization, and scenario analysis that includes alternative reconstruction pathways for the Gaza Strip. Compared with NDC 2.0, NDC 3.0 strengthens the mitigation and adaptation framework through a quantified 2035 target, an extended 2040 horizon, and more realistic emissions projections based on revised territorial accounting, which excludes emissions from imported electricity from Palestine’s inventory. It expands mitigation planning from 37 committed actions to 72 assessed options, adds water as a mitigation sector, and strengthens adaptation planning through vulnerability assessments across all 16 governorates and sector-wide indicators. Building on previous priorities and implementation lessons, NDC 3.0 also reinforces institutional accountability, monitoring, and climate finance arrangements to address persistent implementation barriers. NDC 3.0 identifies 5 priority areas for improving policy implementation and translating adopted commitments into measurable outcomes, all conditional on international support. These include (1) establishing a legal mandate for climate reporting and data sharing, with clear reporting schedules and standards; (2) strengthening enforcement of existing building codes, climate-resilient infrastructure standards, water reuse requirements, and environmental licensing; (3) introducing a climate finance taxonomy, budget tagging, and expenditure tracking to improve transparency and accountability; (4) harmonizing sectoral policies with NDC 3.0 targets through a regular review cycle; (5) strengthening climate data governance, including through a dedicated Meteorology Law, to regulate data access and support the integration of meteorological and climate information into adaptation planning. NDC 3.0 establishes adaptation priorities based on the national Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment, using evidence on climate hazards, exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity. Proposed measures are assessed against five criteria: climate risk and urgency, gender equality and social inclusion, cost-effectiveness, technical feasibility, and institutional capacity. They are also classified as policies, measures, or programmes to link identified risks with appropriate implementation support. The adaptation programme covers agriculture, energy, health, transport, waste, water, coastal and marine areas in the Gaza Strip, food systems, industry, terrestrial ecosystems, tourism, and urban infrastructure. It promotes resilience through climate-smart technologies, climate-resilient infrastructure, ecosystem restoration, improved governance, community-based approaches, and early warning systems, with the aim of protecting vulnerable populations, essential services, ecosystems, and livelihoods while supporting sustainable development and recovery, particularly in Gaza. The mitigation component seeks to decouple national development from carbon-intensive energy dependence, advancing emissions reductions to the extent permitted by structural conditions and increasing ambition as these constraints ease. National mitigation targets are distributed across six sectors: energy, transport, solid waste, agriculture (including forestry and other land use), industry, and water. Together, the adaptation and mitigation measures provide an integrated framework for strengthening climate resilience and promoting low-carbon, sustainable development in Palestine.
Palestine · 2026-08-01