The Government of Nicaragua has made important strides in the development and implementation of climate change and economic and social policies. One of these actions is Nicaragua’s National Climate Change Policy 2022-2026 (Política Nacional de Cambio Climático, or PNCC) which establishes a strategic national framework and guidelines to mitigate the causes of climate change and strengthen resilience through institutional strengthening and capacity building of key institutions of government, civil society, and the private sector. The PNCC is organized based on five pillars of climate action: adaptation, mitigation, loss and damage, knowledge, research, innovation and technology transfer, and climate governance. The objective of the PNCC is to contribute to the fight against poverty and to promote sustainable human development in Nicaragua, preparing a society that is more resilient and less vulnerable to climate variability and change, and that is more aware and responsible in the face of this challenge. The PNCC seeks to promote a low-carbon economy based on environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable production processes and services, incorporating knowledge and innovation.

The Climate Change Secretariat of the Presidency of the Republic (SCCP) is a national institution that is responsible for (i) national policies on climate change and the National Climate Change Management System (SNGCC, for its initials in Spanish), (ii) efficient implementation of climate actions to improve the response capacity to the impacts of climate change through coordination with executive branch entities, (iii) coordination of actions and decisions for the management of climate investments, (iv) strengthening of national capacities for the fulfillment of commitments arising from international agreements, and (v) representing Nicaragua in international and regional climate change negotiations.

The proposed Readiness grant aims to enable the SCCP and the SNGCC to fulfill their roles and responsibilities to implement the PNCC, and to enhance their technical capacity to develop and implement strategic frameworks to ultimately meet the country’s national and international climate commitments.