Civil Society Hands Over DRC NDC 3.0 Shadow Report to Environment Minister

The report highlights the urgent need to expand access to renewable energy. Despite vast hydropower, solar, and other renewable resources, less than 19 per cent of the Congolese population currently has access to electricity, with rural electrification estimated at just 1 per cent. Civil society recommends that NDC 3.0 prioritise large-scale renewable projects, including the Grand Inga Hydropower Project, alongside expanded clean cooking solutions to reduce reliance on wood and charcoal. Such measures would reduce deforestation, lower emissions, and improve public health outcomes – particularly for women and children.

Another key theme of the report is the decarbonisation of the mining sector, which is vital to the country’s economy and to global supply chains for energy transition minerals. With emerging international regulatory frameworks such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, the report emphasises that Congolese mining operations will increasingly need to adopt low-carbon technologies and renewable power sources to stay competitive in global markets. The report adds: Innovation should be embedded in the DRC’s climate strategy by establishing hubs and incubators for clean energy, mining, and environmental technologies, enabling the country to move from raw mineral extraction toward resource-based industrialisation. This approach would strengthen resilience and institutional capacity while positioning the DRC to leverage its critical minerals to lead the global energy transition.

To strengthen governance and implementation, the report proposes several institutional reforms. These include establishing a Presidential Commission on Climate Change to coordinate national climate action and creating a Climate and Investment Development Platform to mobilise finance, bolster international partnerships, and support the implementation of the NDC. It also recommends developing a Long-Term Low Emissions Development Strategy (LT-LEDS) aligned with the country’s broader development and industrialisation goals.

Civil society also advocates for a pragmatic approach to oil and gas exploration, especially in ecologically sensitive areas such as forests and peatlands. The report warns that unregulated hydrocarbon development could threaten biodiversity and risk locking the country into stranded assets as the global economy moves away from fossil fuels.

A key message of the shadow report is that governance, peace, and security are vital for successful climate action. Weak institutions, corruption, and ongoing conflicts can hamper climate programmes and investments. Incorporating conflict sensitivity into climate planning and ensuring transparent resource governance are therefore essential for the credibility of NDC 3.0.

The report concludes that the credibility of the DRC’s climate commitments will rely on five guiding pillars: ambition, sovereignty, accountability, equity, and inclusivity. This involves aligning national targets with the 1.5°C pathway, enhancing domestic resource mobilisation, ensuring parliamentary oversight and public participation, ensuring the fair sharing of benefits from natural resources, and amplifying the voices of women, youth, and Indigenous communities in climate decision-making.

By formally accepting the civil society shadow report, Minister Marie Nyange Ndambo recognised the importance of wide stakeholder participation in shaping the country’s climate future. The handover demonstrates increasing acknowledgement that the DRC’s status as a “solution country” can only be achieved through strong governance, inclusive development, and ongoing international cooperation.

If these principles guide the development of NDC 3.0, the DRC could leverage its vast ecological wealth to underpin low-carbon development, climate resilience, and peace, thereby enhancing its role as a key player in both Africa’s energy transition and the global effort against climate change.