Regional Snapshot of Gender in the Third Generation of Nationally Determined Contributions in Asia-Pacific: From Integration to Implementation

Gender-responsive climate action is increasingly recognized across national policies, yet its translation into sustained and well-resourced implementation remains uneven. The submission of the third generation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) in 2025 marks an important opportunity to assess how gender equality is reflected in national climate priorities and outcomes.

Their submissions also coincided with the adoption of the Belém Gender Action Plan in the 30th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 30) held in Brazil. Spanning 2026 to 2034, the framework provides renewed guidance to support the integration of gender across climate policy, planning, and implementation.

Together, these developments are critical to shape the path towards the next NDC update cycle in 2030, which converges with the deadline to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and represents a critical window to accelerate and scale gender- responsive climate implementation.

In the Asia-Pacific region, the third iterations of NDCs submitted in 2025 reflect a shift from identifying women as vulnerable populations to climate change impacts towards positioning them as key actors in climate solutions. However, the transition from policy intent to tangible results remains the key challenge. Many countries have laid important foundations for gender-responsive climate action through successive NDC cycles and other national climate policies, but challenges persist in operationalizing these commitments. Moving forward, the emphasis must shift towards strengthening

implementation systems that can deliver measurable results.

This report presents the current landscape of gender integration in the recently submitted NDC 3.0 by countries across the Asia and the Pacific region. It identifies key trends, highlights emerging practices, and provides actionable recommendations to support governments and partners in advancing gender-responsive implementation within national climate action.