Component 1

Component 1 involved local ground actions (pilot projects). These actions practically demonstrated how implementation of NDC commitments aligned to leading socioeconomic priorities can be combined to unlock enterprise opportunities. Results of these practical actions were fed back, through case-studies, to inform government-wide policy planning for NDC implementation prioritisation. This feedback was provided through an inter-ministerial policy taskforce, made up of policy actors from environment and resource ministries and non-environment ministries whose sectors are prioritised in the NDCs. These policy actors are the same as those who would oversee the implementation of actions prioritised in their respective NDCs. Collaboration among these actors is key to successful LEDS policy implementation, since there are often specific actions needed by each actor (e.g. across both the agricultural and energy sectors).

• In Cameroon, the ground demonstration action involved greening the countries agro-value chains using nature-based, climate-smart agricultural approaches for on-farm production, clean energy to power agro-processing, and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) digital tools for connection to markets – in place of business as usual (BAU) paper processes and product transport that has a higher carbon footprint. This demonstration covered NDC priorities in agriculture, energy, forestry, and transport. The ground action was done at two sites – Jakiri municipality and the Ngoulemakong municipality. Jakiri involved linking a micro-hydro plant to power milling of cassava sourced from a local cooperative into flour. This flour was then marketed using a digital ICT tool called AfroShop. At the Ngoulemakong municipality site, solar driers were used to dry cassava for preservation and preparation for processing. Results were compiled into case studies and shared with policy makers through the Ministry of Environment that convenes the interagency policy taskforce.
• In Côte d’Ivoire, ground demonstrations focused on smart rice cultivation practices and rice milling by-products recovery for energy use. Specifically, by-products recovery for energy use refers to conversion of rice husk to fuel briquettes for use as cooking fuel. This process covered NDC priorities in three of the highest emitting sectors in the country – agriculture, energy and forestry. This pilot addresses forestry because the rice husk briquettes produced offset charcoal and the associated unsustainable local wood harvests. Climate smart rice cultivation pilots were conducted at two sites - Tipadipa and Tietiekou outside of Gagnoa (south-central Côte d’Ivoire). The rice farm pilots plots were 50 hectares in size. Smart practices included rice straw composting (and use as fertilizer), intermittent irrigation (instead of continuous flooding), and the use of higher yielding seedlings and planting techniques. BAU practices include continuous flooding (with high methane emissions), use of mineral fertilizers, and lower yielding seeds and planting techniques. Separately, a rice husk briquetting process at a small woman-operated mill in the town of Gagnoa was also evaluated. Rice husk is a low value by-product left over at a rice mill. Production and local use of rice husk briquettes as a cooking fuel offsets the use of BAU fuels, including charcoal and kerosene. If rice husk briquettes can successfully enter the local market, then lower demand for charcoal will support recovery of local forests. Results were compiled into case studies and shared with the inter-agency policy taskforce which brings all the ministries together including the Ministry of the Environment as the lead.
• In the DRC, the ground demonstration focused on waste to energy, where general and organic waste was converted to biogas and fuel briquettes. This covered NDC priorities in energy, forestry and waste management. Work was done at two sites – the “Higher Institute of Applied Techniques” premises in Ndolo municipality was used for biogas production (organic waste to biogas) and households in Barumbu municipality were used for testing the briquettes (general solid waste to fuel briquettes), also produced in Ndolo.

These project lessons were then shared with policy actors to inform long term low emissions and NDCs implementation decision making to ensure simultaneous maximisation of climate, environment and socioeconomic benefits.