Ecuador
Ecuador
Overall NDC Equity Score
Insufficient
Emissions Reductions
Exemplary
NDC implementation will lead to major reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.
Gender Justice
Critically Deficient
NDC has significant gaps in addressing gender mainstreaming, potentially not including gender at all.
Youth Inclusion
Insufficient
NDC made an effort to acknowledge the disproportionate impacts of climate on young people, but it insufficiently addresses long-term inclusion.
Summary
Ecuador is a Non-Annex I country under the UNFCCC framework and OPEC member nation, classified as a medium-emitting country contributing approximately 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Despite its minimal global emissions footprint, Ecuador faces extreme climate vulnerability as a biodiversity megacountry straddling the equator, with 96% of its 17.8 million inhabitants living in coastal and mountainous regions prone to El Niño phenomena, flooding, droughts, and glacial retreat, having already lost 50% of its glacier surface. The country encompasses diverse ecosystems from the Amazon rainforest to the Galápagos Islands, harboring 25,000 plant species and over 1,600 bird species, while maintaining a complex economy where oil dependence (20% of GDP) creates tensions with environmental commitments. Ecuador demonstrates strong international climate engagement, ratifying the Kyoto Protocol (2000), Paris Agreement (2017), and Escazú Agreement (2020). Its regional climate leadership emerges through groundbreaking constitutional “Rights of Nature,” successful REDD+ forest conservation achieving 48.6% deforestation reduction, and maintaining a 74% renewable electricity matrix. With 25% indigenous population and annual climate-related economic losses of 1.5-2% GDP, Ecuador navigates balancing immediate economic needs with long-term sustainability commitments for future generations.
Ecuador’s Second NDC incorporates gender mainstreaming as a cross-cutting theme through its Gender and Climate Change Action Plan, supported by the Ministry of the Environment, Water and Ecological Transition (MAATE)’s Gender and Climate Change Commission and the National Council for Gender Equality (CNIG). The NDC development achieved 49,18% female participation in consultations, demonstrating procedural inclusion. However, gender integration remains superficial, treating women primarily as vulnerable stakeholders rather than agents of change, despite representing 37% of the agricultural workforce in Ecuador. While Ecuador’s Constitution guarantees gender equality and the country ratified CEDAW, implementation gaps persist with only 43,1% female parliamentary representation and 65% of women experiencing gender-based violence, highlighting the disconnect between policy frameworks and meaningful gender justice in climate action
On youth inclusion, this NDC incorporates an intergenerational approach, recognizing youth as both vulnerable to climate impacts and agents of change, with 34% youth participation during formulation. The constitution’s article 395 guarantees intergenerational equity in environmental policies, supported by Rights of Nature provisions. However, youth engagement remains primarily consultative rather than decisional, lacking formal institutional mechanisms like a National Youth Climate Council. Some notable initiatives include MAATE’s “Jovenes en Accion” program, “Escuelas Sostenibles” in schools, and the National Strategy for Action on Climate Empowerment (ENACE). While youth are acknowledged as beneficiaries of climate-resilient social services, the NDC lacks specific youth-focused indicators or systematic participation structures for sustained policy influence
Highlights
- Compared to the First NDC, the new NDC achieved gender balance (49,18% women) and meaningful youth involvement (34% participation) in creating the plan, with indigenous voices included throughout (whose ancestral knowledge is explicitly recognized)
- Incorporates gender, interculturality, and intergenerational equity as transversal themes throughout all climate actions, backed by MAATE's Gender and Climate Change Commission and explicit recognition of indigenous peoples' ancestral knowledge and rights in implementation.
- Ecuador commits to 7% unconditional and 15% conditional emissions reduction by 2035, representing a shift from the First NDC's 20.9% conditional target to more achievable absolute baseline targets using verifiable 2010 baselines
- The second NDC covers 55 mitigation and 26 adaptation initiatives across key sectors, including energy (47.22% of emissions), land use and forestry (29.26%), agriculture (13.29%), waste, and industrial processes, providing a holistic approach to climate action through 2035.
Lowlights
- The 7% unconditional emissions reduction commitment is relatively modest for a country with 74% renewable electricity and significant untapped clean energy potential, particularly given Ecuador's constitutional commitments to environmental rights and intergenerational equity.
- Despite oil representing 20% of GDP and being a major emissions source, the NDC lacks concrete strategies for economic diversification or just transition plans for oil-dependent communities in the Oriente region, perpetuating fossil fuel dependence.
- While the NDC mentions cross-cutting approaches for gender and intergenerational equity, it fails to recognize women and youth as key decision-makers or agents of change, treating them primarily as vulnerable beneficiaries rather than empowered stakeholders in climate action.
Key Recommendations
Ecuador’s Second NDC (2026-2035) presents a comprehensive framework with 55 mitigation and 26 adaptation initiatives, targeting a 15% emissions reduction below 2010 baseline through sectoral strategies prioritizing energy, LULUCF and agriculture. The document establishes conditions financing requirements of approximately 10,660 ktCO2 for the additional 8% reduction beyond the 7% unconditional target. Gender integration operates through MAATE’s Gender and Climate Change Commission with explicit cross-cutting approaches, though implementation mechanisms remain general rather than sector-specific.
Youth inclusion reflects constitutional intergenerational equity principles, with the NDC recognizing “childer, adolescents and young people” as both vulnerable populations and “drivers of solutions” in climate governance. The Second NDC represents enhanced ambition compared to the First NDC’ shorter timeframe and narrower scope.
For Gender Justice
- While the current NDC mentions gender, it doesn’t reflect women’s real leadership potential. The next NDC should highlight women as key decision-makers, especially in sectors like energy, agriculture, forests, and waste, and not just as participants. Though nearly half of the public consultation participants were women, their impact on the technical side remains limited.
- Reserve at least 25% of conditional NDC funds for women-led initiatives, especially rural cooperatives. Expand Ecuador’s Gender and Climate Plan to include clear goals, timelines, and responsibilities for each NDC sector.
- Support not just women, but LGBTQIA+ people, Indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian women, and women with disabilities. Offer training in green livelihoods and climate resilience, particularly in vulnerable communities where gender-based violence is high (65% of women have experienced some form of violence).
- Since forest conservation drives most of Ecuador’s emissions reductions, ensure women are part of it. Collect gender data, set participation quotas, and develop early warning systems that address women’s unique climate risks in different regions.
- Improve coordination between national and local governments so gender goals aren’t lost in translation. Local climate teams need clear targets, resources, and accountability to put gender equity into action on the ground.
For Youth Inclusion
- Create a National Youth Climate Council with formal advisory capacity and mandatory consultation rights on all climate policy decisions, including budget allocations and project approvals.
- Develop youth-specific green job training programs in provinces most dependent on extractive industries (Orellana, Sucumbíos), providing concrete alternatives to oil and mining employment.
- Mandate intergenerational impact assessments for all major economic decisions, particularly extractive industry permits, ensuring long-term costs are quantified and considered.
- Develop targeted programs to support youth involvement in the sectors prioritized by the Second NDC, such as sustainable agriculture, renewable energy, and forest conservation (REDD+), empowering youth to be active agents in these critical areas.
- Enhance collaboration between the government, civil society, and youth networks to implement the National Climate Change Strategy alongside the Second NDC, fostering multi-level engagement that amplifies youth voices in climate resilience and mitigation efforts.
NDC Ambassador - Author
