NAZCA Portal Enters a New Era as UN Climate Change Unveils Ambitious Redevelopment Roadmap at COP30
After a decade of serving as a vital window into real-world climate action, the UN Climate Change Non-State Actor Zone for Climate Action (NAZCA) portal is poised for a major transformation. At COP30 in Belém, the UNFCCC secretariat unveiled the NAZCA Portal Redevelopment and Engagement Roadmap, signalling a new chapter focused on innovation, transparency, and implementation.
The redevelopment aims to establish NAZCA as a modern, data-driven platform that reinforces the UNFCCC’s role as the central custodian of credible climate action data from non-Party stakeholders (NPS). The upgraded portal will consolidate information on mitigation, adaptation, resilience, and means of implementation, strengthening the visibility and credibility of climate action beyond national governments.
From Lima to Belém: The Evolution of NAZCA
Launched at COP20 in Lima, Peru, and named after the country’s iconic Nazca lines, the NAZCA portal was designed to showcase climate commitments from non-Party stakeholders and cooperative initiatives. Its importance was formally recognised at COP21 in Paris, when Parties acknowledged NAZCA’s role in enhancing transparency, tracking progress, and highlighting leadership across cities, regions, businesses, investors, and civil society.
Over the years, the portal expanded to include commitments, inventories, climate plans, and implementation updates, offering a growing picture of action on the ground. Today, NAZCA stands at the threshold of its next phase: a strengthened digital architecture, a more intuitive user experience, and full alignment with the new UNFCCC Climate Data Hub.
A Platform Built for Implementation
The roadmap presented at COP30 outlines a near-term vision that positions NAZCA as the authoritative transparency hub for non-Party climate action. While several redevelopment components are already underway, others remain in exploratory stages, guided by stakeholder input and evolving needs.
UN Climate Change Transparency Manager Vlad Trusca highlighted that the portal’s modernisation will upgrade its technological foundations, expand data accessibility, improve usability, and introduce new engagement tools. Together, these enhancements reflect a holistic and inclusive approach to showcasing non-state climate action.
Planned features include full data downloads, geospatial mapping, and domain-specific, AI-driven insights, transforming NAZCA into a comprehensive climate action ecosystem rather than a static reporting platform.
Transparency as a Catalyst for Transformation
In a keynote address, Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, COP21 President and former Minister of the Environment of Peru, reflected on the evolution of climate transparency — from early national communications to Nationally Determined Contributions and Biennial Transparency Reports. He noted that transparency mechanisms have been instrumental in building trust, particularly in the Global South, and are increasingly enabling economic transformation rather than merely supporting negotiations.
Pulgar-Vidal recalled that NAZCA was created to integrate non-state actors into the formal climate process, providing legitimacy and visibility to their contributions. Today, he said, the portal continues to embody the “spirit of Paris,” reinforcing voluntary action at a time when ambition must be sustained and accelerated.
Strengthening Engagement Through the NAZCA Network
A central pillar of the redevelopment is the launch of the NAZCA Network, an engagement strategy designed to bring climate action data, analysis, and recognition closer to stakeholders. Through workshops, outreach initiatives, and collaborations, the Network will amplify local efforts, support peer learning, and continuously inform improvements to the portal.
The modernised NAZCA platform will also introduce enhanced digital tools, including self-service systems for entities and initiatives, upgraded modules for subnational actors and corporations, and country pages linking non-Party action with national contexts.
Insights from organisations such as CDP, the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), and the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centres (RCCs) underscored the portal’s growing role in connecting transparency with implementation. Experts highlighted NAZCA’s potential to support localized climate action, share practical solutions, and serve as a matchmaking platform for investors, donors, and development banks.
A Decade On, a Stronger Role in Global Climate Action
As UN Climate Change advances this strategic redevelopment, the NAZCA portal is being reaffirmed as the central global repository of credible non-state climate action data. By aligning with the Climate Data Hub, strengthening stakeholder engagement, and deepening its transparency mandate, NAZCA is well positioned to help catalyse higher ambition and accelerate implementation across the global climate agenda.
