Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC), November 2016.

In accordance with the relevant paragraphs of Decisions 1/CP.19, 1/CP.20 and 1/CP.21 the Republic of Timor-Leste communicates its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) towards achieving the objective of the Convention as set out in its Article 2 in a manner that facilitates the clarity, transparency and understanding of the intended nationally determined contributions.
Timor-Leste's emissions are less than 0.003% of global emissions, which is considered as one of the lowest from any Parties and negligible in the global context. Due to its geographical location, topography and socio-economic conditions, Timor-Leste is placed as one of the countries at risk of disaster. The vulnerability and susceptibility of Timor-Leste is considered high, with a significant lack of coping capacity and adaptive capacity. Timor-Leste has carried out various efforts to increase its climate resilience through technology development and implementation of adaptation measures, research, education, training, public awareness, and dissemination of information. The institutions and regulations put in place to date provided the starting point for Timor-Leste to pursue a climate resilient development. However, cooperation and assistance from the international community will be required to increase its capacity to adapt and to explore opportunities to mitigate GHG emissions whilst allowing for sustainable development. In this regard, Timor-Leste will took to leverage the support it has already received through international donor programmes to identify synergies and ways to expand and build upon existing successful programmes supporting adaptation and mitigation.
The effects on human security and well-being resulting from climate change are predicted to be wide-ranging, including an increase in sea levels and a decline in crop productivity. Evidently, climate variations in Timor-Leste are already having adverse impacts on peoples' livelihoods and food security. The Government of Timor-Leste has identified a number of potential measures for mitigating climate change for each sector. The forestry, agriculture and energy sectors can play a significant role to mitigate climate change. Opportunities also exist for conservation of forests, enhancing and expanding carbon sinks, and fuel wood substitution for household cooking and lighting practices with biomass energy. Timor-Leste is Interested in exploring opportunities to undertake REDD+ activities that should be led by domestic laws and regulations, and based on the national priorities. The GoTL is willing to explore options to address the key challenges and barriers for engagement with International programmes such as the Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) and UN-REDD Programme.
The Potential Mitigation Options are: Renewable and low carbon Energy to achieve higher efficiency and less carbon emissions from Energy power generation through the use of (pico/micro-hydro), biomass, biogas, solar PV, wind power at different scales, natural gas power generation, etc., reducing dependency on imported fuel. Livestock: Promotion of Biogas and composting for reduction of agricultural emissions. Sustainable Agriculture: Reducing slash and burn practices by introducing permanent agriculture with improved management practices and sustainable, climate-smart agricultural technologies and processes. Forestry: Rehabilitation of degraded lands, Sustainable forest management and land degradation neutrality, etc. Waste: Managed landfills and landfill gas. Reducing unspecified treatment of MSW by increasing the amount of MSW brought to the landfill will Increase GHG emission from SWDS, etc.
Timor-Leste is extremely vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Many sectors are seriously affected by extreme climate events. Data from the last 10 years shows that climate-related hazards such as floods, droughts, storms, landslides and wildfires have caused major loss of human lives and livelihoods, the destruction of economic and social infrastructures, as well as environmental damages. Adaptation measures need to focus on reducing the adverse effects of climate change, promote sustainable development and reduce poverty. These measures should build on existing strategies and plans across all sectors within Timor-Leste including the National Priorities process. Priority adaptation measures proposed by Timor-Leste in the key sectors are: Food Security: Reduce vulnerability of farmers and pastoralism to increased drought and flood events by improving their capacity to plan for and respond to future climate conditions and improve national food production. Water Resources: Promote Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM). Human Health: Enhance capacity of the health sector to anticipate and respond to changes in distribution of endemic and epidemic climate-sensitive diseases. Natural Disasters: Improve institutional and staff capacity in the disaster sector in relation to climate change induced disasters. Forests, Biodiversity and Coastal Ecosystems Resilience. Livestock Production. Oil and Gas Production: Strengthen and protect valuable offshore oil and gas infrastructure against climate change impacts.