UN climate body set to assist countries on BTRs, ETF reports
As countries prepare to submit their first-ever biennial transparency reports (BTRs) under the enhanced transparency framework (ETF) of the Paris Agreement, due latest by the end of 2024, the UN Climate Change secretariat is assisting by providing targeted training, practical tools and guidance.
UN Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell has heralded the ETF as critical to a new era of “implementation” of countries’ Paris Agreement commitments, with transparency of efforts underpinning accountability and ambition for enhanced climate action.
At COP28, UN Climate Change hosted a series of training sessions, allowing experts to practice using the ETF reporting tools in preparation for the submission of their upcoming national reports.
Under the #Together4Transparency initiative, UN Climate Change’s Transparency Division provided updates and training over the course of two weeks to more than 500 experts from 120 countries. The hands-on sessions covered reporting on national greenhouse gas inventories, implementing and achieving nationally determined contributions (countries’ national climate action plans), and support needed and received – including financial, technology development and transfer, and capacity building.
In one of the interactive sessions, experts were asked to describe the importance of the training in a few words. Responses ranged from “establishing expectations”, “clear communication” and “common understanding”, to “empowering communities”, “learning”, “building trust” and “bringing credibility to the process”.
Reflecting on the early submission of Andorra’s first biennial transparency report (BTR), national focal point Carles Miquel reflected on the experience and challenge of preparing this report for the first time. Miquel noted that, for smaller countries or those with reduced reporting teams, implementing the new system can be challenging. As a result, he encouraged others to take full advantage of the opportunities for hands-on training and guidance provided at COP28.
#Together4Transparency aims to bring together all the stakeholders involved in preparing for the ETF. As part of this broad and inclusive initiative, actors ranging from Parties to NGOs, members of the media, technical experts, youth, international governmental organizations and the private sector have joined forces to raise awareness about the key role of transparency under the Paris Agreement, and the importance of data, information and collaboration for its success.
As part of the initiative, UN Climate Change coordinated a series of events dedicated to showcasing the various support mechanisms available to developing countries for the successful implementation of the ETF. Through interactive roundtable events, engaging pavilion sessions, and a selection of side-events, #Together4Transparency helped to build capacity and empower developing nations in preparation for the ETF.
COP28 #Together4Transparency events included hands-on training sessions on ETF reporting tools, in-person seminars for BTR technical expert reviewers, spaces to match countries’ needs with support and to address the specific needs and challenges of developing countries, and special events to recognize experts having passed the exams of the ETF overview training course, as well as to celebrate current and previous members of the Consultative Group of Experts (CGE) for their contributions to CGE since its inception in 1999.
