COP29 Presidency, #Together4Transparency partner to build confidence for climate reporting

Credit: Incoming COP29 Presidency. Photo: Yalchin Rafiyev, Chief Negotiator for the COP29 Presidency.

With nearly six months to go until the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, the incoming COP29 Presidency is working closely with UN Climate Change’s #Together4Transparency initiative to underscore the importance of climate reporting in enabling countries to meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement and pursue their own sustainable development goals.

The COP29 Presidency – in collaboration with UN Climate Change and UNDP – is hosting a two-day workshop on 13-14 May 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan, to build the capacity of experts and promote confidence in preparing and submitting their new Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs). The COP29 Presidency is coordinating various forms of support to ensure that all countries can submit their BTRs on time, recognizing different starting points for different countries in terms of capacities.

The submission of new BTRs by all countries by 31 December 2024 represents a milestone for the Paris Agreement, as they will provide a snapshot of progress made towards national climate commitments. Countries must present to the world how they are reducing emissions, what climate policies they are putting in place and how they are ensuring climate finance is provided where it is needed.

This workshop, held in hybrid format to improve accessibility, offers a platform for countries to come together and share experiences and lessons learned, particularly on how the quality and content of reports have evolved and improved over time as countries have gained capacity and confidence.

Yalchin Rafiyev, Chief Negotiator for the COP29 Presidency, said: “As incoming COP President, we know how important climate transparency is to the Paris Agreement: it allows us to track progress towards our collective goals, build trust and confidence, unlock finance, and identify areas where we need to accelerate action.”

He added: “Today’s workshop is the first major activity which unites several groups of stakeholders committed to joining forces in preparation for the ETF (enhanced transparency framework), particularly the submission of BTRs this year, recognizing that all actors can play a role in ensuring the success of the Paris Agreement. Using this opportunity, I would like to encourage all Parties to develop and submit their first BTRs ahead of COP29 if possible. We would also like to encourage international organizations mandated to provide technical support to Parties in enabling activities, including the preparation of BTRs, to speed up the process.”

BTRs play a vital role tracking progress on climate action and assessing whether we are on track to limit global warming. This in turn influences future commitments countries make under the Paris Agreement, encouraging stronger ambition.

The information contained in the BTRs will enable countries to make informed climate choices, implement ambitious climate plans, attract support for further climate action, and inform subsequent national climate plans (known as nationally determined contributions or NDCs). The event in Baku complements ongoing efforts by UN Climate Change to build capacity for BTRs. A series of regional online workshops took place in April to highlight available support to countries for the preparation and submission of BTRs. Nearly 400 transparency experts from 111 countries, alongside 14 support-providing organizations, exchanged best practices and lessons learned.

In the next few months, there will be further opportunities for countries to increase their capacities. One of these will be the mandated in-person workshop at the Bonn UN Climate Conference (SB 60) in June 2024. Register here to receive further information on this in-person workshop.