New consortium looks at needs and gaps in transparency reporting

Developing countries and especially Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) often lack institutional frameworks, technical capacity and tools to enable regular reporting on the progress of the Paris Agreement.
This reporting is crucial for creating both national and global overview of the state of mitigation efforts and ambition, adaptation needs and efforts, and support needed and received.

The new UNEP DTU Partnership and NIRAS Nordic capacity-building support to LDCs and SIDS for the implementation of the transparency framework of the Paris Agreement project aims to address the need for transparency capacity and projects in developing countries by:

• Providing an overview of ongoing capacity building efforts supporting LDCs and SIDS to the Nordic countries, and
• Identifying gaps in ongoing capacity building initiatives and needs for further capacity building support by the Nordic countries in LCDs and SIDS.

Overview of needs and gaps

A consortium created by UNEP DTU Partnership and NIRAS is now working towards these targets, and will provide an analytical overview of needs and gaps in ongoing capacity building as a foundation for the Nordic countries to decide and design future capacity building efforts.

The consortium will provide the following information:

1. Overview of the requirements of LDCs and SIDS to implement the Enhanced Transparency Framework of the Paris Agreement
2. Overview of existing regional and international transparency and MRV related support initiatives to LDCs and SIDS
3. Overview of Nordic countries financing ongoing to climate support activities relevant to the Enhanced Transparency Framework
4. Identification and assessment of capacity building efforts in LDCs and SIDS where Nordic aid agencies have not yet been active
5. An analysis of gaps in capacity building efforts, where the Nordic countries may provide further support
6. Recommendations on the type of capacity building activities the Nordic countries may consider in the following years

The Enhanced Transparency Framework

The Paris Agreement is a common framework to limit the rise in global temperatures, while increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate. Each country’s communication on climate actions, The Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), is the main framework for implementing the Paris Agreement and drives climate policies to achieve the Agreement’s objectives.

To build trust and promote effective implementation of the Paris Agreement, the Enhanced Transparency Framework contains modalities, procedures and guidelines on what information to report when and how, to track progress on implementation and achievements of NDCs.

Transparency reporting for SIDS and LDCs

While being the most negatively affected by climate change impacts, LDCs and SIDS are also countries with limited financial, technological and local resources.

The Enhanced Transparency Framework is designed with built-in flexibility, which takes into account countries’ different capacities, especially when it comes to LDCs SIDS.
However, the framework set out additional reporting requirements, which also applies to LDCs and SIDS, despite the countries often struggling with lack of funds and capacity for transparency.

A wide range of additional benefits

While LDCs and SIDS often have limited funds for transparency activities, improved capacity can identify both opportunities and capacity gaps, which can unlock finance to fund NDC implementation, and to overcome identified gaps.

Improved capacity for transparency is also expected to result in a wide range of additional benefits:

• Improved availability of data on sectoral emission profiles and climate change impacts and adaptation allows for targeted mitigation and adaptation policies, ensuring the highest impact possible.
• Improved transparency provides the necessary feedback to assess the quality and effectiveness of the implemented activities, allowing for modifications  and re-allocation of resources if needed.
• Improved access to information allows decision-makers to effectively inform the public about the results of national policies, providing a powerful tool to gather public support for climate action.

Enhanced capacity for climate action

Because of these additional benefits, the Enhanced Transparency Framework is not merely an additional reporting element, but an opportunity for LDCs and SIDS.
Transparency in reporting on the Paris Agreement and NDCs will allow LDCs, SIDS to strengthen national monitoring, and evaluation processes, enhancing the capacity to better identify, prioritize, plan, execute and communicate national climate action.

In this context, the support for transparency from the Nordic capacity-building support to LDCs and SIDS for the implementation of the transparency framework of the Paris Agreement project will have much wider and significant impacts than just improving the information provided within Paris Agreement frameworks.