UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre has launched a new tool to help countries connect NDC progress tracking with Article 6 accounting and corresponding adjustment calculations.
The NDC Tracking and Corresponding Adjustment Tool (NDC-CAT) was launched on 29 September where experts and country representatives explored how the tool can support NDC implementation, Article 6 accounting and reporting under the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF).
A user-friendly workflow
For countries implementing their NDCs while participating in international carbon market cooperation, keeping track of NDC progress and Article 6 transactions can involve managing several interconnected sets of information. NDC-CAT brings these elements together in one structured framework, helping users understand how internationally transferred mitigation outcomes (ITMOs) and corresponding adjustments relate to progress towards their NDC targets.
The Excel-based tool provides a six-step workflow covering NDC targets, greenhouse gas emissions and removals, ITMOs and corresponding adjustments. Based on the information entered, it performs the relevant accounting calculations and provides an overview of the resulting NDC progress.
As an output, NDC-CAT provides a ready-to-use structured summary in the format of CTF Table 4, supporting countries in meeting the Biannual Transparency Reporting (BTR) requirements.
This can help countries identify how transfers of mitigation outcomes affect their progress towards their NDC targets and provide a more consistent basis for tracking the relationship between NDC implementation and Article 6 participation.
By bringing together the information needed to track NDC progress and corresponding adjustments, the tool can also help countries make informed decisions on NDC implementation and their participation in Article 6 mechanisms.
Reporting on current implementation and exploring scenarios
NDC-CAT provides a practical starting point for countries developing and strengthening their national systems for reporting on their NDC progress and corresponding adjustments.
It can also be used to explore different forward-looking scenarios and support technical work on the accounting implications of international transfers.
The launch featured opening remarks from Asher Lessels, Senior Programme Management Officer at UNEP, and Jigme, Manager of the Transparency Division at the UNFCCC, while experts from UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre presented a technical overview and walk-through the tool and its six-step workflow.
The session also included country perspectives from Takashi Morimoto, Chief Analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting, and Mihai Tîrşu, Director of the Institute of Power Engineering of Technical University of Moldova, explaining how piloting the tool had helped Japan and Moldova gain insights into NDC and Article 6 implementation.