The Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency – Global Support Programme (CBIT-GSP)

The CBIT-GSP is global project, funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), executed by UNEP and implemented by the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre, and presents the continuation and merging of two prior global progammes, namely the CBIT Global Coordination Platform and the Global Support Programme.

The Paris Agreement established the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF), which introduces more comprehensive and stringent transparency requirements, which present a significant challenge for most developing countries. Targeted towards all developing countries, this five-year project supports them in getting ready for the ETF and complying with the new reporting requirements from 2024 onwards, namely the delivery of Biennial Transparency Reports.

The project works through different support modalities, which cover global/multi-regional, regional and national support activities. The central support modality of the project however is its ten Transparency Networks, covering all developing countries around the globe, either by regional or by language spoken in countries. Through these regional networks various activities are provided including in-person workshops and trainings, e.g., on NDC tracking, virtual knowledge-sharing events among countries, e.g., on tracking support needed and received, and national support activities, e.g., recommendations for institutional arrangements in countries or the identification of indicators for a country’s NDC. Generally, the support provided by the CBIT-GSP is demand- and needs-driven and flexible to accommodate for  support requests by countries, that can be received at any time.

Six Regional Transparency Networks have been launched in February – March 2023 (read about the launch events here), with two more networks coming. Two of the ten Networks – the Francophone Network and the Lusophone Cluster – are implemented in close collaboration with the UNDP Climate Promise Initiative.

Another major component of the project is the CBIT-GSP Integrated Platform, a one-stop-shop for transparency, including information about all transparency projects, support providers, transparency events, news and knowledge products as well as relevant transparency information about each developing country. Importantly, the CBIT-GSP Integrated Platform will feature a dedicated space for each of the Regional Transparency Networks to foster exchange and learning among countries.

The CBIT-GSP projects will also provide a number of knowledge products, including guidance documents and good practice briefs, such as on NDC tracking. Lastly, the project will also provide support for gender mainstreaming within climate transparency, among other, through an update of the Gender-responsive Toolkit for National Communications.