Preparation of NCs and BRs
In the negotiations

Decision 6/CP.25 at the COP25 adopted the revision of the “Guidelines for the preparation of NCs by Parties included in Annex I to the Convention, Part II: UNFCCC reporting guidelines on NCs”. The decision requires Parties to use the revised guidelines in preparing their national communications starting with NC8.
The decision also decides to change the due date for submission of the NC8 and the BR5 from 1 January 2022 to as early as the annual greenhouse gas inventory submission for inventory year 2020 is provided to the UNFCCC but no later than 31 December 2022 in order to provide Parties with the opportunity to include the inventory data in these reports.

Background information and events

Key decisions and reports here

Workshop on the revision of the NC guidelines

First technical workshop on the revision of the guidelines for the review of BRs and NCs 

Preparation of the fifth national communications by Annex I Parties 

For Annex I Parties to meet their commitments for reporting under the Convention, they are required to prepare national communications every four years (Decision 9/CP.16) and biennial reports every  two years (Decision 2/CP.17).

Reporting is an essential component of the Convention as promoting consistent, transparent, comparable, accurate and complete information in indispensable in enabling a thorough review and assessment of the implementation of the Convention and monitoring the progress Annex I Parties are making towards meeting the goals of the Convention and their 2020 target.

To help improve reporting, Lead Reviewers at the annual Lead Reviewers meeting update a living Review Practice Guidance (RPG) that aims to improve consistency among the individual biennial report and national communication reviews during a review cycle and across the review cycles. The RPG can also provide guidance to Annex I Parties on areas where Parties frequently had challenges in reporting.

When preparing national communications and biennial reports a number of COP decisions should be taken into account when preparing national communications and biennial reports and can be found below for reference.

Transition to the Enhanced Transparency Framework under the Paris Agreement

The Katowice climate package (COP24) adopted a detailed set of modalities, procedures and guidelines (MPGs) on the enhanced transparency framework (ETF) under the Paris Agreement. The final biennial reports for developed countries are due as early as the annual greenhouse gas inventory submission for inventory year 2020 is provided to the UNFCCC but no later than 31 December 2022 (decision 6/CP.25). Parties under the Paris Agreement are required to submit their first biennial transparency report (BTR1) and national inventory report, if submitted as a stand-alone report, in accordance with the MPGs, at the latest by 31 December 2024.

 

Guidelines on reporting Biennial Reports

Guidelines on reporting biennial reports (BRs)

  • UNFCCC biennial reporting guidelines for developed country Parties, Annex I, Decision 2/CP.17 (pages 31-35);

  • Common tabular format for “UNFCCC biennial reporting guidelines for developed country Parties” – Decision  19/CP.18;

  • Methodologies for the reporting of financial information by Parties included in Annex I to the Convention - Decision  9/CP.21.

 

 

Guidelines on reporting National Communications

Guidelines on reporting national communications (NCs)

  • Revision of the UNFCCC reporting guidelines on national communications for Parties included in Annex I to the Convention (decision 6/CP.25). Parties included in Annex I to the Convention shall use these guidelines in preparing their national communications, beginning with the eighth national communications;

  • Guidelines for the preparation of NCs by Parties included in Annex I to the Convention, Part II: UNFCCC reporting guidelines on NCs - Decision 4/CP.5 (pages 80-100);

  •  Annotated outline of NC.

Additional reporting requirements for NCs of Annex I Parties that are also Parties to the Kyoto Protocol

  • Guidance for the preparation of the information required under Article 7 of the Kyoto Protocol - Decision  22/CP.7.

Guidance Relevant to Specific Chapters of National Communications 

Chapter V: Projections and the total effect of policies and measures

  •  Report on the workshop on emission projections from Parties included in Annex I to the Convention (adopted by SBSTA 21).

Chapter VI: Vulnerability assessment, climate change impacts and adaptation measures

  • Buenos Aires programme of work on adaptation and response measures 
    Decision 1/CP.10 (paragraphs 12 and 18);

  • Implementation of Article 4, paragraph 8 and 9, of the Convention (decision 3/CP.3) and Article 2, paragraph 3, and Article 3, paragraph 14, of the Kyoto Protocol; Decision  5/CP.7 (paragraphs 4 and 21).

Chapter VII: Financial, technological and capacity-building support

  • Capacity-building for developing countries (non-Annex I Parties) - Decision 2/CP.10  (paragraph 2);

  • Capacity-building for countries with economies in transition - Decision  3/CP.10  (paragraph 7);

  • Capacity-building in developing countries (non-Annex I Parties) - Decision   2/CP.7(paragraph 12);

  • Capacity-building in countries with economies in transition - Decision   3/CP.7  (paragraph 5).

Chapter VIII: Research and systematic observation

  • Reporting on global observing systems for climate - Decision  11/CP.13

  • Research and systematic observation - Decision  5/CP.5 (paragraph 8).

Chapter IX: Education, training and public awareness

  • Status of, and ways to enhance, implementation of the New Delhi work programme on Article 6 of the Convention - Decision   7/CP.10 (paragraph 10);

  • New Delhi work programme on Article 6 of the Convention - Decision  11/CP.8 (paragraph 3).

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