Universal Participation in the Enhanced Transparency Framework

Background

Parties to the Paris Agreement met in Glasgow in November 2021 and ironed out the remaining details to bring the enhanced transparency framework (ETF) to life. Through the Glasgow Climate Pact, Parties are urged now to swiftly make the necessary preparations for ensuring timely reporting under the ETF in line with Article 13 of the Paris Agreement and the timelines set out in decision 18/CMA.1.

​Preparing for the enhanced transparency framework is a journey, not a destination, and goes beyond the submission of biennial transparency reports (BTRs), the national report is designed to provide a clear understanding of climate action in the country and clarity on support provided and received. It is about establishing the institutions and arrangements in a country to collect the necessary information to understand the potential for ambitious climate action, while identifying and responding to adaptation needs. It is about establishing the necessary channels to ensure adequate financial, technology transfer and development and capacity building support can be targeted and provided in a way that best meets the needs of the country to achieve these mitigation and adaptation goals.

Regular reporting, review and multilateral consideration under the ETF provides a platform for countries to learn from each other and creates opportunities to forge new relationships and collaborations to address the climate challenge. Countries are beginning from different starting points and achieving this universal participation requires many steps, both small and bold, by many actors. The ETF is designed with built-in flexibility that takes into account these different starting points and capacities. The full benefits of participation in the ETF can only be realized by catalyzing engagement from the local to the highest political levels, building domestic capacities and extending support. 

Transparency is beneficial to:

  • - providing countries a better understanding of the opportunities to cost-effectively transform their economy to a more climate-friendly one;
  • - enabling countries to identify financial, technology development and transfer and capacity building support needs; 
  • - contributing to a greater global understanding of the progress to address climate change; and, 
  • - allowing us collectively to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement faster, by learning from each other and sharing experiences, challenges and solutions.

 

The initiative

Led by the principles of collaboration, mobilization and action, the Universal Participation in the Enhanced Transparency Framework initiative strives to get everyone started on this journey, by engaging and uniting countries, support organizations, the business community, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholders who share a common interest in realizing the benefits of transparent climate-relevant data and information. 

The initiative aims to:

  • ​- Increase political awareness and buy-in for the importance of evidence-based national decision-making informed by a broad base of stakeholder engagement
  • ​- Strengthen institutional and individual capacity of developing country Parties and other stakeholders to produce and use robust climate relevant data
  • - ​Enhance access to financial, technical and capacity building support to developing country Parties by offering a platform for wider-stakeholder engagement, including North-South and South-South cooperation
  • - ​Build an efficient ETF infrastructure and system, including practices, systems and tools to allow seamless operation of the ETF for all stakeholders

 

Get involved

We invite you to join us in working #Together4Transparency, with a view of achieving universal participation. For further information, contact us at ETF@unfccc.int.

Resources

CGE technical material 

Technical materials, prepared by the CGE, on the ETF for action and support. The materials aim to improve awareness and understanding of the ETF and its MPGs.  

CGE Webinar series  

Webinar series on national level synergies in data collection for climate reporting under the Convention and the Paris Agreement and monitoring of other international instruments such as sustainable development goals (SDGs) and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR); and on embedding climate reporting in national statistics.

ETF Reference Manual and FAQs

The Reference Manual for the ETF and the accompanying FAQs strive to highlight some of the key questions that stakeholders are asking. The materials aim to assist Parties and other stakeholders to improve their understanding of the ETF.

GHG helpdesk

A collaboration platform, for all experts and stakeholders involved in GHG inventory planning, preparation and management, to allow Parties to ask questions and raise issues about their national GHG inventory development, especially regarding the use of the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National GHG Inventories, and the reporting requirements for the current MRV system and reporting under the ETF in order to receive in-depth technical advice to resolve them. 

Modalities, procedures and guidelines (MPGs) for the transparency framework for action and support

Read the requirements for Parties in reporting their biennial transparency reports, as well as the process for review of these submissions and the facilitative multilateral consideration of progress process.

Guidance for operationalizing the MPGs for the ETF

See the further operational guidance agreed by Parties for reporting their biennial transparency reports, including common reporting tables and formats and the reporting and review outlines.

MRV/Transparency helpdesk

Technical resources for implementing the MRV arrangements under the Convention and the ETF.

Trainings
Expert Reviewer Training

Learn more about how you can take an active role in addressing climate change by training as a technical expert in the current MRV system. 

GHG Inventory support for developing countries 

The UNFCCC, in collaboration with the FAO, organizes voluntary in-country QA of national GHG inventory management systems and latest GHG inventories.

The QA workshops aim to improve the quality and transparency of national GHG inventories reported by developing countries, through in-depth interactions with the national GHG inventory team. 

UNFCCC Climate Action and Support Transparency Training (UNFCCC-CASTT)

A capacity-building programme designed to cater to stakeholders at all levels of competencies within national climate governance and implementation.

The primary objective is to promote effective and universal participation of countries in the MRV arrangements under the Convention and the enhanced transparency framework under the Paris Agreement through targeted, professional and comprehensive capacity-building.

FAO e-learning Academy

For the first time ever, the materials compiled in the massive open online course (MOOC), “Forests and Transparency under the Paris Agreement,” are available to anyone anywhere and at any time, in English, Spanish and French, through the FAO e-learning Academy.

The MOOC, developed under the CBIT-Forest project, explores the connections between the enhanced transparency framework (ETF) of the Paris Agreement and the collection, analysis and dissemination of reliable and transparent forest information.

Supporters
#Data 4 Better Climate Action

This campaign, led by a group of global climate initiatives, is calling attention to the value of climate transparency to not only fulfill reporting requirements but to also drive good policy at the national level by advancing sustainable development priorities.

FAO

FAO works with its Member Countries and partners to utilize and unlock the adaptation and mitigation potential of the agriculture and land use sectors in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement, while contributing to the global sustainability agenda. By providing capacity-building to strengthen the technical and institutional capacity of countries in addressing the reporting requirements under the ETF; working with global partners to address data gaps and technical needs for setting up, enhancing, and reporting on GHG emissions and removals; and engaging with academia, youth, and governments to spark higher ambition and accelerated action, FAO strives to encourage and take part in global efforts towards greater climate action, support and transparency.

The work of the FAO on climate transparency includes providing one-on-one mentoring support to countries; developing tools, methodologies, data templates, and global knowledge products; facilitating access to knowledge and information through e-learning courses, webinars, and training; and raising awareness, sharing knowledge and building networks among transparency experts and practitioners.

GHGMI

The Greenhouse Gas Management Institute's (GHGMI) mission is to build and support a global community of experts and institutions with the highest standards of professional practice in measuring, accounting for, auditing, and managing GHG emissions. The institute was founded in response to the current and future need for qualified professionals at every level to actively reverse climate change. We work with governments and many partners to build robust institutional arrangements for climate action and deliver technically rigorous training curricula authored and instructed by leading experts. We combine "low-carbon" online learning with interactive curriculum and workshops, tailored to local contexts, which are often deployed through government and academic partnerships. With our most recent development of the world's first regional Measurement, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) Hub, the institute is creatively pursuing solutions to serve society’s central challenge: to effectively address climate change.

ICAT

ICAT is focused on supporting countries in their transparency efforts with special emphasis on supporting Paris implementation. The methodologies and tools prepared by ICAT help countries build up transparency frameworks and use data to assess the impacts of policies up front, during implementation or ex post to evaluate effectiveness. ICAT supports countries directly or through regional hubs and global network activities. ICAT has developed, and collaborated with partners to roll-out a set of practical methodologies and tools to provide effective support to its partner countries, and indirectly support non-partner countries, in their transparency efforts.

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