Across the two weeks of “Together4Transparency” events at COP27, three events with high-level attendance were organized to exchange views on what transparency means and what benefits it can bring. Invited guests included former US Vice President Al Gore, Deputy Executive Secretary Ovais Sarmad, IKEA’s Chief Sustainable Officer Pär Stenmark, Global Climate Ambassador and CEO of the Caribbean Climate Smart Accelerator Racquel Moses, Chair of the UN Secretary-General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change Nisreen Elsaim, African Director of the High-Level Climate Champions Bogolo Kenewendo, Egyptian YOUNGO representative Riham Refaat, Chair of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) Marianne Karlsen, Chair of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) Tosi Mpanu-Mpanu, UN Climate Change Transparency Director Donald Cooper.

Read more about the events, speakers, and how transparency and accountability underpin effective climate action here.

This track comprised 7 events (3 side events, 1 mandated event and 3 partner events), involving over 70 live and 26 remote speakers representing Parties, intergovernmental organizations, NGO constituencies and expert reviewers. The key purpose of this track was engaging key stakeholders to discuss the successes of the existing MRV systems under the Convention, lessons learned, and how these can be applied going forward under the ETF. There was a clear focus on identifying the capacity-building mechanisms under the existing MRV system and the additional capacity-building needs under the ETF. Highly experienced Party and expert participants in the MRV processes were able to provide comprehensive perspectives on these topics.

Key takeaways

1. Eleven Parties went through the Facilitative Sharing of Views workshop. Liberia and Uzbekistan presented for the first time, Jordan, Morocco and Togo for the second time, Armenia, Ghana, North Macedonia, Paraguay and Viet Nam for the third time and Andorra for the fourth time. 19 Parties asked oral questions during the workshop, while 7 Parties submitted a total of 120 written questions through the FSV portal prior to the event.

2. Experts and Party representatives with decades of experience participating in the existing MRV processes shared their reflections on those processes and preparing for reporting and review under the ETF. The capacity-building aspects of the review process were explored, and the benefits to a Party of staff participating as an expert reviewer were highlighted. These participants in the MRV process discussed some of their personal lessons learned and how they could be applied to the ETF. The need for additional expert reviewers for the ETF was identified.

3. Members of the CGE shared information on CGE support to developing countries and findings from the 2022 CGE transparency needs assessment. In addition, developing country representatives and CGE members shared their countries' lessons learned and experience in transparency and transitioning from the current MRV process to the ETF. CGE also collected feedback from the audience on their preference for topics of 2023 CGE capacity-building activities.

4. Other stakeholders provided their views on transparency, the MRV process and transitioning to the ETF. CDP highlighted non-Party carbon disclosure reporting and discussed ways that it could contribute to Party’s reporting under the ETF. GHGMI highlighted its experience with capacity-building and explored ways it could be expanded to prepare Parties for reporting under the ETF. Researchers presented results of recent studies of the existing MRV process and offered insights into preparing for the ETF.

This track comprised 8 events (2 side events, 2 mandated events and 4 partner events), involving 48 speakers representing Parties, intergovernmental organizations, NGO constituencies, media and special guests. The key purpose of this track was engaging key stakeholders to discuss benefits and opportunities under the ETF, with a view to brining the discussion of transparency matters beyond the circle of technical experts, and closer to implementation on the ground. Specifically, the broad involvement of non-Party stakeholders, including the exchanges with Parties and intergovernmental organizations, stimulated interesting reflections and new opportunities for engagement on transparency.

Key takeaways

1. Journalists highlighted the experiences and opportunities in communicating the UNFCCC process to the global audience, including the challenges faced with identifying reliable sources, fighting misinformation and communicating technical matters in an accessible way. Collaboration between UNFCCC and media should hence be strengthened, with a view to providing more accessible and reliable information to the global audience and, in addition, to open up the transparency process to much wider audiences.

2. From their diverse perspectives, NGO constituencies emphasized the importance of transparency as a means to ensuring accountability of all countries in meeting their commitments, building domestic capacities and fostering clarity, mutual understanding and trust among all stakeholders. Recognizing the extensive experience and expertise that lies among non-Party stakeholders, as well as the return benefits of bringing transparency issues closer to citizens, observers also emphasized the need to foster cooperation with Parties and the UNFCCC, including by keeping transparency negotiations as open and participative as possible and by consider new opportunities of engagement in the mechanisms of the ETF, for instance as part of technical expert reviews.

3. Intergovernmental organizations engaged in a dialogue with Parties and shared experiences on their role in supporting countries’ national efforts. Discussions touched upon the challenges in identifying data and indicators, as well as the potential that lies under the ETF to foster institutional arrangements and data collection, with a view to improving projects design, implementation and monitoring on specific sectors such as adaptation and agriculture.

4. Party representatives, from their diverse domestic contexts, emphasized how transparency was one of the first universal obligations that Parties undertook when signing up to the climate change regime and how today, under the ETF, the commitment to transparency remains one all Parties will continue to share. They also reflected on the significant return benefits of transparency, including international and domestic accountability, capacity-building and the opportunity to partner. Specifically, speakers touched upon how transparency enables the global community, including the most vulnerable countries and citizens worldwide, to monitor the progress of Parties in fulfilling their climate commitments and obligations.

This track comprised 7 events (2 side events and 5 partner events), engaging over 40 speakers from Parties, non-Party stakeholders and international organizations. The key purpose of this track was engaging key stakeholders to discuss initiatives taken by, support needed and opportunities available for the developing country Parties to implement the ETF.

Key takeaways

1. Building sector: the event discussed the relevance of the building sector for curbing emissions and needed actions and support available to get the buildings sector to net zero. It also focused on how to monitor emissions from buildings for climate impact and mobilizing finance with the help of  recently published UNFCCC Buildings Monitoring Compendium. It supports countries to implement the Paris Agreement’s enhanced transparency framework (ETF) and contribute to the global stocktake process. Tunisia and France shared their experiences on understanding emissions, implementing mitigation actions, developing legal framework and leveraging international cooperation and support for climate actions in the building sector.

2. Transport sector: the event discussed the relevance of the transport sector for curbing emissions and needed actions and support available to get the sector to net zero. Colombia, Kenya and Vietnam shared country experiences on policies, programmes and activities on sustainable mobility. Colombia highlighted how it is integrating and tracking transport measures in the context of Colombian NDC. Kenya presented on streamlining climate change in the Transport Department through a climate change coordination unit. It also highlighted specific measures such as electric mobility and BRT in Nairobi and annual Transport Climate Report. Vietnam developed and implemented low-carbon transport pathways. One of the specific measures includes implementation of fuel economy activities.

3. Reporting tool: Launch of the New Generation of the IPCC Inventory Software: the event provided updated on recently launched new generation of the IPCC inventory software and support available for the developing country Parties. The Parties stressed to organize regular training programmes for the national expert and make available of online help desk in the case of support needed.

4. Preparing for implementation of the ETF: Sharing LDCs experiences: the LDC Universities Consortium for Climate Change (LUCCC) brought three cases from LDCs (Nepal, Malawi and Ethiopia) to share a wide range of experiences and activities on building capacity of domestic stakeholders and supporting national agencies in implementing the provisions related to enhanced transparency framework under the Paris Agreement. The event discussed support made available by local universities and domestic national experts for the capacity building and implementation of transparency provision under the climate change process. Nepal presented on the role and activities of the academia to build national capacity (such as introduction of coureses on Climate Transparency) whereas Malawai presented on institutionalizing national Climate Reporting and Ethiopia shared on its journey in the Development of robust MRV system.

5. Support opportunities available to developing country Parties for implementing MRV arrangements under the Convention and ETF under the Paris Agreement: this event highlighted some of those financial, technical and capacity-building support opportunities available to developing country Parties for implementing the MRV arrangements under the Convention and the ETF under the Paris Agreement:

   • - Support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF)

   • - Support from the Capacity building initiative for transparency- Global coordination platform

   • - Capacity building support for national transparency frameworks by ICAT

   • - Support for preparing information for adaptation reporting by AGWA

   • - Support for tracking progress and achievement of transport sector in the context of NDCs by GIZ

6. Supporting Sub-Saharan Africa in the implementation of the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF): funded by Global Affairs Canada, the Expert Deployment Mechanism - Climate Action in Africa (CAA) helps countries in Sub-Saharan Africa respond to climate change through selected mitigation and adaptation actions through short-term technical assistance based on demands at the local level. The technical assistance also includes supporting countries in Sub-Saharan Africa to strengthen the capacity of institutions to report climate actions, as well as transitioning from existing MRV systems to strengthening climate governance under the ETF. Climate Action Africa's event focused on the importance of implementing the enhanced transparency framework with a particular focus on how Climate Action in Africa supports countries to meet commitments to the Paris Agreement. 

7. FAO and PATPA: Benefits and tools for implementing the Enhanced Transparency Framework: country experts (Bangladesh and Brazil) reflected on national benefits of setting up transparency systems and/or complying with reporting requirements under the UNFCCC and share their positive experiences with other developing countries. Country experts shared experiences on key needs and challenges in the preparation of BTRs, the initial steps to be taken, as well as lessons learned and best practices that could be followed by others. All participants -particularly experts from developing country Parties- had a better understanding of the BTR Guidance and Roadmap Tool, how it could facilitate the preparation of the BTRs and the implementation process in their country, and various means to receive tailored support in this area.