SRINAGAR, Jun 25 (IPS) – A packed convention room buzzing with the vitality of over 300 nationwide consultants, negotiators, and implementers mentioned their submissions of the First Biennial Transparency Experiences (BTRs) in the course of the 62nd session of the Subsidiary Physique for Implementation (SB62) negotiations.
The workshop was convened as a part of the continuing SB62 beneath the United Nations Framework Conference on Local weather Change (UNFCCC) and was being held at an important time for international local weather governance, offering a uncommon and very important platform for international locations to change sincere reflections on their first forays into enhanced local weather transparency.
Daniele Violetti, Senior Director on the UNFCCC, whereas providing a snapshot of world progress, stated, “As of in the present day, 103 Biennial Transparency Experiences have been submitted, of which 67 are from growing international locations, together with 15 Least Developed International locations (LDCs) and Small Island Growing States (SIDS).”
The studies, which have been due in December final yr beneath the Paris Settlement’s Enhanced Transparency Framework, goal to boost transparency and construct belief amongst events to the UNFCCC by offering a daily replace on progress in direction of local weather targets.
He lauded the in depth assist offered via the International Surroundings Facility (GEF) and different companies, noting, “We on the UNFCCC Secretariat stay absolutely dedicated to collaborating with companions and enhancing the capability of growing international locations.”
Over the previous 5 months, the Secretariat convened 17 nation assist occasions attended by 319 nationwide consultants and 11 sub-regional and regional workshops with 373 consultants from 112 growing international locations. Moreover, 1,700 evaluate consultants have been licensed beneath the BTR Technical Professional Evaluation Coaching Program.
“It is a significant and helpful studying expertise beneath the Paris Settlement,” Violetti stated, stressing the significance of “reflection and mutual studying” to construct “stronger nationwide transparency methods that may serve international locations effectively past this reporting cycle.”
The workshop’s agenda moved from introductory remarks to a sequence of concise shows by key implementing companies: the International Surroundings Facility (GEF), Conservation Worldwide (CI), the Meals and Agriculture Group (FAO), the United Nations Growth Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Surroundings Programme (UNEP), and the World Vast Fund for Nature (WWF).
Esteban Bermudez Forn, Local weather Change Specialist from the GEF acknowledged that the Facility has supported the preparation of 163 BTRs in 111 international locations, together with a number of studies from international locations advancing to their second and third BTRs. “We encourage international locations to see GEF assist as a financial savings account—put together your BTR, but additionally request entry to make sure you have sources out there once you want them,” he suggested.
Highlighting the continued availability of funds, Forn stated, “We nonetheless have USD 92 million out there beneath the present replenishment cycle. Please, in the event you haven’t requested assist from the GEF, do it as quickly as doable earlier than the replenishment cycle ends.”
Ricardo Urlate of Conservation Worldwide spotlighted the significance of nurturing native expertise, referencing a mission in Rwanda that companions the federal government with academia. “Usually, there’s a large dependency on exterior consultants—very costly consultants from exterior—and that is one thing that can’t proceed if international locations need to be extra environment friendly and engaged,” he warned.
By way of the Proof-Primarily based Local weather Reporting Initiative, Rwanda’s Environmental Administration Authority and the African Institute of Mathematical Sciences skilled over 50 workers in knowledge evaluation, local weather modeling, and greenhouse gasoline inventories. Ricardo emphasised, “The essential factor is that there are a variety of choices… to determine on the nation degree which is the one which higher suits their very own wants and priorities.”
CI additionally highlighted a sub-regional mission with the Widespread Marketplace for Jap and Southern Africa (COMESA), which goals to construct capability for enhanced transparency throughout member international locations. “Reporting and transparency are two of the important thing parts they’re supporting,” Ricardo stated, pointing to the worth of regional approaches.
FAO’s Marcel Bernhofs drew consideration to a persistent problem: discovering applicable executing companies with the managerial capability to guide initiatives. “This hole can create bottlenecks and delay implementation, slowing down the preparation and submission of funding requests,” he noticed.
FAO’s method emphasizes on-the-ground engagement, leveraging regional and nationwide groups. Their Capability Constructing Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) and Forestry and Different Land Use (FOLU) mission, for instance, “supplies easy-to-access and educated technical consultants” and focuses on supporting agriculture and land use sectors—areas which are “not simple, the place we’re actually struggling quite a bit to do a very good job,” Marcel acknowledged.
Marcel additionally pressured the significance of language accessibility: “Typically working in English is ok, however we additionally want, once we enter the element and shut dialogue, to make use of the nationwide languages.” FAO’s capacity-building actions, together with a latest forest monitoring course in three languages, supported 2,500 members from 141 international locations.
The Worth of Well timed Technical Help
Richmond Azee from UNDP shared sensible classes on the significance of choosing the appropriate executing companions and offering well timed technical help. “By no means let work alone on the BTRs however be prepared beside them with some sources… to supply technical help as quickly as doable and as wanted to unlock some points and overcome some challenges,” he suggested.
He cited Guinea-Bissau’s expertise aligning a number of reporting necessities and Niger’s profitable correction of technical errors of their submission, each facilitated by UNDP’s hands-on assist. “In consequence, Guinea-Bissau, an LDC, submitted its BTR earlier than December 2024… and Niger submitted on time, enhancing their understanding for the following cycle of BTRs.”
Funding Modalities and Sustainability Susanne Lecoyote, dialing in from UNEP, addressed the evolving funding modalities.
“Out of the full 111 international locations which have accessed funding up to now for BTRs, UNEP has supported 66,” she acknowledged, describing how numerous modalities—akin to bundled initiatives—assist tailor assist and guarantee continuity for international locations as they transfer via reporting cycles.
Susanne defined the streamlined approval course of for expedited funding, sometimes taking simply three to 4 months. She inspired mission coordinators to “be versatile to start out getting ready proposals while you’re concluding your studies… don’t thoughts concerning the technical evaluate feedback, as a result of after they are available, we’ll present a room so that you can make amendments if wanted.”
UNEP’s CBIT-GSP (International Help Program) is a hub of collaboration, she stated, “working carefully with the Consultative Group of Consultants, Local weather Promise, Pacific Adaptation to Local weather Change (PACC), Implementation and Coordination of Agricultural Analysis & Coaching (ICART) and lots of different initiatives to ensure that transparency-related providers are offered to all international locations, no matter whether or not they’re supported by UNEP or different companies.”
Nationwide Possession and the Significance of Coordination
Rajan Dhappa from WWF shared Nepal’s expertise, celebrating the nation’s latest submission of its first BTR and its third Nationally Decided Contribution (NDC), making Nepal the primary in South Asia to take action.
“We tried our greatest to submit the doc with the perfect out there knowledge and knowledge. However BTR is a time-taking course of; it requires coordination amongst companies and in addition the technical and monetary assist,” he mirrored.
He pressured the centrality of presidency possession: “If there’s a excessive degree of possession and if they have a tendency to implement such initiatives… then each mission will get a hit end result or each mission receives its supposed purpose on time.”
Nepal’s work on establishing a nationwide Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) mechanism is anticipated to pay dividends for future reporting.
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