UN Climate Change News, 08 November 2024 - Five developing countries took a critical step toward climate transparency last month, participating in the thirty-third round of technical analysis for Biennial Update Reports (BURs) from 14 to 18 October 2024 in Bonn, Germany. In this round, experts analyzed detailed national climate data reported in the BURs from Algeria, the Central African Republic, Mali, Seychelles, and the United Arab Emirates, underscoring diverse efforts made and challenges faced in cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
This round included 15 experts from 14 countries and one intergovernmental organization, with balanced regional and gender representation. Three of the experts are current or former members of the Consultative Group of Experts (CGE), who bring a wealth of experience to the process. To date, 661 experts have participated across 72 teams, leading to the publication of 159 summary reports - a testament to the collaborative effort driving climate transparency.
Donald Cooper, UN Climate Change Transparency Director, praised the collaborative nature of these reviews: "The technical analysis process has worked very well. Experts have not only acted as appraisers but also as capacity-builders alongside the Parties. This collaboration has provided essential support to developing countries, enabling them to enhance their reporting and seamlessly transition to the Enhanced Transparency Framework."
Each country's report highlighted specific progress, needs and goals:
- Algeria reported on its emissions reduction target of 22% by 2030, focusing on mitigation across key sectors, including energy and forestry.
- The Central African Republic presented its Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) system and outlined emissions targets for 2025 and 2030 in energy, agriculture and forestry sectors, detailing constraints and needs in technical capacity.
- Mali showcased ambitious renewable energy goals and emissions reduction targets across energy, agriculture and forestry sectors by 2030, emphasizing institutional coordination challenges.
- The Seychelles is scaling up renewable energy capacity and energy efficiency, setting concrete targets for emission reductions by 2030.
- The United Arab Emirates detailed its Net Zero by 2050 initiative, with plans to decarbonize key sectors like power and water generation and leverage clean energy sources to support these goals.
These reports illustrate both progress and ongoing needs, especially for institutional and technical support, as countries transition to the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF).
A Decade of Capacity-Building for Transparency
The technical analysis not only improves report quality but serves as a hands-on capacity-building exercise for developing countries. Lessons from these analyses have shaped the support strategies of the CGE and other organizations.
These expert reviews will remain a cornerstone of the ETF in supporting transparent climate reporting, reinforcing global efforts to tackle the climate crisis.
