The ETF Group of Friends (formerly referred to as the "Group of
Friends on the MRV/Transparency") is an informal network of entities
actively supporting developing countries on transparency issues. Since 2016, the group has served as a platform
to exchange information, lessons learned and experiences in engaging with and
assisting developing countries and promote coordination and collaboration
amongst support providers.
As Parties transition from the existing measurement,
reporting and verification (MRV) arrangements under the Convention to the enhanced
transparency framework (ETF) under the Paris Agreement, support for developing
countries is viewed as a critical factor in the successful implementation of
the ETF. In this context, the group gathered for the 11th time on the margins of the
just-concluded Bonn Climate Change Conference in June 2022.
At this meeting, the group reaffirmed its current and ongoing aspiration is to contribute to a successful implementation of
the ETF by ensuring that no country is left behind and achieve universal
participation by 31 December 2024. The group identified some
strategies to strengthen its network: developing a common vision and consistent
messaging; improving information sharing on transparency; engaging with
regional climate networks and hubs; continuing meeting at the global and
regional level to create an enabling environment for facilitated coordination
when supporting developing countries.
35 representatives from 24 member entities attended
the meeting: Canada, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA),
German Environment Agency, Global Environment Facility (GEF), Global Green
Growth Institute (GGGI), GRA Inventories and NDC Research Network, Greenhouse
Gas Inventory Office of Japan (GIO), Greenhouse Gas Management Institute
(GHGMI), Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT), Institute for
Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), International Institute for Environment
and Development (IIED), Korea - Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Research Center
(GIR), Latin American Network on National GHG Inventories (RedINGEI), Ministry
of Environment Japan, NDC Partnership, NDC Support Network, Partnership on
Transparency in the Paris Agreement (PATPA), Singapore, Switzerland, UNFCCC
secretariat, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP), United States, and World Resources Institute
(WRI).