An event showcasing the efforts, including experiences and lessons
learned, of Chile and Lebanon to strengthen their institutional arrangements
and governance structures to support implementation of the existing measurement,
reporting and verification (MRV) arrangements under the Convention and the enhanced
transparency framework (ETF) was held on 5 December 2019 on the margins of 25th
session of the Conference of the Parties in Madrid, Spain. The event also included representatives from
international agencies and programmes (Initiative for Climate Action
Transparency, Joint UN Environment/UNDP Global Support Programme, the Global Environment
Facility and Global Green Growth Institute) who are actively involved in
supporting developing countries to share their perspective, including
experiences and lessons learned, and support opportunities available from them.
The modalities, procedures and guidelines (MPGs) adopted in
Katowice, provide the operational details for the ETF. The MPGs are applicable to all Parties to the
Paris Agreement with flexibility to those developing country Parties that need
it in the light of their capacities. This is a significant shift in the UNFCCC
process as the ETF builds on and enhances the existing MRV arrangements under
the Convention, including the need to report information on climate action and
support biennially. This necessitates having in place sustainable and
functional national institutional arrangements.
Recognizing such a need, a number of developing country Parties are
starting to enhance their efforts to improve their institutional arrangements
with support from international community.
Lebanon shared their experience of how they built their institutional
arrangements for reporting over time as they delivered four national
communications and three BURs. They encountered
challenges with respect to institutionalizing data collection; addressing data
gaps, and undertaking quality control and quality assurance measures to validate
the data and the reports produced. They
started to address these by piloting a data sharing agreement between the
Ministry of Environment and another ministry and thereafter expanded the
approach to include other ministries. They
highlighted that stakeholder involvement is key. Further, building human resource capacity
within the country helped stabilize the reporting process.
Over time, Chile was able to put in place two key institutional
arrangements that supported them to produce three national communications and
three BURs to date: the Inter-Ministerial Technical Team on Climate Change
(ETICC) and the National GHG Inventory System of Chile (SNICHILE). The ETICC is
a cross government body that includes experts from ministries and their other institutes,
coordinated by Ministry of Environment.
Similarly, SNICHILE is a decentralized body that includes the Ministry
of Energy and Agriculture and is coordinated by Ministry of Environment. Chile explained
that in order to strengthen institutional arrangements over time, it is
important to take stock of gaps, needs and constraints and to seek support.
They currently have a Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT)
project to strengthen their institutional arrangements for National Determined
Contribution and ETF.
Other presenters shared an overview of the scope and depth
of support provided to developing countries for effective participation in the existing
MRV arrangements under the Convention and in terms of preparedness for
participation in the ETF.
The GEF shared information on the programming status of the
CBIT. So far, 59 CBIT projects were approved to the total value of 91 million USD.
Of these, 29 projects have begun implementation. 80% of CBIT projects aim to
enhance institutional arrangements. The GEF said that a single body responsible
for overall coordination and management of the climate change reporting process
which is well-located within a government ministry and having sufficient
capacity and authority to carry out its role was the key pillar around which further
institutional strengthening could be achieved.
ICAT explained that its objective is to provide policymakers
around the world with tools and support tailored to country-needs for enhanced
transparency and to assess the effectiveness of their country’s climate policies and actions in
line with the Paris Agreement. ICAT has published a road-map
for establishing information systems for climate action and support to help
countries set-up information systems to meet their climate change reporting
needs. They highlighted that buy-in from stakeholders; drafting regulatory and
procedural documents for the operationalization of the institutional framework
for reporting; and developing an integrated data management system were key to
setting up a robust system for reporting.
The Global Support Programme (GSP) jointly implemented by UN
Environment and UNDP and funded by the GEF, discussed the support provided to some
developing countries to strengthen the capacity of the single body responsible
for overall coordination and management of the climate change reporting process.
The GSP highlighted that high-level political buy-in was important to cement
inter-ministerial coordination.
The Global Green Growth Institute said that it was important
that countries move away from the project-based approach that does not improve
institutional memory or build long term capacity within government to meet
climate change reporting needs to more permanent institutional arrangements.
This is especially so because the enhanced transparency framework and its MPGs
have many more ‘shall’’ (mandatory) requirements for
preparing biennial transparency reports that will require a more robust
reporting system. GGGI have successfully assisted few countries in doing
exactly that.