Belgium Pledges €1.25 Million to Track Climate Commitments
The Belgium government has made a second €1.25 million commitment to the UN Development Programme (UNDP) to assist countries in transitioning to an Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF). The project will be carried out through UNDP's flagship Climate Promise initiative.
The proceeds will help UNDP continue its work of supporting transparent reporting on climate action, which has been going on for decades. With the help of UNDP, more than 110 countries have used GEF funds to meet the UNFCCC's requirements for their National Communications, Biennial Update Reports, and now Biennial Transparency Reports. UNDP also helps with REDD+ measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV) and market readiness. With help from UNDP's National Adaptation Plans (NAP), adaptation metrics are being developed so that reporting can be better.
With the first round of funding from Belgium, the UNDP was able to help Francophone and Lusophone developing countries meet transparency requirements through targeted technical assistance. This new round will build on these efforts.
"Transparency is essential to reaching the goals set in the Paris Agreement,” said Cassie Flynn, Head of Climate Strategies and Policy in UNDP. “Only by being able to track and measure progress with the best available data can the global climate community assess if we are truly on the path to limit global warming below 1.5 C degrees above pre-industrial levels.”
As part of the previous round, the UNDP trained people in 35 countries and gave technical help to Cabo Verde, Mozambique, Niger, and Sao Tome and Principe.
“Mozambique has received tailored technical and scientific assistance from the Climate Promise, resulting in the alignment of our transparency and reporting instruments. This support was key in the preparation of our delegation to COP27 and will serve to catalyse additional climate finance,” said Jadwiga Massinga, the Climate Change Director of Mozambique.
In the next phase, more countries, including Angola, Benin, and Senegal, are expected to submit their requests for technical support through a new Transparency Helpdesk mechanism.
“It is of great importance that we provide the necessary support to countries to ensure adequate reporting under the Paris Agreement. Support, transparency, and collaboration are essential if we are to realise our shared objectives. The Climate Promise initiative enables us to contribute on a demand-driven basis, taking into account the specific situation and the needs of the country,” remarked Minister Khattabi, Belgian Federal Minister of Climate, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Green Deal.
After COP27, which is happening right now in Egypt, countries in the Francophone cluster will meet in Bonn, Germany, to talk about the results of the negotiations and the key steps they need to take to make their first generation of biennial transparency reports, which are due to the UNFCCC by December 2024.
Source: UNDP
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