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New York City recently hosted the High-Level Forum on Global Climate Transparency, which coincided with the UN General Assembly.
The event sought to increase global awareness and support for the timely submission of Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) by the end of the year.
It also announced the COP29 Transparency Declaration, emphasising the critical role of transparency in monitoring climate progress.
The upcoming COP29 Presidency, in collaboration with UN Climate Change and other international partners, organised a forum to encourage all parties to the Paris Agreement to submit their Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) before the 31 December 2024 deadline.
Transparent reporting is a crucial tool for governments, providing crucial data to inform decision-making, design stronger climate policies, attract climate finance, and achieve broader development goals.
Regular climate reports, offering a comprehensive overview of each country's climate actions, support, and progress toward climate commitments, will contribute to a more robust global assessment of whether parties are collectively on track to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
Speakers highlighted the significance of BTRs in fostering trust and data-driven decision-making.
Representatives from reporting countries and organisations providing technical assistance emphasised how these reports can enable more effective climate policies by building a stronger evidence base and highlighting financing needs and opportunities.
However, the Forum also acknowledged the challenges some countries face in preparing their BTRs on time. A lack of institutional capacity, data management challenges, and unfamiliarity with the new reporting methodologies and tools were cited as key obstacles.
The incoming COP29 Presidency, UN Climate Change, UNDP, and other partners highlighted available support, training, and capacity-building initiatives, including the newly launched Baku Global Climate Transparency Platform (BTP) designed to streamline the various support channels.
COP29 President Designate, Mukhtar Babayev, emphasised the importance of this year's reporting cycle, stating that parties would submit their first-ever Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs), which would enable tracking progress, building trust, and implementing commitments.
The BTRs will also enable assessing gaps and identifying financial needs, with more than 100 countries expected to submit their BTRs before the end of this year, marking a strong progress.
Babayev added: “We know that some countries are struggling to meet this deadline, so we are driving momentum forward – with workshops, training, and support, all coordinated under the BTP.
"We urge all countries to utilise and support this effort, and we aim to capture this commitment in a new Declaration on Transparency at COP29.”
Francesco Corvaro of Italy, one of the newly appointed High-Level Transparency Pair for COP29, echoed this message of solidarity: “You are not alone – we are here to support you. We are here to help speed up the work so that you can present your BTR as soon as possible.”
Parties attending the forum reiterated the importance of transparency in climate action, sharing their own efforts and challenges in preparing BTRs. They welcomed both the BTP and the forthcoming Transparency Declaration.
Looking ahead, countries also noted the upcoming technical expert review process, which will follow BTR submission, as well as the synthesis reports that will provide a global overview of climate progress.
BTRs will serve as vital tools for countries to strengthen their next round of national climate plans (nationally determined contributions or NDCs) in early 2025.
The UN Climate Change Senior Director, Daniele Violetti, urged all countries to view the preparation and submission of BTRs as a strategic opportunity to accelerate climate action, rather than just a reporting requirement.
He emphasised that embracing transparency could collectively drive the ambitious climate action needed to safeguard the planet and its people.
