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Nazrin Abdul

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On November 18, a crucial roundtable discussion on Global Climate Transparency was held, bringing together international ministers and climate experts to address the need for enhanced transparency in global climate action. The event featured key leaders from various countries, including Japan, South Africa, the United States, Italy, and Kazakhstan, with the Baku Global Climate Transparency Platform (BTP) taking center stage as a significant tool for supporting international cooperation.

COP29 President and Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Mukhtar Babayev, led the discussion by presenting the Baku Declaration on Global Climate Transparency, emphasizing the importance of transparency in climate efforts. This platform, alongside biennial transparency reports, aims to foster greater trust and accountability among nations working to mitigate climate change.

In his address, Mukhtar Babayev highlighted the importance of biennial transparency reports and explained how the COP29 Presidency supports transparency in climate action. He also noted that Azerbaijan plans to present its Biennial Transparency Report (BTR) this week.

He emphasized that raising ambitions will be possible through several comprehensive measures: "Raising ambitions requires the development of clear plans to protect the 1.5-degree target through Nationally Determined Contributions, National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), and Biennial Transparency Reports (BTR)."

At the same time, he noted that transparency has been a priority of the COP29 presidency from the very beginning of this process: "Transparency strengthens trust and confidence in international processes. It increases our responsibility and contributes to raising ambitions for climate action."

"Transparency also helps countries better understand their potential for climate action and identify their needs," added Mukhtar Babayev.

Why are Biennial Transparency Reports Important?

In the fight against climate change, countries update their climate ambitions every five years through documents called Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). These documents outline each country's climate goals for the next five years, including targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, define energy transition strategies, and announce adaptation measures to cope with the changing climate.

Countries must submit biennial transparency reports (BTRs) every two years to track progress on these five-year plans.

What is the Baku Transparency Platform?

The COP29 Presidency has put forward 14 key initiatives, one of which is the Baku Platform on Global Climate Transparency. This platform aims to combat climate change and its primary goal is to strengthen global cooperation on climate transparency, foster trust between countries, and assist developing nations in preparing their climate action plans.

These two concepts are closely related. When submitting Biennial Transparency Reports, countries need to have the experience and capacity to prepare them effectively. This can create challenges for states that lack such experience, potentially leaving them behind in the transparency process.

The Baku Platform is an essential initiative designed to assist these countries by providing support to help them prepare and submit their reports more openly and effectively.

Recognizing the importance of this initiative, officials discussed the Baku Platform at the "Round Table of Ministers on Global Climate Transparency."

The Minister of the Environment of Japan, Keiichiro Asao, stated that his country supports the Baku Global Climate Transparency Platform (GTP).

Asao emphasized that the world may face significant changes, and thus, parties must ensure transparency and demonstrate their efforts.

He reminded that by the end of this year, parties are required to submit Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) that include information on greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, progress on mitigation and adaptation, as well as the status of funding and support.

"These reports, together with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and global reviews, will ensure the fulfillment of the three main components of the Paris Agreement," Mr. Asao stressed.

He also added that the BTR process does not end with the submission of the report: "Through technical reviews and dialogues to support progress, all parties can learn from each other and improve their climate policies. While it may be challenging to prepare the first report in an ideal form, it is important to submit it as soon as possible and improve its quality every two years to strengthen transparency."

The Minister of the Environment of Japan reiterated that, recognizing the importance of increasing transparency, Japan strongly supports the Baku Global Climate Transparency Platform in Azerbaijan.

In addition, the UN Climate Change Secretariat supports the promotion of cooperation with the Baku Platform.

In her speech at the roundtable, Noura Hamladji, the Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), said that the UN Climate Change Secretariat, in close cooperation with the COP29 Presidency and its partners, is working diligently to support and build capacity for countries across all regions. She emphasized that the UN Secretariat encourages countries to make use of the Baku Global Climate Transparency Platform (BTP).

Ms. Hamladji also mentioned that new reporting tools and review procedures are being developed. "We have trained 2,000 experts and issued guidelines to facilitate the reporting process," she stated.

The Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC further praised the COP29 President, Minister Babayev, and his team: "I highly appreciate President Babayev and his team for making transparency a priority and for creating the Baku Global Climate Transparency Platform."

She added that this initiative will strengthen participation in the Enhanced Transparency Framework and support developing countries: "We strongly encourage countries to use this platform."

In conclusion, the roundtable discussion reinforced the critical role of transparency in the global fight against climate change. With the support of the COP29 Presidency, the Baku Global Climate Transparency Platform (BTP), and ongoing cooperation from countries like Japan and organizations such as the UNFCCC, significant strides are being made toward enhancing climate action transparency. The efforts to develop new reporting tools, facilitate capacity-building, and strengthen international partnerships underline the urgency of coordinated global action. By promoting transparency, countries can better track progress, share knowledge, and improve climate policies, ultimately accelerating the collective effort to combat climate change and meet the goals of the Paris Agreement.