Countries Submit the First Biennial Transparency Report for Climate Transparency

The scale of threats and impacts the climate crisis inflicts on us means that countries must accelerate efforts to halt it. While commitments are already in place, actions on the ground and transparency of progress are what move the needle. At the end of 2024, countries reported the first Biennial Transparency Report to the UNFCCC.

Insufficient Progress for Climate Actions

In 2015, 196 parties signed the Paris Agreement, a legally binding international treaty on climate change. The treaty aims to keep the global temperature increase well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels while pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

Countries that have agreed to the Paris Agreement are expected to submit a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), a national climate action plan detailing actions for emission reduction, every five years. In the NDC, countries can elaborate on how they will build resilience to adapt to the impacts of rising temperatures.

While some have made meaningful progress since the Paris Agreement was adopted, the NDC commitments are insufficient to limit the global temperature increase to 1.5°C. UNEP’s Emission Gap Report 2023 revealed that full implementation of unconditional NDCs can limit the temperature rise to 2.9°C, while fully implementing conditional NDCs would lower this to 2.5°C. As such, 2024 became the hottest year on record, a title previously held by 2023.

The Biennial Transparency Report

One of the biggest challenges in accelerating climate actions is the mismatch between commitments on paper and actions on the ground. Therefore, climate transparency is crucial. Providing clear and robust data and information on climate action can build trust, credibility, and accountability among countries.

The Paris Agreement brought along the establishment of the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF). The framework aims to provide clarity and progress tracking of climate actions, including support provided and received by relevant parties and an overview of aggregate financial support to inform progress in the global stocktake.

Under the ETF, countries must submit a Biennial Transparency Report every two years. The report includes information on national greenhouse gas inventory, NDC progress, policies and measures, climate change impacts and adaptation, levels of financial, technology development and transfer and capacity-building support, capacity-building needs, and areas of improvement.

The first submission of the Biennial Transparency Report was due on 31 December 2024. According to the UNFCCC database, around 90 countries submitted their report according to the deadline. Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) may submit the information at their discretion.

Real Actions Needed

After submission, the Biennial Transparency Report will undergo a technical expert review process. There will also be an open dialogue on climate actions, successes, and challenges conducted for countries through the Facilitative Multilateral Consideration of Progress.

While reports and mechanisms are essential to build accountability and present actual progress on climate actions, countries must balance it out by taking real actions. Accelerating decarbonization through phasing out coal usage, building necessary infrastructures for renewable energy, halting deforestation, and other related measures are crucial to making real progress on the ground.

Kresentia Madina

Reporter at Green Network Asia | Website | + posts

Madina is the Assistant Manager of Stakeholder Engagement at Green Network Asia. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Studies from Universitas Indonesia. As part of the GNA In-House Team, she supports the organization's multi-stakeholder engagement across international organizations, governments, businesses, civil society, and grassroots communities through digital publications, events, capacity building, and research.