The African Development Bank in partnership with the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), United States Forest Service (USFS), and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) jointly hosted a regional training workshop on NDC Monitoring and support for Biennial Transparency Report (BTR) Preparation from 26-30 August, 2024, in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
The workshop was convened to train participants, drawn from 11 countries in Central Africa, in the preparation of BTR, a crucial step towards the implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Under the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF), parties to the Paris Agreement are required to submit these Transparency Reports (BTR) every two years, with the first submission due by 31 December 2024.
Speaking virtually to the training, Ms. Arlette Soudan-Nonault, the Republic of Congo's Minister of Environment, Sustainable Development, and the Congo Basin, said; "countries agreed to maintain global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius, yet the latest UNEP report reveals a growing gap between our goals and the reality of rising emissions. This is far from the objectives of the Paris Agreement and underscores the urgent need to reduce emissions by 2030."
In a video message, Mukhtar Babayev, President-designate of UNFCCC COP 29 and Azerbaijan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources stressed the importance of transparency in climate action. He said, "With limited time remaining, it is crucial to accelerate efforts to ensure these submissions are completed on time. To lead by example, the Government of Azerbaijan is diligently working to submit our own BTR ahead of COP29."
Ambassador Bandoukiu Hambuli, representing Gilberto da Piedade Verissimo, Chairman of the ECCAS Commission, underscored the significance of the workshop in building capacity for climate change interventions in the region. He expressed hope that this regional collaboration would set the stage for further cooperation.
Davinah Milenge Uwella, Principal Coordinator in the Climate Change and Green Growth Department of the African Development Bank reaffirmed the Bank's dedication to these climate transparency efforts. She stated: "As the African Development Bank, we are fully committed to supporting these efforts. Our 2024-2033 Bank Strategy places climate action at its core, with a strong commitment to mobilizing $25 billion in climate finance by 2025. We recognize that creating an enabling environment with our Regional Member Countries (RMCs) is essential to achieving these goals, and we are dedicated to building the necessary capacities to ensure success."
Tibor Lindovsky, Programme Officer of the Consultative Group of Experts / ETF Support Unit at UNFCCC, expressed the institution's commitment to supporting countries in the final stages of preparation of their BTRs. "Every country is starting this process from a different stage, but we cannot let the perfect be the enemy of the good," he said.
The regional training workshop in Brazzaville is part of a broader initiative to train a total of 106 experts, and marks a significant step forward in Central Africa's climate transparency efforts.
Additional sessions will take place from 9-11 September 2024 in Nairobi and Togo, involving 41 other African countries. As the countdown to COP29 continues, the commitments and actions initiated during this workshop will play a vital role in shaping Central Africa's contributions to global climate goals.
