In cooperation with the World Bank, we invited on 19 November 2020 to an online event which introduced the NDC Transparency Check as a tool to support countries’ NDC updates.

About the Event

Given the significant transparency gaps in the initial NDCs that made it hard to understand countries’ emissions targets, the Paris Rulebook requires countries to provide a list of information in their second NDCs to ensure the “clarity, transparency and understanding” (CTU) of information. However, while the compliance mechanism of the Paris Agreement is required to check whether countries have communicated an updated NDC or not, there is no formal review process to assess whether this list of CTU information is provided in these new NDCs.

Against this background, Climate Transparency developed the “NDC Transparency Check” in order to come up with clear and practical recommendations on which information should be included in the 2020 NDC update to ensure full conformance with the Paris Rulebook.

It identifying gaps in the information provided in current NDCs on mitigation goals and their underlying policies as well as measures that are needed for clarity, transparency and understanding, and useful to provide greater clarity on the likely outcome of NDCs collectively.

This is done by evaluating existing NDCs and assessing the information provided the annex of 4/CMA.1 under Article 4.8. of the Paris Agreement.

For further methodology and further information please see here: NDC Transparency Check

Speakers

Marius Kaiser
World Bank

Andrew Marquard
Energy Systems Research Group

Maja Murisic
World Bank

Katia Simeonova
UNFCCC

Robert Bradley
NDC Partnership Support Unit

Eve Deakin
UK COP26 Unit

Moderated by

Stephen Alan Hammer
World Bank

Background Information

  • The objective of this assessment is to establish a robust methodology to assess whether the communication of parties on the proposed mitigation in their NDCs is clear, transparent and understandable, in terms of the requirements set out in the Paris Agreement, its accompanying decision (1/CP.21) and the Annex to decision 4/CMA.1 which sets out the “information to facilitate clarity, transparency and understanding”.
  • Legally, the Annex is only binding from the second NDC onwards. However, Parties are “strongly encouraged” to apply the Annex to updated NDCs communicated in 2020.
  • The NDC Transparency Check highlights the opportunities for a transparent and enhanced new NDC in 2020. It does not provide an assessment of the level of ambition of the NDC. The latter is covered by e.g. the Climate Transparency Report and the Climate Action Tracker.