At the Paris climate conference (COP-21) in December 2015, the Conference of the Parties decided to adopt the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This agreement is the first universal legally binding climate instrument adopted by Parties in the history of the international negotiations on climate change. Reiterating the need to build mutual trust and confidence and to promote effective implementation, Article 13 of the Paris Agreement established an enhanced transparency framework for action and support. The purpose of the transparency framework of action is to provide a clear understanding of climate change actions taken by countries in light of the objectives of the Convention, including clarity and the tracking of progress towards achieving Parties’ individual NDCs.
This publication, Understanding the Paris agreement: analysing the reporting requirements under the enhanced transparency framework, feeds into the UNFCCC discussion on international reporting to track progress in implementing NDCs. It aims to enhance the knowledge of policy-makers and decision-makers in developing countries by identifying and explaining the reporting requirements established under the Paris Agreement. Though the new transparency framework will apply to all countries, the publication focuses on transparency regarding developing countries’ mitigation contributions.