Countries in the sub-region must regularly publish data on their greenhouse gas emissions and absorptions, in accordance with the Paris Agreement. African experts have been meeting on this subject since August 27 in Brazzaville to try to share experiences on the preparation of biennial transparency reports (BTR) in the run-up to COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Knowledge of best practices allows States to share internal information on climate action and their progress towards achieving Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), adding data on forestry, agriculture, energy, waste and industrial processes. A total of fifty officials from the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) countries are exchanging experiences on NDC monitoring, greenhouse gas emissions projections and support for the preparation of BTRs.
This four-day meeting aims to equip national experts in monitoring NDCs and developing greenhouse gas emission projections in Central Africa. The aim is to share the experience of the BTR preparation process, identify gaps in order to find a way to help countries before the reporting deadline next November. Technical support will be provided, according to UN expert Richemonde Assié, to support the Congo Basin in preparing the 2024 reports.
Participants will also discuss methodologies and tools for processing information to produce greenhouse gas emissions projections. This session should allow them to deepen discussions on NDC monitoring and reporting exercises, build confidence in the countries concerned to submit their BTRs on time, including exploring opportunities for support in the preparation of new strategic documents such as NDCs.
Speaking about the commitment to keep global temperatures below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, Minister of Sustainable Development Arlette Soudan Nonault called on partners to support the efforts of Congo Basin countries. “ NDCs are not only about reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also about serving as powerful models to propel our economies and promote better human health and improved living standards for our citizens ,” she said.
As a reminder, the dissemination of BTRs is one of the requirements of the Paris Agreement that ECCAS member states have committed to implementing. This type of meeting helps the sub-region, which is facing many challenges, to achieve a minimum of transparency in climate action. The results of the various studies were used to guide the development of a short and medium-term action plan for the regional hub for transparency in climate action.
