Challenges for Compliance with the Enhanced Transparency Framework of the Paris Agreement

Transparency in climate governance has, since the signing of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992, been acknowledged as cornerstone principle encouraging cooperation, rationalising decision-making, playing a role in securing more accountable and environmentally sustainable outcomes and rising countries’ climate ambitions. With the Paris Agreement (PA) reached at COP21, the transparency requirements were heightened, and the modalities of reporting and reviewing data on greenhouse gases emissions, climate change mitigation actions and support changed. This paper looks at developing countries’ challenges with transparency, the needs expressed during the PA negotiations and the expected challenges they will face with the new Enhanced Transparency Framework.