The COP29 Presidency has officially launched the Baku Global Climate Transparency Platform (BTP), a groundbreaking initiative aimed at enhancing global climate transparency, particularly for developing countries.
The platform is designed to build mutual trust among Parties, support developing nations in preparing their Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs), and advance the global transparency agenda beyond COP29.
The announcement was made by the COP29 President-Designate, H.E. Mukhtar Babayev, who also serves as Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, during the COP29 Presidency’s High-Level Dialogue in Baku.
The BTP, developed in collaboration with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), is expected to play a pivotal role in supporting the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) under the Paris Agreement.
“The COP29 Presidency has launched the Baku Global Climate Transparency Platform as a crucial step to enhance the ambition contained within the next generation of national climate plans,” Babayev stated.
“By openly reporting our words and deeds, our progress and our challenges, we can share with the world our commitment to achieving our climate goals,” he said.
The BTP’s initial phase will focus on enabling the timely delivery of BTRs in 2024, while the second phase will serve as a platform for targeted support and universal participation in the ETF, ensuring continued progress through 2024 and beyond.
This initiative is seen as critical for tracking global climate progress, building trust, and identifying areas where additional action and investment are needed.
To further bolster transparency efforts, the COP29 Presidency has appointed Ms. Zulfiya Suleimenova, Advisor to the President of Kazakhstan and Special Representative for International Environmental Cooperation, and Mr. Francesco Corvaro, Italy’s Special Envoy for Climate Change, as COP29 High-Level Co-Pairs for Transparency.
Their role will involve enhancing political engagement on transparency, both leading up to and during COP29.
In the coming months, the COP29 Presidency will host a series of regional workshops on transparency across Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, Central Asia, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Additionally, the Global Transparency Dialogue will be convened during the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, supported by the UNFCCC Secretariat and partners of the BTP.
Commenting on the initiative, COP29 Lead Negotiator Yalchin Rafiyev emphasized the importance of transparency in driving climate ambition and action.
“Effective Biennial Transparency Reports can serve as valuable benchmarks for assessing our progress on climate initiatives.
“The Baku Global Climate Transparency Platform will build trust and confidence, support developing countries in preparing and finalising their BTRs, and promote universal participation in the Enhanced Transparency Framework,” she said.
The BTP is expected to collaborate with existing transparency platforms, ensuring coherence and enhancing the effectiveness of collective climate efforts.
It will also provide a space for collaboration and coordination among various stakeholders, including governments, international organisations, NGOs, and the private sector.
By Dare Akogun
