UNFCCC, CEEW join hands to develop capacity building tools for developing countries

New Delhi, March 21

The United Nations Climate Change secretariat and the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) on Monday announced their strategic partnership to develop a framework and tools to help developing countries build capacity for climate action.

The partnership will enhance the capacity of developing countries to report on climate change as part of the Climate Change Convention and Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) under the Paris Agreement.

The ETF modalities, procedures and guidelines (MPGs) emphasize the need for developing country Parties to ascertain their capacity constraints and requirements for reporting climate action and support. It urges them to better understand their national circumstances, develop a continuous improvement plan and use the flexibility provisions in the MPGs in light of their capacities, a release from the CEEW and UNFCCC said.

CEEW is a leading policy research institute and a think tank based in Delhi and, as the name suggests, works on water, energy, environment and climate related issues.

The UN Climate Change Secretariat - CEEW partnership is premised on the recognition that developing countries that are Party to the Paris Agreement are at different starting points with respect to their capabilities and the institutional arrangements to effectively report on climate action and support in accordance with the MPGs.

"Building on the research done previously by CEEW, the partnership envisions developing a framework and tool that can be used by developing country Parties to enhance their capacity to report on climate change," the statement said.

"Developing country parties need support to transition to the ETF MPGs. We look forward to working with the UN Climate Change secretariat to support developing country Parties to enhance their climate change reporting as a critical pillar of building confidence, and highlighting their capacity needs and the challenges so that commensurate resources can be provided to them," said Arunabha Ghosh, CEEW CEO.

"We welcome this collaboration with CEEW to help developing country parties to identify their capacity needs as well as access support opportunities to enhance and submit their biennial transparency reports," said Ovais Sarmad, Deputy Executive Secretary at the UN Climate Change secretariat.