This document discusses capacity building needs for transparency frameworks under the Paris Agreement and proposes a comprehensive capacity building assessment process. It summarizes capacity needs identified in countries' first Biennial Update Reports and notes gaps in institutional arrangements, inventories, mitigation, and monitoring, reporting and verification systems. It also reviews the types of capacity building activities undertaken from 2012-2015 but notes a lack of information on their scale, duration and impact. To better align needs with support, the document proposes a feedback-based, outcomes-driven capacity building assessment process within the transparency framework that strategically improves existing systems and finds synergies across processes to enhance transparency.

1. An Assessment of Capacity-
building Support – needed and
received
To promote enhanced transparency framework
in a country driven manner
Vaibhav Gupta
Senior Programme Lead
Council on Energy, Environment and Water
Climate Change Expert Group (CCXG) -
Global Forum on the Environment and Climate Change
08 March 2018
OECD Conference Centre, Paris
© Council on Energy, Environment and Water, 2018

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CEEW: one of South Asia’s leading think-tank based in India
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Presentation Outline
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• Capacity Building at a glance
• A snapshot of current capacity needs identified by ICA process for BURs
• Reflection on support activities
• Need for a comprehensive capacity-building assessment matrix (CBAM)

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Capacity Building at a glance
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Individual Systemic
Institutional
Training of staff,
creating awareness
• Fostering cooperation between
domestic organisations and
sectors, missions, mandates,
culture, structure, competencies,
human and financial resource
• Economic and regulatory
policies
• Accountability framework in
which institutes and individual
operates
Mitigation Adaptation
Enabling
Environment
Financial
Support
Technology
Support
Capacity building
Support
SOURCE: CGE guidelines; CEEW
Capacity Building

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Snapshot of CB needs identified by ICA process for BUR-1 (1/2)
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SOURCE: CEEW analysis based on ICA process of BUR-1 reports, UNFCCC
Countries
Institutional
Arrangement
Inventory Mitigation
Identifying
gaps,
constraints
and
needs
Activity
Data
&
Emission
Factors
QA/QC
Plan
Reference
and
Sectoral
approaches
Database
management
Quantification
of
mitigations
and
Progress
Indicators
MRV
system
India √ √ √ √ √ √
Ghana √ √ √ √
Indonesia √ √ √ √ √
Mexico √ √ √ √
South Africa √ √
Thailand √ √ √ √ √ √
Vietnam √ √ √ √ √
Namibia √ √ √ √
Argentina √ √ √ √ √ √
Chile √ √ √ √
Korea √ √ √ √
Serbia √ √ √ √ √

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Snapshot of CB needs identified by ICA process for BUR-1 (2/2)
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SOURCE: Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW); UNFCCC
Only 39 non-annex Parties have submitted their BUR-1 (~25% only)
Lack of capacity across the board (for all necessary inputs)
• This itself showcases lack of capacity/finance for others to timely submit these reports
• Many countries needs major assistance on GHG inventories, MRV/Institutional framework!
• …………and we are looking for further enhancements on transparency
• How to bring them at pace and prepare for the MPGs?
Notably, some Parties lack capacity to even come up with gaps, needs and constraints
WHY?
• Is it due to lack of suitable guidelines to identify needs and provide
reporting?
• Is it due to lack of adequate financial/technical/capacity building support?
• whether the support is consistent with the needs?

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A look at the support side (1/2)
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SOURCE: CEEW analysis
Activities undertaken in developing countries related to capacity-building and capacity development
Priority area 2012 2013 2014 2015 Total
Institutional capacity-building, including the strengthening or
establishment, as appropriate, of national climate change secretariats
or national focal points
37 16 61 84 198
Enhancement and/or creation of an enabling environment 60 41 107 43 251
National communications 13 32 34 19 98
National climate change programmes 6 1 12 71 90
Greenhouse gas inventories, emission database management and
systems for collecting, managing and utilizing activity data and
emission factors
7 3 21 26 57
Vulnerability and adaptation assessment 13 12 24 24 73
Capacity-building for the implementation of adaptation measures 20 22 48 37 127
Assessment for the implementation of mitigation options 23 36 17 54 130
Research and systematic observation, including meteorological,
hydrological and climatological services
18 20 31 30 99
Development and transfer of technology 53 36 75 47 211
Improved decision-making, including assistance for participation in
international negotiations
25 13 17 33 88
Clean development mechanism 18 14 43 10 85
Needs arising out of the implementation of Article 4, paragraphs 8 and
9, of the Convention
7 5 7 10 29
Education, training and public awareness 54 34 89 162 339
Information and networking, including the establishment of databases 26 16 36 31 109
Source: Third comprehensive review of the implementation of the framework for capacity-building in developing countries; UNFCCC; May 2016

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A look at the support side (2/2)
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SOURCE: Third Comprehensive Assessment of Capacity Building Frameworks, 2015-16
• There has been ~80% increase in number of activities in 2016, compared to 2012.
There has been marked increase in support activities for GHG inventories,
education, training, awareness, and national climate change programmes
• However, information provided does not include the scale, duration and impact of
capacity building activities
• No indication by Parties on whether framework acts as an enabler for harmonizing
needs and support

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We need a Comprehensive Capacity Building Assessment Process
within MPGs
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Feedback
System
• Inputs oriented – with granular information
• Outcomes driven – To develop standalone systems that are capable
of learning without continuous hand-holding
Strategic
Improve
existing
systems
Enhancing
Transparency
Progressive
• Align with NDC to ensure nationally determined nature
• Provide ‘Flexibilities’ for reporting provisions – time bound action
plan for action and support
• Find synergies across the processes
• Inputs from TNA (85 completed, 25 active), NCSA (146 completed)
• Find further areas of improvements and integrate well
• Review capacity building by cross-validating needs and support
• Capacity Building Portal shall incorporate impact of activities
• Identify one-time needs and phase-wise support plans
• No back sliding principle - Countries should provide a retention plan
to avoid duplicity of efforts – ‘Train the trainers’ (Role of CSOs)
SOURCE: CEEW, GEF, TNA

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THANK YOU
Reach out to us:
vaibhav.gupta@ceew.in
Sumit.prasad@ceew.in
All our publications are available at:
http://ceew.in
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http://ceew.in