Unveiling Forest Transparency: Collaborative Milestones at the Global Transparency Forum

From May 20-22, 2024, Tokyo hosted an important event on the climate action calendar—the Global Transparency Forum and the subsequent Support Providers' Meeting. These gatherings are contributing to international efforts to enhance forest data transparency under the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) of the Paris Agreement. As we move towards the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP) in November 2024, the implications of these discussions resonate even more strongly.

The forum launched discussions on the importance of transparency for the upcoming COP meetings. During the plenary, FAO contributed to the session ‘Success stories on ETF implementation’ where also representatives from countries like Guyana, Panama, Moldova, South Africa, Mozambique, and Malaysia shared their progress and experiences. These success stories provided not only inspiration but also actionable insights that could help participants understand what is happening across the globe and learn from country experience.

During the marketplace session, FAO presented the achievements of the ‘Building global capacity to increase transparency in the forest sector (CBIT-Forest): Accelerating capacity-building, knowledge-sharing and awareness raising’ project, aiming to enhance the quality and availability of forest data globally. The session provided an opportunity to engage with 32 countries, discussing the necessity for tailored support and capacity building in forest data management.

During the breakout session, FAO facilitated the ‘Deep dive Discussions on Support for Transparency’ session with the Latin American and Caribbean countries. This session aimed at discussing how support providers can better coordinate their support, both prior and during the support provision. Discussions collected information on good examples of effective coordination among support providers, key challenges for effective coordination and options for addressing those challenges. The discussions continued into the Support Providers' Meeting, which delved deeper into optimizing support structures necessary to foster effective transparency practices globally.

The Global Transparency Forum served as a platform for sharing experiences and enhancing international cooperation. The insights gained from the forum will continue to shape the FAO's approach to supporting global climate transparency. With critical deadlines for biennial transparency report (BTR) submissions and nationally determined contribution (NDC) updates approaching, these collaborative efforts are more important than ever.

As the theme of the 2024 International Day of Forests, "Forests and Innovation," highlighted, there is a pressing need for innovative technical solutions to support forest data and transparency . Innovations for transparent high-quality forest data are essential not only for enabling forest protection but also for empowering Indigenous Peoples in land stewardship, contributing to ecosystem restoration, and enhancing climate mitigation efforts. Such technological advancements will be crucial discussion points at COP29, especially in the context of enhancing the ETF.

The insights gained from the Forum will undoubtedly shape international strategies to foster an environment of enhanced transparency and ambitious climate action, aiming to meet global climate commitments effectively. As we look towards COP29, the International Day of Forest’ and the forum's outcomes underscore the continuing importance of innovation and collaboration in driving the global climate agenda forward.