On World Youth Skills Day, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in collaboration with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) launched a new three-module e-learning course “Forests and transparency under the Paris Agreement”.

The new course was announced during the webinar “Open and Transparent: Forest data setting the course for green future under the Paris Agreement” that was organized by FAO’s E-Learning Academy. The webinar highlighted the importance of the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) under Article 13 of the Paris Agreement, how the Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) can support its implementation, and how FAO is contributing to enhanced transparency in the forest sector through the global project Building global capacity to increase transparency in the forest sector (CBIT-Forest).

The event drew more than 370 participants from 97 countries who had a chance to interact with experts from FAO, UNFCCC, GEF and the International Forestry Students' Association (IFSA), learn about the importance of the ETF and forests and hence, data on forests, for the achievement of our global goal of limiting climate change. 

Why the Enhanced Transparency Framework?

The signing of the Paris Agreement was a watershed moment in global climate action, bringing all countries together for the common cause of limiting climate change and its impacts. To boost ambition and confidence in the entire process and provide clarity on the world’s collective progress, the new Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) was agreed upon at the 2018 United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP24) in Katowice, Poland.

Specifically, the ETF was established to guide countries on reporting their greenhouse gas emissions, their progress toward their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), their climate change impacts and adaptation, as well as support provided and mobilized, and support needed and received. The Enhanced Transparency Framework also includes processes for technical experts to review reported information and a multilateral peer review where countries can ask questions of one another.

“Transparency and Article 13 is a foundation of the Paris Agreement because it is about the provision of information in a manner that all other countries can see what a country is doing to respond to the climate change challenge,” says UNFCCC’s Programme Officer Lisa Hanle. “CBIT has a significant role to play as it will help countries strengthen and build the necessary institutional arrangements to support this transition.”

Forest data as a part of the solution

According to the results of the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, deforestation and forest degradation continues albeit at a slower rate, indicating the need for more action to halt forest loss and implement sustainable forest and land management practices. This is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce global emissions, while also producing important adaptation, biodiversity, livelihood and development benefits.

To receive support in unpacking the ETF, many forested countries have requested support under various initiatives, including the Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT).

“Global CBIT projects are key to enhance partnerships, maximize learning opportunities, and enable knowledge sharing,” notes Ms Milena Gonzalez Vasquez Climate Change Specialist at GEF. “They help countries build their national institutional arrangements and capacities, have relevant tools and training to respond to the requirement of the Article 13, and also make sure transparency continues to be built over time.”

One of the two global FAO CBIT projects, the FAO/GEF project “Building global capacity to increase transparency in the forest sector (CBIT-Forest)”, was launched in late 2019 to strengthen the institutional and technical capacities of developing countries to produce and use forest data as well as to meet the enhanced transparency requirements of the Paris Agreement, responding to Article 13 and contributing to tackling climate change.

The new e-learning course launched this week is aimed at anyone who wants to improve their knowledge of the ETF, get a better understanding of how forests can contribute to the achievement of the Paris Agreement and learn how National Forest Monitoring Systems (NFMS) can help countries meet the ETF requirements.

“Building a National Forest Monitoring System is a complex national-scale effort that must consider multiple institutional, technical and financial aspects. The system should increase transparency, reliability of the information produced and ensure a long-term perspective, through participatory processes that include multiple stakeholders with different skills, who must be identified and informed throughout,” says FAO’s Forestry Officer, Rocío Cóndor.

FAO’s Mette Wilkie, Director, Forestry Division, highlighted the importance of this course for all audiences, including youth:

“The pandemic has also meant the worldwide closure of educational and training institutions, threatening the continuity of skills development. I am very pleased that this launch also coincides with the World Youth Skills Day. This course will be an important tool for all the audience, including young people who we are leaving this planet to.”

The course builds on and contributes to the efforts of various projects and initiatives working with the climate data transparency issues. Henning Wuester, Director of the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) notes:

“As sound data and information systems help design and implement strong, evidence-based forestry policies and actions to address climate change, countries indeed need to have them in place if they wish to meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement. This eLearning course is a great opportunity for participants to understand the additional benefits a transparent forest sector delivers for sustainable development”

Toward transparent and reliable climate actions

2020 represents an important milestone for climate action, as countries get ready to update their NDCs and prepare for the global stocktake in 2023 and transition from MRV to the ETF. Ensuring transparency when monitoring collective progress, including in the forest sector, will be crucial to meeting our shared goal of avoiding dangerous climate change and protecting ecosystems and future generations.

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