The Consultative Group of Experts (CGE) held two key meetings in Bonn, Germany, in March 2025 to bolster support for developing countries implementing the Paris Agreement’s transparency requirements. The group’s 7th informal Forum brought together 145 participants to discuss lessons learned by developing countries as they prepare their first Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs).
These reports enable governments to build a stronger evidence base that helps refine climate policies over time, identify needs and opportunities, and allocate resources effectively.
“We are now at a critical juncture in our process, as the first BTRs are submitted and Parties prepare for the next set of reports,” said Daniele Violetti, Senior Director of Programmes Coordination at UN Climate Change, emphasising the CGE’s essential function in helping developing countries track progress on Paris Agreement implementation.
Violetti called for continued collaboration and political and financial support to ensure all Parties can submit their first BTRs, prepare for technical expert reviews, and start work on the second round of BTRs.
Julia Gardiner, Chair of the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI), highlighted the importance of BTRs, describing them as vital tools for tracking countries’ implementation of national climate plans (NDCs), and providing valuable inputs into processes like the Global Stocktake.
Jenny Mager, Chair of the CGE, called on Parties to maintain momentum in submitting BTRs as soon as possible.
The CGE also provided an update on its 2024 activities, reporting progress made by developing countries in preparing their first BTRs. Representatives from South Africa, Maldives and Kazakhstan shared their experiences, discussing the challenges they faced, steps followed, and lessons learned. Representatives from partner organisations – including CBIT-GSP, UNEP, UNDP and ICAT – also offered insights into their support efforts and upcoming plans for 2025.
Lessons learned
- Preparing BTRs provides useful insights for revising and updating NDCs.
- Developing countries can work towards overcoming obstacles like data gaps through strong institutional frameworks and fostering cross-departmental and stakeholder collaboration.
- The BTR preparation process is a valuable learning opportunity, helping countries identify capacity-building needs and priorities.
- A wide range of initiatives and resources are available to assist developing countries in preparing their BTRs.
Next Steps
Following the 7th Informal Forum, the CGE held its 13th meeting to develop its workplan for 2025. With the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) now fully operational, the CGE reaffirmed its commitment to support developing countries in meeting their transparency obligations under the Convention and the Paris Agreement.
Recognising the ongoing financial challenges, the CGE explored ways to deepen collaboration with partner organizations like CBIT-GSP, UNEP and UNDP to ensure sustained technical support throughout the year.
Discussions also focused on findings from capacity-building needs assessments, and feedback from 2024 events. Looking ahead, the CGE will expand its cooperation with the Paris Agreement Implementation and Compliance Committee (PAICC) and other constituted bodies to provide even more tailored and comprehensive support for transparency efforts in developing countries.
Established in 1999, the CGE is mandated to provide technical advice and support to developing country Parties for enhancing their institutional and technical capacity to prepare and submit national communications, biennial update reports, national greenhouse gas inventories and BTRs, as applicable, with a view to enabling improvements in their reporting over time.