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In 2025, transparency under the Paris Agreement became firmly embedded in climate action across Parties and non-Party stakeholders.
The year marked the completion of the first Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) cycle for an initial set of Parties, including the submission of their first Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs), followed by Technical Expert Reviews (TERs) and the Facilitative Multilateral Consideration of Progress (FMCP).
Together, these milestones confirm transparency as a core driver of implementation, grounding climate action in clear and credible climate data.
Political momentum and global milestones
At the Global Transparency Forum, hosted in September by the Government of the Republic of Korea, countries underscored the growing recognition of transparency as a vital enabling tool, beyond its technical and reporting dimensions.
That message was reinforced at the COP30 High-Level Ministerial Dialogue on Transparency, convened with the COP29 and COP30 Presidencies, where Ministers and Heads of Delegation highlighted transparency as the foundation of trust and effective multilateralism.
A major milestone in 2025 was the release of the first BTR Synthesis Report, which shows that Parties having submitted their first BTRs have taken tangible steps to meet their climate commitments – from establishing new legal and institutional systems to track emissions and adapt to climate impacts, to mobilising finance for resilience and clean energy transitions. These measures are strengthening countries’ capacity to design and implement more ambitious climate plans.
“More nations now have climate plans covering their entire economies, linked to long-term net-zero goals, and integrating adaptation, gender equality, and just transitions. This is how climate cooperation works: progress measured, transparency strengthened, impact deepened,” said UN Climate Change Executive-Secretary, Simon Stiell, at COP30.
This year countries also agreed to continue the term of the Consultative Group of Experts (CGE) indefinitely as a constituted body. The CGE remains the main channel for technical assistance and support to developing countries in meeting their reporting requirements, including preparing national communications, BTRs, and engaging in TERs – reinforcing long-term support for transparency implementation.
Moreover, at COP30, UN Climate Change and China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment signed a Letter of Intent to strengthen collaboration with developing countries to support implementation of the Convention and the Paris Agreement, with a focus on transparency through capacity-building and South-South cooperation.
Learning and improvement
The submission of 120 BTRs over the last year represents a major milestone in implementing the Paris Agreement’s ETF. But transparency does not end with submissions.
The completion of the first ETF cycle marks the start of an ongoing process of review, learning, and continuous improvement. As highlighted in the first TER Annual Report, Parties and technical experts have identified both successes and challenges, offering clear insights into where additional support and improvements are needed.
Expanding transparency beyond governments
At COP30, UN Climate Change officially launched the Climate Data Hub, developed in partnership with Microsoft, EY and NEDAMCO Africa. This platform brings together information submitted by Parties under the Convention in one accessible space – providing all users with a reliable source of information, and making climate data easier to find, use and understand.
The Non-State Actor Zone for Climate Action (NAZCA) portal is also entering a new phase. During a high-level session at COP30 in Belém, UN Climate Change presented the NAZCA Redevelopment and Engagement Roadmap, outlining plans for a modern, data-driven platform that strengthens the role of the UNFCCC secretariat as the custodian of credible climate action data from non-Party stakeholders. The redeveloped NAZCA will consolidate information on mitigation, adaptation, resilience, and means of implementation.
Throughout 2025, the UN Climate Change #Together4Transparency initiative strengthened partnerships with non-Party stakeholders. A collaboration with CDP resulted in the report Data as the Catalyst, highlighting how corporate and subnational data can track progress on national climate plans (NDCs) and unlock climate finance.
In addition, a joint case study, Unlocking Climate Finance through Transparency, was developed with the Centre for Clean Air Policy, featuring Panama’s National Climate Transparency Platform and showcasing how transparency can serve as a strategic tool to mobilize public and private finance.
As implementation continues, transparency remains central to strengthening ambition, guiding support, and delivering climate action under the Paris Agreement.
