The seventh technical analysis of biennial update reports (BURs) from developing country Parties was convened in Bonn, Germany, from 5 to 9 December, the final round in 2016. These reports are submitted by developing countries every two years, showing their actions in tackling climate change and support received to undertake them, as well as outlining associated challenges and constraints in implementing these actions.

During this latest round, two BURs, from Ecuador and Georgia, submitted between 21 June and 21 September, were analysed by a 10-man strong bilingual (English and Spanish) team of technical experts (TTE). The team included two experts on land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF), who conducted the technical analysis of Ecuador’s annex on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries (REDD-plus).

The technical analysis was coordinated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat, which will also support both the TTE and the country Parties in the preparation and publication of the final summary reports. These reports will capture the outcome of the technical analysis, including capacity-building needs which were identified in consultation with the Parties analysed, with the aim of enhancing their participation in the technical analysis and facilitating more transparent reporting in the BURs.

The summary reports, once published, will serve as input to the facilitative sharing of views (FSV) workshop, organised under the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI), where the developing country or countries concerned give a brief presentation on their BUR, followed by oral questions and answers among Parties.

Technical analysis and the facilitative sharing of views are the two steps defined under the international consultation and analysis (ICA) process for developing countries, the objective of which is to increase the transparency of mitigation actions and their effects.

Additional information on the technical analysis of BURs, including the published summary reports, are available here.

Howard Bamsey has officially begun his duties as new Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund Secretariat. He was selected last year by consensus during the Board’s 14th meeting, following an extensive global recruitment process to select a new head of the Secretariat.

Ambassador Bamsey is said to be a prominent figure in climate change diplomacy. With more than 30 years of experience in international negotiations, he has been instrumental in forging global endeavors on climate change action.

Mr. Bamsey will head up the GCF Secretariat, which was established in Songdo, Republic of Korea, in 2013 to serve the GCF Board. The GCF was formally established in 2010 to contribute to the achievement of the ultimate objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by financing climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives in developing countries.

Welcoming Mr. Bamsey’s appointment, GCF Board Co-Chair Ayman Shasly, representing Saudi Arabia, said the GCF would benefit from the new Executive Director’s wealth of international experience. “This is an exciting time to become the GCF’s leader. I am confident Howard’s appointment will help the GCF scale up climate finance in the months ahead, after its commitment of more than $1.3 billion in 2016,” Mr. Shasly said.

Developed country Co-Chair, Ewen McDonald (Australia), added: “Howard’s leadership and negotiating experience will be of great value as the GCF consults its growing array of climate finance partners to ensure we match the needs of developing countries.”

Mr. Bamsey will work closely with the 24 members of the GCF Board, equally representing developed and developing countries, to oversee the Fund’s investments and management.

Bamsey succeeds Hela Cheikhrouhou, a Tunisian, who was the Fund’s first Executive Director. She is credited with setting in motion GCF’s first resource mobilisation process and overseeing the establishment of the body’s headquarters in the Republic of Korea.

In between Cheikhrouhou’s stepping down and Bamsey’s selection, Javier Manzanares, GCF’s chief financial officer, was the Executive Director ad interim.

Bamsey, former Director-General of the Global Green Growth Institute, has a career spanning decades in international climate change, environment and sustainable development, both in the diplomatic service and academia.

He co-chaired the United Nations “Dialogue on Long-term Cooperative Action on Climate Change” from 2006 to 2007 and served as Australia’s Special Envoy on Climate Change and Deputy Secretary at the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency from 2008 to 2010. He has also served in a variety of senior government and executive positions.

The GCF was established to support low-emissions and climate-resilient development in developing countries in the context of sustainable development and poverty reduction. The Executive Director will lead the Secretariat of the Fund, headquartered in Songdo, Incheon City, Republic of Korea.

Nigeria is yet to have any climate change specific law enacted by the National Assembly (the legislative arm of government) and assented to by the President, the Climate Scorecard has said.

Climate Scorecard, a not-for-profit that operates an interactive site where concerned parties can participate in post-Paris Agreement efforts to reduce emissions in the 25 top greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting countries, stated however that the country has adopted several environmental and sectoral policies, strategies, and plans where climate change adaptation could apply. But it adds that, at present, their use in enabling and supporting climate change adaptation is limited.

It points out that, in 2012, the Federal Executive Council adopted a comprehensive strategy policy on climate change: the Nigeria Climate Change Policy Response and Strategy, adding that its overarching objective is to promote low-carbon, high-growth economic development and build a climate-resilient society through the achievement of the following targets:

• Implement mitigation measures that will promote low carbon as well as sustainable and high economic growth;
• Enhance national capacity to adapt to climate change;
• Raise climate change related science, technology and R&D to a new level that will enable the country to better participate in international scientific and technological cooperation on climate change;
• Significantly increase public awareness and involve private sector participation in addressing the challenges of climate change; and
• Strengthen national institutions and mechanisms (policy, legislative and economic) to establish a suitable and functional framework for climate change governance.

It notes that, through the policy, Nigeria intends to foster sustainable development by means of national initiatives that strengthen the country’s strategies on climate change preparedness, adaptation and mitigation across all sectors of society including vulnerable groups. But the site stresses that the success or failure of the policy is still too early to determine, given that it has only been recently adopted.

Nonetheless, it adds, a number of studies on climate change vulnerabilities and adaptation strategies have been conducted by civil society groups, academia, faith-based organisations, the private sector, government agencies and international donor organisations, leading to the publication of the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action for Climate Change Nigeria in 2011, a document that describes strategies, programmes and measures for 13 important economic and social sectors.

Climate Scorecard believes that even though the policy document did not find official support, the efforts of the aforementioned groups contributed to the adoption of a National Climate Change Policy and Response Strategy by the Federal Executive Council.

According to the site, there have been calls to establish a National Climate Change Commission that would coordinate climate issues nationwide, but bill on setting up the commission is yet to be approved.

In the meantime it discloses, there is the Department of Climate Change, domiciled within the Federal Ministry of Environment, which is responsible for the handling of climate change issues. The Federal Government of Nigeria is also said to have established the National Climate Change Trust Fund and the Environmental Sustainability Group to design and attract financing mechanisms for adaptation initiatives.

“Given its recent adoption, it is yet to be seen if there is need to increase the capacity of the policy to improve reduction of greenhouse gases and what lessons, if any, there are for possible adoption/adaptation by other countries,” the Climate Scorecard concludes.

Besides Nigeria, the top GHG emitting countries include: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland and Russia.

Others are: Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States.

Climate Scorecard proposes that each of these countries be responsible for achieving six results listed below:

1. Country ratification of the Paris Agreement
2. Strengthens country greenhouse gas emission reduction pledge made to the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement
3. Implements measures to reach the target of 20% unconditional greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2020
4. Implements measures to reach the target of 30% unconditional reduction by 2030
5. Adopts the UN suggested baseline year of 2010 from which to calculate its future emission reductions
6. Puts in place policies that reach the goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050
7. Makes all aspects of its process to further reduce emissions transparent and inclusive

These results are based on recommendations in the COP21 Agreement (Results 1, 2, 5, and 7) in benchmark standards for the GHG emission targets set by pledges made by the EU (Result 4) and by the Climate Scorecard Project (Results 3 and 6).