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What is transparent monitoring?

Transparent Monitoring (TM) approaches refer to datasets, tools, and portals etc. that support countries’ needs, e.g. in the land use sector, by providing complementary data to what is mandated by their own monitoring systems. TM does not constitute one single system or a one-serves-all approach. Instead, TM relies on access to a diversity of inter-operable approaches, datasets and initiatives. Such approaches can help to detect, anticipate and resolve potential conflicts or discrepancies between datasets.

What is the background?

The Paris Agreement stresses the importance of the land use sector and many countries have included land use sector targets in their nationally determined contributions (NDCs). They will need to account for emissions and removals from the sector in a manner that promotes transparency, accuracy, completeness, comparability and consistency. A considerable amount of independent, publicly available, comprehensive spatial data and platforms on land cover, land emissions, land use, their dynamics and the associated carbon stocks and flows have become available, often based on satellite information. These datasets and portals have the potential for supporting the upcoming monitoring, reporting and verification tasks in the land use sector.

What is the project about?

Transparent Monitoring (TM) can help developing countries to improve monitoring of land use emissions and better assess mitigation actions. The project develops guidance for TM, on how to implement open-source tools and open-access datasets and how to improve data access in four countries. In Côte d’Ivoire, we develop guidance for assessing mitigation along cocoa supply chains to assist an effective and transparent accounting. In Ethiopia, we work towards integration of open-source tools, data and TM principles into the national MRV system to improve the assessment of biomass following land use change and participation of local communities. In Papua New Guinea, we analyze the adoption of open data, of data accessibility policies and the improvement in participation of indigenous peoples and local communities in MRV. In Peru, we develop guidance towards an interactive near-real time forest change monitoring system linked to a national incentive system for forest-related mitigation.

What are the expected impacts of the project?

  • The project contributes to transparent and reliable MRV systems, better informed policies and trustworthy and efficient land use and mitigation planning in countries with land use sector targets. This is achieved by increased awareness and utility of information about what transparent monitoring (TM) is and how to implement it.

  • Tailor-made, more efficient mitigation activities result from case studies for using TM approaches at national and regional level and for varying purposes (e.g. supply chain level monitoring, national reporting, etc.).

  • Project outcomes support the trust- and confidence-building and flexible implementation of the enhanced Transparency Framework under the Paris Agreement, respectful of national sovereignty (Article 13).

Project short descriptions

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