Climate Fact Sheets | July 2022

INTERNATIONAL TRANSPARENCY AND MRV

National Reporting under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are required to
submit national reports to enable the Parties to (1) assess the implementation of the UNFCCC and
progress towards achieving its ultimate objective, (2) evaluate support needs of Parties, and (3) guide
the operationalization of the mechanisms and frameworks of the UNFCCC. For developing countries,
the requisite national reports to be submitted are National Communications (NCs), Biennial Update
Reports (BURs), and Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs). By 2024, BURs will be replaced by
BTRs in the light of the Enhanced Transparency Framework of the Paris Agreement.

Profile of National Reports

National Communication (NC)1
NCs provide the general scale of information needed to assess adaptation, mitigation, and support
needs, with additional information related to measures in support of increasing adaptive capacities.

Periodicity:
every 4 four years (shall)2

Support available:
$500,000 through the Global Environment Facility (GEF)

1
Decision 17/CP.8 and its Annex
2
note: the decision to submit NCs every four years was enacted in 2010 as previously, date of submissions of NCs are decided during the Conference of Parties
 Climate Factsheets | July 2022

Global NC submissions  Countries with more than 1 NC took an

average of 10 years to prepare the
succeeding NC, and an average of 5-6
years to prepare the 3rd and 4th NCs
 82% of non-Annex I countries have submitted
at least 2-3 NCs
 Libya is the only non-Annex I country without
a submitted NC
 The Philippines is the 30th non-Annex I
country to submit its first NC (19 May 2000)
 Climate Factsheets | July 2022

ASEAN NC submissions  The Philippines is the second country in the

ASEAN, the first being Indonesia
 The Philippines submitted two (2) NCs in
2000 and 2014, supported through GEF
funds with the UN Development Program
(UNDP) as Implementing Agency
 Climate Factsheets | July 2022

Biennial Update Report (BUR)3

BURs are submitted by developing countries to communicate the progress of their mitigation
actions, measurement, reporting, and verification (MRV), and support needs, as updates to NCs.

Periodicity:
every 2 years (shall), first in 2014 (should), final in 2024 (shall)

Support available:
$352,000 through the Global Environment Facility (GEF)

Global BUR submissions  Countries with more than 1 BUR take 2-3
years to submit a succeeding BUR
 49% of non-Annex I countries have not yet
submitted a BUR

3
Decision 2/CP.17 and Annex III of Decision 2/CP.17, Decision 1/CP.21, par. 98
 Climate Factsheets | July 2022

ASEAN BUR submissions  The Philippines is one of the remaining 3

ASEAN countries without a BUR
 The Philippines is currently preparing its
first BUR through domestic resources
 Climate Factsheets | July 2022

Biennial Transparency Report (BTR)4

In line with the Enhanced State of BTR preparations
Transparency Framework of the
Paris Agreement, BTRs serve as  Currently, 48 countries already requested support
update reports on NCs, with focus from GEF for BTR preparation through individual
on Nationally Determined country proposals and under Umbrella Programmes
Contributions (NDCs), MRV, and  In the ASEAN, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, and
support. Viet Nam have submitted requests for support from
GEF for BTR preparation
Periodicity:  Thailand and Indonesia have on-going projects on
every 2 years (shall), first in 2024 compliance with reporting under the Enhanced
(shall) Transparency Framework through the Capacity
Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) under
Support available: GEF
$484,000 for standalone BTR
through the Global Environment
Facility (GEF)
$517,000 for combined NC and
BTR through the Global
Environment Facility (GEF)

4
Decision 1/CP.21, par. 90, Decision 1/CP.24, par.43, Decision 18/CMA.1