Constituent norms of the Enhanced Transparency Framework

Comprehensive reporting and review are crucial to establishing accountability for states’ progress toward achieving their commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) established by Article 13 of the Agreement extends the reporting and review obligations to all parties and widens the scope of reporting. The requirements under the ETF have been further elaborated in the common modalities, procedures, and guidelines. This chapter examines the concept and requirements of transparency in climate law. It argues that, with the evolution of climate treaties, constituent norms of transparency have crystallized in climate law. These norms include: the requirement to monitor and regularly report on greenhouse gas emissions, relevant policies, and finance; the differentiation of such requirements in accordance with the CBDR principle; and the review of the supplied information and its use to improve compliance with mitigation obligations. The chapter examines how these norms manifest in the ETF and considers whether climate transparency has developed into a requirement under general international law.