BY NED GAGAHE
The Solomon Islands has reached a major milestone in its climate commitments by hosting its first United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Technical Expert Review (TER) of the country’s Biennial Transparency Report (BTR1) in Honiara this week.
The review, taking place from July 13 to 17, is being coordinated by the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) and marks the country’s first assessment under the Paris Agreement’s Enhanced Transparency Framework, a statement from the Ministry said.
The framework requires countries to regularly report on greenhouse gas emissions, progress towards Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), climate change adaptation efforts, and the support they have received and require to address climate change.
Welcoming the UNFCCC Technical Expert Review Team to Honiara, MECDM Permanent Secretary David Hiriasia said the review represented an important step to strengthen Solomon Islands’ national climate reporting system.
He said the process should not be viewed as an audit but as an opportunity to improve the country’s reporting systems, data quality and institutional capacity through technical dialogue with international experts.
“Today marks an important milestone for Solomon Islands as we participate in our first Biennial Transparency Report review under the Paris Agreement.
“We see this review not merely as an assessment exercise, but as a valuable opportunity to learn, improve, and strengthen our national transparency system,” Mr Hiriasia said.
He also acknowledged the contributions of government ministries, agencies, technical experts, development partners and stakeholders involved in preparing Solomon Islands’ first Biennial Transparency Report.
Mr Hiriasia reaffirmed the country’s commitment to meet its obligations under the UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement, saying transparent and credible reporting is essential to inform climate policy, track progress towards national climate targets and improve access to international climate finance.
During the week-long review, the UNFCCC Technical Expert Review Team will meet with officials from MECDM and other government agencies to examine the information contained in the report, seek technical clarifications and provide recommendations to strengthen future reporting.
The review is also expected to improve Solomon Islands’ national systems for greenhouse gas inventory preparation, monitoring progress towards climate targets and implementing long-term climate commitments.
MECDM thanked the UNFCCC Secretariat, the Technical Expert Review Team and all national institutions and development partners whose support has enabled Solomon Islands to undertake its first transparency review under the Paris Agreement.
Photo: Supplied
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