Assessing the Mandate for Review of the Transparency Modalities, Procedures, and Guidelines Discussion Paper

The Paris Agreement’s transparency regime is fully operational. The modalities, procedures, and guidelines—finalized in 2018—underpin the transparency process by providing essential guidance to support standardized reports that feed into the Paris ambition cycle. Its first mandated review will take place “no later than 2028,” and could address substantive areas that have evolved. To clarify how the mandated review should be carried out, Parties could usefully: (1) signal a clear start date and define predictable review milestones, (2) decide if a clearer end date is needed, (3) center updates on lessons from Party experiences, and (4) focus on targeted clarifications that improve coherence without reopening core political debates.