By Uzoamaka Nwamarah, Interim Head and Adviser Climate Change; Martin Barriteau, Commonwealth National Climate Finance Adviser for Grenada; and Suresh Yadav, Director Climate Change and Oceans Directorate, Commonwealth Secretariat
From the early Conferences of the Parties to COP30 in Belém, Brazil, global leaders have made bold commitments to curb emissions and strengthen resilience. Yet, the gap between ambition and implementation remains stark. The 2015 Paris Agreement’s Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) – a structured system for reporting on emissions and wider climate action, including on climate finance – can help bridge the gap between ambition and delivery by strengthening accountability and trust.
The ETF sets a global standard for tracking climate action. It requires countries to report regularly on greenhouse gas emissions, mitigation, adaptation, and financial support. But its value extends beyond compliance as it forms the strategic infrastructure of effective climate governance. Transparent systems help governments identify policy gaps, enable investors to assess risk, and allow international partners to verify progress. In this way, transparency transforms fragmented pledges into coordinated action. The Commonwealth Secretariat has demonstrated how this is achievable in Grenada and Nigeria.
The Commonwealth advantage
Emerging markets and developing countries, excluding China, will need between US$2.3 trillion and US$2.5 trillion annually by 2030 to achieve low-carbon, climate-resilient development. This is against the reality check of complex and insufficient access to finance.
For the Commonwealth, transparency is not only a compliance measure but a driver of fairness and opportunity. Through the Commonwealth Climate Finance Access Hub (CCFAH), the Secretariat supports member countries to strengthen institutions, improve data systems, and access international climate finance. With embedded Commonwealth Regional, National, and Thematic Climate Finance Advisers across Africa, the Caribbean, and the Indo-Pacific regions, the Commonwealth provides trusted in-country expertise that links reporting with real-world results.
A notable example is Grenada, which achieved a milestone by completing its first Biennial Transparency Report in under a year - a strong signal of political commitment and collaboration. The process highlighted both progress and persistent challenges faced by Small Island Developing States (SIDS), such as fragmented data systems, limited coordination, and insufficient mechanisms for tracking gender impacts. These lessons are now shaping targeted Commonwealth assistance to help build systems and governance structures for sustained and transparent reporting under the Paris Agreement.
The Commonwealth Secretariat has also advanced transparency through its Collaborative Network for Gender-responsive climate action, which designed a Framework for a National Data Hub for Gender and Climate Information in Nigeria. This hub in Nigeria could serve as a centralised, policy-linked platform for collecting and disseminating gender-responsive climate data, enabling more inclusive, evidence-based decision-making.
This work aligns closely with the principles of the ETF in empowering member countries to develop country-led strategies that meet global standards while reflecting local priorities. As the world gathers in Belém, the Commonwealth’s decade-long experience through CCFAH will be crucial in ensuring that transparency frameworks are equitable, adequately financed, and tailored to the realities of small and climate-vulnerable states.
Looking ahead, beyond Belém
COP30 offers a defining moment to test whether transparency can truly serve as the backbone of climate governance. As nations assess progress under the ten-year-old Paris Agreement, transparency will determine whether ambition leads to measurable, fundable outcomes.
For the Commonwealth ecosystem, this is more than a reporting exercise. It is a shared commitment to fairness, integrity, and action, consistent with the principles of the Commonwealth Charter. Transparency ensures that every dollar is accounted for, every policy is measurable, and every partnership is meaningful. It is the bridge between ambition and achievement, and the key to financing a sustainable planet both for this generation and the next.
Download the Framework for a National Data Hub for Gender and Climate Information
