The Ministry of Environment (Minister Kim Wansup) announced that on November 19, it will reveal plans for the “Korea Climate Transparency Alliance (KCTA)” aimed at enhancing the climate change response capabilities of developing countries at the side exhibition of the 29th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The KCTA is an expansion that integrates the training programs that Korea has been operating to support developing countries’ responses to climate change, including greenhouse gas reduction and climate change adaptation. It supports not only technical training but also the establishment of legal and institutional foundations. 

The KCTA will expand and restructure the UNFCC-GIR-CASTT Programme on Greenhouse Gases*, which has been operated by the Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Research Center for Korea (GIR) under the Ministry of Environment since 2017, and the Adaptation Academy**, which has been run by the Korea Adaptation Center for Climate Change (KACCC) since 2021.

* A program aimed at strengthening the greenhouse gas accounting and reporting capabilities of civil servants in developing countries, conducted annually since 2011, and co-operated with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat since 2017

** Since 2010, it has been operated with organizations like the United Nations Environment Programme to strengthen climate change adaptation reporting capabilities, and from 2021, it has been renamed the “Adaptation Academy” and is co-operated at the request of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat.

Transparency is a crucial element that facilitates the functioning of the Paris Agreement, based on voluntary cooperation, by ensuring that each country is properly reducing greenhouse gases and adapting in accordance with the Agreement. 

The Biennial Transparency Report (BTR), which Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change are scheduled to submit for the first time at the end of this year, is a representative means of implementing transparency.

The Ministry hopes that the KCTA will establish a system for Parties to transparently examine and report on their climate change response efforts and contributions, which can also contribute to strengthening global climate action.

The KCTA will be promoted in a way that diversifies the training programs and expands capacity-building opportunities compared to the existing ones. First, in addition to the technical training previously conducted on methods for calculating greenhouse gas emissions, it will seek to expand the content to include advisory services related to the establishment of legal frameworks and systems for creating greenhouse gas inventories. 

In terms of climate adaptation, the KCTA will consider expanding the training programs beyond the policy design stage for developing national adaptation plans to include implementation, evaluation, and feedback stages.

In addition, there are plans to expand existing events, which were conducted through domestic invitations and online formats, to provide training directly in regions with high demand. The KCTA will also explore the development of advanced courses for those who have already completed the transparency capacity-building training programs to nurture climate change response experts.

Minister Kim Wansup stated, “The Korean government has consistently strengthened its climate change response capabilities through a steadfast commitment to carbon neutrality and science-based innovation, and it is our responsibility to share this with the international community.” He added, “We will strive to ensure the early establishment of the KCTA, which promotes global climate action based on transparency, so that all Parties can successfully develop and implement climate policies.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com