Robust systems for measuring, reporting and verifying greenhouse gas emissions are essential for countries to track progress towards their climate commitments. MRV frameworks define all relevant aspects of how data is managed, including who contributed what data at which intervals and which methodologies are followed. Setting up an MRV framework usually also entails training those that need to be part of the efforts.
ICAT support in Bolivia and Vanuatu helped to establish sector-specific MRV frameworks that enable these countries to turn mitigation targets into measurable progress.
Bolivia’s NDC 2.0 sets ambitious targets for its energy sector, including increasing electricity coverage to 100 per cent of the population, expanding renewable energy capacity and piloting energy storage technologies, all by 2030. The energy sector accounts for 16 per cent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, with transport-related fuel combustion a notable contributor to the upward trend in national emissions.
ICAT support in Bolivia focused on strengthening institutional arrangements in the energy sector and enhancing collaboration between the Plurinational Authority of Mother Earth (Autoridad Plurinacional de la Madre Tierra, the national entity leading climate action) and the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy.
Bolivia’s NDC identifies the need for coordination mechanisms to enable intersectoral, multilevel and multi-actor collaboration, and commits to consolidating a transparent monitoring, evaluation and reporting system through the Plurinational System of Information and Integrated Monitoring of Mother Earth and Climate Change. Under the ICAT project in Bolivia, a robust set of key indicators has been established to track progress toward the country’s energy-sector goals under its NDCs. These indicators span critical areas including electricity access; power generation and installed capacity; deployment of renewable and alternative energy sources; system integration; energy efficiency; transport electrification; and the implementation of pilot projects. Continuous monitoring of these indicators enables systematic assessment of mitigation policy impacts and provides a strong evidence base for informed policy adjustments. To enhance consistency and accuracy, the indicators were developed using the SMART methodology, ensuring they are specific, measurable, achievable, ambitious, relevant, and time-bound.
The first phase of developing the MRV system for the energy sector focused on analysing the sector, identifying gaps in data collection, and addressing the lack of information needed to estimate greenhouse gas emissions and develop projections. The project strengthened Bolivia’s capacity to systematically monitor progress toward its energy-sector NDC targets through the establishment of an operational NDC tracking tool populated with national data and embedded within the Ministry of Hydrocarbons and Energy. This contribution supports the institutionalization of NDC monitoring by providing a coherent framework that consolidates existing data, builds on prior results, and enables sustained tracking and reporting of mitigation progress over time.
Successfully completed in October 2025, the project achieved a major milestone by establishing a comprehensive MRV framework for the energy sector, supported by operational guidelines and institutional proposals. This provides a robust foundation for the transparent and effective tracking of energy sector-related NDC implementation in Bolivia.
Vanuatu, an archipelago of 83 islands in the South Pacific, has negligible greenhouse gas emissions, with its forest sector acting as a net carbon sink. Nevertheless, the government of Vanuatu is committed to the effective and transparent implementation of the Paris Agreement, demonstrating leadership in the global scene. The country’s 2022 enhanced NDC sets mitigation targets across the energy, agriculture, forestry and other land use, and waste sectors. These targets are conditional on international support.
Like many Small Island Developing States (SIDS), Vanuatu faced significant challenges in accurately tracking its greenhouse gas emissions and removals. The country relied on Tier 1 IPCC methodology with default emission factors for all categories, lacked formalized data collection processes and had limited local expertise in greenhouse gas inventory preparation.
The ICAT project focused on building national capacity to work with greenhouse gas inventories, improving the national inventory system for collecting greenhouse gas-related data and introducing policy assessment tools for the agriculture sector.
The project delivered a training programme on greenhouse gas inventory analysis and methodologies to national experts, focusing on emission calculations for prioritized sectors. Four inventory instruction manuals were developed for each priority category. A two-day training on national inventory systems covered key elements including institutional arrangements, uncertainty analysis, key category analysis and archival systems. National Inventory System Guidelines were developed to document current arrangements and recommendations.
In addition, the introduction of the ICAT Agriculture Methodology in the agriculture sector demonstrated to Vanuatu’s climate officials and technical experts the potential of quantitative assessment to significantly strengthen evidence-based policymaking. While current data limitations constrain its full application, the groundwork has been laid for future use. As data availability improves, the tool will enable accurate tracking and monitoring of policy impacts and support the design of policies that are both effective and economically viable.
A key impact of the project was the establishment of a core group of national consultants with a strong expertise in greenhouse gas inventory preparation. Previously, Vanuatu relied heavily on external international consultants, constraining continuity and long-term improvements to national MRV systems. The project has created sustainable in-country capacity for regular inventory preparation, strengthened coordination between the inventory and data providers, and for the first time, fully documented national methodologies, data flows and institutional arrangements. These resources, developed by the national project team, provide a lasting foundation for future experts and continued system improvement.
Data availability remains the central constraint to further advancing Vanuatu’s climate MRV system. The project established that robust data collection mechanisms must be prioritized to enable the effective application of more advanced policy assessment tools. Accordingly, future priorities include improving national energy balance data, developing targeted agricultural data collection surveys for livestock, and establishing a dedicated platform for the systematic collection and management of activity data.
The progress in both countries demonstrates how ICAT support can help nations to establish the frameworks needed for effective climate action transparency. By addressing gaps in data, modelling and NDC tracking, these projects have built institutional capacity and clarified roles for ongoing emissions reporting. The frameworks established provide not only the tools for measuring progress, but also the institutional arrangements that are needed to sustain these efforts over time. They set the basis for countries to meaningfully engage in the multilateral climate process.
Story originally published in the 2025 ICAT Impact report
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