ICAT’s regional hubs are dedicated to supporting climate action transparency at a regional level, closely aligned with the needs of the countries of a region. Their approach is anchored in providing local solutions, strengthening regional networks and promoting long-term expertise. Over the course of the year, ICAT’s three regional hubs reaffirmed their central role in climate transparency efforts in their respective regions. The hubs are firmly anchored in the conviction that locally led solutions and regional networks of expertise are the key to achieving sustainable, long-term capacity for evidence-based climate action.

In 2025, the three hubs fostered regional collaboration and enhanced expertise according to local and regional needs and priorities. With the NDC 3.0 preparation being a core milestone in this year’s national climate efforts, the hubs supported their member countries in this process, trying to cover capacity gaps, providing expert insights and facilitating peer learning. 13 out of the 25 ICAT hub member countries submitted their NDC 3.0, 10 of which acknowledged the support of ICAT and/or the hubs. 

Creating a collaborative community of experts in Central America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean 

The ICAT Regional Hub for Central America and the Dominican Republic facilitated the development of national transparency road maps for each member country, which were analyzed for common needs and gaps that could then be addressed through the Hub’s regional activities. During a year in which member countries focused on strengthening their NDCs through the NDC 3.0 process, the Hub coordinated activities to support these efforts. 

Workshops and training covered essential areas for improving NDC design through transparency, including greenhouse gas projections and assessing climate policies and measures. A cornerstone of the Hub’s approach was an emphasis on peer learning: each country brought its experts who not only deepened their own skills but also contributed their unique knowledge, reflecting national strengths, to Hub activities dedicated to enhancing NDCs through transparency. While all countries still faced transparency gaps, each had its own valuable expertise in different areas. As the Hub continued its efforts into the third year of its work, the sense of community between the region’s experts grew, demonstrating more trust and confidence to share among peers. In this way, the Hub’s peer-to-peer model enabled the region to collectively elevate capacity beyond what any country could have achieved alone. 

“There are several distinguishing elements [to the Hub]. One of them is the closeness and contact; when we need something, they respond very quickly to our calls. Another thing achieved is the creation of a network. When we participate in events, we already know and trust each other and this has created a union and integration between countries. Thirdly, this capacity building has taken place in parallel with the development of the BTRs and the updated NDCs, making the timing opportune.”—Juan Lucero, National Transparency Platform Coordinator, Panama.

An important milestone of the year came with Cuba’s formal accession to the Hub. Cuba had already participated in various Hub initiatives during the previous years, bringing advanced experience in climate action transparency. With Cuba officially a member, the Hub’s collective expertise is enriched, while its reach now fully encompasses all countries of Central America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean. 

Regional workshop in Panama, August 2025. Photo credit: CCAD

Multiplying transparency expertise and elevating data quality in Central Asia 

A major achievement of the ICAT Regional Hub for Central Asia this year was the development of an institutional and methodological framework for peer review of national greenhouse gas inventories. A series of Hub activities increased the capacity of national experts to implement structured peer review procedures, an important element of the quality assurance and control required under the ETF. Quality inventories are a foundation for effective implementation of the ETF, including consistency in tracking NDCs and engaging in cooperative activities under Article 6 of the Paris Agreement.  

The Hub’s member countries enhanced their capacity to conduct peer reviews of each other’s inventories prior to submission to the UNFCCC, strengthening the accuracy and quality of their reports. Manuals on the process have been developed to guide reviewers, as well as workbooks and checklists to help avoid common mistakes. Country experts reviewed greenhouse gas inventories of peer countries for selected sectors, such as Kazakhstan’s review of Uzbekistan’s energy sector data, using the developed manuals and workbooks to institutionalize and formalize the process. The countries plan to apply this approach for the preparation of their second BTRs, intending to improve overall data quality.

The Hub has also been implementing a train-the-trainer approach, through which selected representatives are developing knowledge-transfer skills so they can provide targeted training to the teams within their respective Ministries and units, further multiplying the base of experts. Overall, the Hub’s impact and aspiration lie in increasing capacity to fully leverage the benefits of transparency and the data it provides. By strengthening skills and creating networks that allow countries to rely on each other for expert support, the Hub is reducing dependence on external consultants. As a result, member countries are better positioned to take full ownership of implementing effective climate action and meeting their Paris Agreement obligations. 

“ICAT’s support was critical for Kyrgyzstan’s climate transparency efforts. The deployment of the GACMO tool strengthened our NDC progress assessment and supported both the preparation of our first Biennial Transparency Report and the development of sectoral targets for NDC 3.0. Equally important, the Hub facilitated networking and targeted capacity building among national experts and regional partners, which enabled timely reporting and strengthened national ownership of climate transparency processes.”—Aleksandr Temirbekov, Climate Change, Environment and Sustainable Development Consultant, Kyrgyzstan.

Regional training in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, October 2025. Photo credit: CAREC

Cultivating a maturing ecosystem for accelerated action through transparency in Central Africa

Since its origins, the ICAT Regional Hub for Central Africa has consistently built buy-in for evidence-based climate action in the region, increased national technical capacities, enabled knowledge-sharing, built confidence, and engaged decision-makers, including those at the highest political levels. In 2025, progress accelerated, revealing an undeniable contrast with the Hub’s starting point in terms of technical capacity and stakeholder engagement.

In 2025, the Hub’s host organization, the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), facilitated several high-level dialogues, including events with Ministerial participation at the Africa Climate Summit and at COP 30. The Hub also intensified capacity-building activities, relying on its established thematic working groups and network of professionals, which include climate experts in various fields and focal points within country ministries. The approach combined national and regional workshops, as well as thematic online webinars, covering topics such as greenhouse gas projections, tracking NDCs, and estimating NDC implementation costs. More than 900 national experts have received training as part of the Hub’s capacity-building efforts.

Some highlights from this year’s capacity-building efforts include:

• A regional workshop in Douala, Cameroon, in May, which reflected on the progress of NDC 2.0 and extracted lessons for designing and implementing NDC 3.0, covering a broad range of aspects, from assessing climate policies and actions to increasing transparency of climate finance.
• A regional workshop in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, in December, which convened representatives from statistical offices to enhance their engagement in climate transparency processes, helped bridge serious data-quality gaps in the Central African region and revealed the availability of complementary data for reporting and decision-making. 
• Regional training followed by in-country workshops on the GACMO tool, tailored to each country’s specific challenges and incorporating the use of national data sources. Structuring activities in this way has yielded timely and crucial knowledge, which directly contributed to data-driven and country-led NDCs 3.0 in Burundi and Chad. Equatorial Guinea and the Republic of Congo plan to follow the same approach to prepare their own NDCs 3.0. Angola also referenced GACMO and other ICAT tools in their NDC 3.0 submission.

Another important milestone achieved this year is that all 11member States finalized national transparency action plans, with Gabon and Angola’s plans as the latest additions. Countries are using these plans as a compass for prioritizing and orienting action, and approaching partners for international collaboration and support. For example, based on the gaps identified in the plans, new ICAT projects were initiated in Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2025, while preparatory discussions are underway with Equatorial Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, Burundi, and the Central African Republic. These advances, driven by country leadership, accelerate the region’s ability to deliver more tangible and transformative impact.

Regional workshop in Cameroon, May 2025. Photo credit: FOKABS