Eswatini launched a new project under the Initiative for Climate Action Transparency (ICAT) to strengthen transparency frameworks in the area of climate change adaptation and develop evidence-based policies in the energy sector. 

The Ministry of Tourism & Environmental Affairs (MTEA) hosted an inception workshop on 19-20 October 2023, with wide participation of national stakeholders. 

ICAT provides countries with tailored support to achieve national priorities. For Eswatini, achieving national climate objectives means strong and comprehensive climate action in both mitigation and adaptation. Robust transparency frameworks are vital, as they will provide the continuous quality data needed to develop effective climate policies and measures. This new ICAT project will support the development of Eswatini’s transparency framework for adaptation and advance policy development in the renewable energy sector. 

MTEA is leading the project implementation, with support from climate change experts from the University of Eswatini and the Greenhouse Gas Management Institute. 

Inception workshop group photo.

Enhancing adaptation to climate change in vital sectors

The first ICAT project in Eswatini, which concluded in 2022, resulted in the development of the roadmap for adaptation activities in the water and health sectors. This road map included a gap analysis and an action plan. Building on the successful outcomes of the first project, in this second project Eswatini will develop a measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) framework for tracking climate change adaptation actions in the two sectors. 

MRV frameworks provide the data necessary for evidence-based policymaking. The data that will be gathered thanks to the MRV framework developed in the ICAT project will inform the elaboration of Eswatini’s national adaptation plan, currently under development. Being able to track progress in adaptation in the water and health sectors contribute to inform national strategies in these sectors to improve the country’s resilience to climate change. 

Tapping the potential of biomass energy

An important outcome of the first ICAT project was the development of institutional arrangements for data collection in the energy sector, outlining clear responsibilities and procedures. In addition, the project delivered an updated inventory of the land use and forestry sectors, including sugarcane and other biomass sub-sectors. With these foundations in place, Eswatini now has the data needed to support the elaboration of a national bioenergy policy, which will be supported by the new ICAT project.

In its nationally determined contributions to the global response to climate change, Eswatini  highlighted biomass energy as the largest source of renewable energy potential in the country. An effective bioenergy policy would not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also address multiple socio-economic challenges, such as access to electricity, pollution, impacts to the labor market, and others. Under the ICAT project, Eswatini will use data and transparency mechanisms to assess potential impacts of the policy and objectively demonstrate progress. 

Workshop participants from MTEA, UNESWA, the Climate Change Youth Parliament (CCYP) and GHGMI.

Strengthening and multiplying national capacity

Wide stakeholder engagement and in-country capacity building are crucial elements for transparency frameworks, and the only way to ensure that sufficient, good quality data is provided in a continuous manner. Through this ICAT project, Eswatini expects to enhance capacity and stakeholder engagement in the MRV process and tracking framework.

Eswatini’s stakeholders have demonstrated their interest and active engagement in climate action transparency processes. Starting already with this inception workshop, the second ICAT project will regularly bring together national stakeholders in different regions in Eswatini for workshops to present project outputs and engage in a dialogue around them, as well as for trainings and other capacity-building activities. The collaboration with the University of Eswatini contributes to enhancing capacity building efforts in the country, while also feeding into knowledge production that is tailored to the national context.