A workshop organized on 3 December 2024 marked the launch of the ICAT project in Samoa, aiming to enhance transparency mechanisms and strengthen national capacity for climate action. 

The workshop brought together Samoan stakeholders, in particular representatives of the country’s sector coordination units, which play a key role in implementing and tracking climate actions. Following the workshop’s activities, participants gained a deeper understanding of the ICAT project’s role in advancing Samoa’s climate goals, identified initial gaps and sectoral needs in data for climate action, and collaboratively prioritized areas for enhanced tracking of climate action.

The ICAT project in Samoa aims to strengthen the country’s climate action data frameworks and capacity to monitor progress towards its climate commitments under the Paris Agreement. It will focus on improving the accuracy and reliability of greenhouse gas emissions data and projections across key sectors, such as the energy sector. This will support the development of climate measures that address Samoa’s national climate priorities. 

“Transparency can help policymakers better understand what efforts are needed to achieve Samoa’s commitments. It is central to building trust amongst stakeholders and to attracting climate finance,” emphasized Celeste Gonzalez, ICAT secretariat representative.

In addition, the project will focus on building capacity among national stakeholders through training and consultations on climate reporting requirements, with the use of ICAT tools.

Samoa’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is leading the project implementation, with support from climate experts from the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre.

Samoa is the fourth country in the Pacific to join the initiative, after Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu. By joining ICAT, Samoa can also benefit from peer-to-peer learning and knowledge sharing within the ICAT community, in the Pacific and the rest of the world.

Photo: UNEP-CCC