The Wuppertal Institute at the COP22 in Marrakech

From 7 to 18 November 2016, the twenty-second world climate conference (COP22) will take place in Marrakech - the first conference after the entry into force of the Paris Climate Agreement. Marrakech will thus be the litmus test whether states are really serious about the new spirit of cooperation.

This question will first and foremost be decided in the negotiations on the details on the heart of the Paris Agreement, the international "transparency mechanism". This mechanism regulates how states are to report on their climate actions and how the international community is to examine these reports. Only a really strong mechanism can discipline countries and make them take their climate promises seriously.

Three issues are especially important in this context:

• Which data is to be gathered for the five-yearly "global stocktake"? The transparency mechanism can work only if the contributions by individual countries are made transparent and reviewed internationally.
• Will states agree on uniform and transparent formats for their contributions? This would be especially important for the length of the contribution periods. In addition, the different types of contributions should also be harmonised and made comparable to the greatest possible extent.
• The role of the so-called "carbon markets" needs to be clarified. If a country implements climate actions, the resulting greenhouse gas reductions can be sold to another country and counted against this country's greenhouse gas balance. Without a robust system to make such transactions transparent, there is a risk that climate actions could be counted multiple times, creating a loop in the climate protection system.

The Wuppertal Institute team has attended the international climate negotiations for more than 20 years and has substantial expertise on questions of detail as well on assessing the "big picture". In addition to the institute's public relations staff, experts from the Wuppertal Institute are available on-site in Marrakech.

You can also find these and many other publications at: wupperinst.org/en/cop