Celebrating the Transparency Journey

“In our moment of great uncertainty—a time when we look around and wonder where some of our friends will stand—we’re witnessing our world send us an unmistakable message.

This year and last year, we’ve recorded the hottest temperatures in history. Spain has been struck by devastating floods, and in Al-Jawf—a region long synonymous with blistering heat and barren landscapes—snow has fallen, followed by rain, hail, and sudden waterfalls cascading through the desert. These are not ordinary times.

The world is loudly, urgently telling us something: that our inaction on climate change would be the greatest moral failure of our era. We are the generation that brought solidarity to fight a pandemic, yet today, in the face of climate change, the contrast is troubling. Where we saw unified action against COVID-19, we now see hesitation and delay in addressing the climate crisis. And so, friends, I ask—will we heed the call, or will we let history record our failure?

The greatest challenge we face isn’t just political will—it’s political change. We’re witnessing governments come to power that are retreating from climate commitments, dismissing the Paris Agreement, and turning inward.

This isn’t a crisis we can afford to address sporadically, nor is it a battle that can be won in isolated chapters, written and erased with every election. If we leave climate action to the whims of political cycles, our planet’s future becomes precarious. The climate crisis does not pause for elections or accommodate the sway of changing political tides. It demands continuity, commitment, and, most of all, solidarity.

We stand at a crossroads where the price of inaction would fall on our children and grandchildren, and on communities that have contributed least to the problem yet suffer its harshest impacts.

This is why transparency matters—why it is more than just a framework but a fundamental tool in keeping us accountable and steadfast. Transparency builds trust and lays the groundwork for meaningful climate action. It helps track our successes, pinpoint areas for improvement, and keeps us on course to limit global warming. Without transparency, we risk losing both accountability and momentum.

Initiatives like #Together4Transparency, launched at COP27, help ensure that climate commitments are visible, measurable, and upheld.

Since its inception, this initiative has brought together nations, businesses, NGOs, youth activists, and technical experts under a shared purpose: to make our actions transparent and our progress undeniable.

In this gathering, we see the power of transparency to anchor our climate journey beyond political divides, beyond changing leadership, and toward a common vision.

Transparency is not merely a reporting requirement. It’s the backbone of real, lasting climate action. For countries, transparency means acknowledging where we stand and what we need.

The Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) under the Paris Agreement is central to this accountability, requiring countries to submit their first Biennial Transparency Reports (BTRs) by the end of 2024, with biennial submissions thereafter. These reports serve as the primary means for each nation to demonstrate its progress, making the ETF a living record of our global climate commitments.

It helps us identify where resources—be they financial or technological, are required to meet our targets.

When we share openly and without hesitation, we create a legacy of trust and accountability that no political shift can undo.

For countries, transparency means having the systems in place to set clear development goals, track progress, and make strategic adjustments when needed. It empowers nations to monitor their own achievements, allocate resources wisely, and ensure that every action contributes directly to national priorities. Ultimately, transparency helps countries stay on course, providing the insights needed to make informed decisions and achieve meaningful results.”

For our young people, transparency is a beacon of hope. They look to us for certainty about their future.

Transparency gives them something solid to believe in—a clear view of the progress and shortcomings in the fight for a livable planet.

It provides them with the data to advocate, the evidence to engage, and the vision to hold us accountable.

If we are to leave them any legacy, let it be one where our words match and align with our actions.

Businesses, too, benefit immensely from transparency. As corporations set ambitious goals to reduce emissions and commit to net-zero targets, they need access to reliable data. Transparency allows them to track their impact, align with international standards, and invest in sustainable practices with confidence.

In a world where consumers are increasingly calling for corporate responsibility, transparency ensures that green commitments are more than just promises but real contributions to our planet’s future.

Our NGOs, advocacy groups, and technical experts are the stewards of accountability. Transparency provides them with the data to hold leaders, institutions, and companies accountable. It is their shield and their sword, allowing them to challenge us, push us, and keep us true to our word.

Finally, transparency is the thread that connects all of us—whether nations, businesses, youth, or civil society. It is what brings together intergovernmental organizations, UN agencies, and other multilateral bodies, working behind the scenes to build capacity in countries around the world.

Particularly in developing nations, transparency enables governments to access resources, technology, and training to meet climate standards and reporting requirements. These institutions help us see that climate action is not just a task for individual nations but a global responsibility we share.

The Bahamas is actively preparing for this new era of accountability. With funding from the Capacity-Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT), we are advancing our fourth National Communication and our first Biennial Transparency Report. For us, transparency is a pledge to secure our future.

Everyone has a role to play in advancing climate transparency. Today, we celebrate frontrunners like Andorra, Guyana, and Panama, who have already submitted their BTRs. Let’s build on this momentum, aiming for timely submissions from every nation, ensuring full participation in the ETF. Together, we will set a new standard of unity and commitment, fulfilling the promise of transparency for a sustainable future

And so, friends, let us not shy away from what is asked of us. Let us see transparency as our guiding principle, our unbreakable bond. The climate crisis is, perhaps, the greatest test of our time, and how we respond will define not only our legacy but the world our children will inherit.

In this critical hour, we must resist the pull toward isolationism, the temptation to turn inward. No nation, no community, stands alone in the face of climate change—no man, no country, is an island.

If we retreat into self-interest, if we abandon our shared responsibilities, we only weaken ourselves. Our climate fight demands unity, not division, and resilience, not retreat.

Even if some of our friends turn away from this cause—even if political tides change and commitments falter—we must hold the line. We must remember that the preservation of humanity cannot be left to chance, nor can it be treated as a gamble in the arena of political change.

The greatest tragedy would be to allow self-interest to drive us apart when only solidarity can secure our future.

Let us stand together, even when it feels like we stand alone.

Let us lead with transparency and conviction.

Let our actions today serve as a lasting promise that we will not turn our backs on each other or our planet, even when the path is difficult, even when the allies are few. Together, we can meet this moment and build a just, sustainable world for generations to come.”

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