Nuku’alofa, Tonga, 2 September 2026 – Representatives from government ministries, civil societal organizations and private sectors gathered in Nuku’alofa for a Consultation Workshop on Climate Reporting and Transparency in Tonga under the Tonga Capacity Building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) Project. 

This project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and it was officially launched in 2025 and is being implemented over four years to strengthen institutional arrangements, technical capacity, and climate reporting systems across Tonga. 

The workshop was organized by the Department of Climate Change of the Ministry of Meteorology, Energy, Information, Disaster Management, Environment, Climate Change and Communications (MEIDECC) in partnership with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 

The Tonga CBIT Project aims to strengthen the country’s institutional and technical capacity to meet its climate transparency requirements under the Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) of the Paris Agreement. The project seeks to establish robust systems for climate data management and reporting, improve the accuracy of national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories, and strengthen tracking and reporting of Tonga’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). 

Opening the workshop, Mr. Sione ‘Akauola, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ministry of MEIDECC emphasized the importance of strong partnerships and effective coordination across sectors in building a sustainable climate reporting system for Tonga. 

“Reliable and accessible climate information help us measure progress, strengthen national planning, inform policy decisions, access to climate finance, and demonstrate our achievements and priority needs to the international community. This requires strong collaboration amongst relevant stakeholders, within government, civil societal organisations and private sectors. No single institution can achieve transparency alone.” 

The consultation workshop provided stakeholders with an opportunity to review and provide feedback on three key outputs currently being developed under the CBIT Project: 

Output 1- Tonga’s proposed Institutional Arrangement for Climate Reporting; 

Output 2- Enhanced Transparency Framework (ETF) Strategy and Roadmap that outlines Tonga’s pathway to meeting transparency requirements under the Paris Agreement; and 

Output 3- A Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Data Mapping Report that identifies key data sources, custodians, data flows, and gaps for national greenhouse gas inventory preparation and NDC tracking. 

Together, these outputs provide important building blocks for strengthening Tonga’s climate transparency system by establishing clear institutional responsibilities, improving the coordination and flow of climate-related data, providing a structured pathway for more consistent, transparent, and sustainable reporting under the Paris Agreement. 

Technical presentations were delivered by CBIT project consultants and GGGI regional experts, followed by an interactive workshop session that enabled participants to contribute recommendations, identify challenges, and discuss opportunities for strengthening climate reporting systems across government and key sectors. 

Participants highlighted the importance of increasing the awareness on climate reporting and reporting requirements and understanding the need for improved institutional coordination, consistent data sharing mechanisms, and strengthened technical capacities especially addressing the gaps. 

The feedback gathered during the workshop will be used to refine and finalize the project deliverables, ensuring they are robust, practical, nationally owned, and responsive to Tonga’s reporting needs and priorities.

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Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) – Pacific Regional Office

Ms. Kelly Vacala – Regional Communications and Knowledge Sharing Lead
kelly.vacala@gggi.org