{"id":1819,"date":"2012-11-27T11:44:33","date_gmt":"2012-11-27T11:44:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatepolicyinitiative.org\/?p=1819"},"modified":"2026-04-02T01:50:36","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T01:50:36","slug":"keeping-track-of-climate-progress-are-countries-well-placed-to-meet-new-tracking-needs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.climatepolicyinitiative.org\/pt-br\/keeping-track-of-climate-progress-are-countries-well-placed-to-meet-new-tracking-needs\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping track of climate progress: Are countries well-placed to meet new tracking needs?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the business school adage goes, you manage what you measure.<\/p>\n

When it comes to progress on climate change, measurement doesn\u2019t often capture much public attention. However, measurement and reporting play a fundamental behind-the-scenes role: They help build confidence that countries are doing what they say, and they also build capacity for countries to identify opportunities and tackle challenges domestically.<\/p>\n

Right now, climate negotiators are gathering in Doha for the\u00a018th<\/sup>\u00a0Conference of the Parties\u00a0(COP 18) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). While headlines around these meetings usually focus on the lack of progress in UNFCCC discussions of countries\u2019 emissions reduction targets, the UNFCCC is making strides on other fronts. In the past three years, countries have agreed to significantly expand the amount of information they report on their greenhouse gas emissions and their climate policies and measures.<\/p>\n

Many countries are also taking action domestically to reduce their emissions, creating additional policy tracking needs beyond those for the UNFCCC. As they expand existing climate policy efforts and plan future policy directions, policymakers need to get a better sense of their progress so far.<\/p>\n

These emerging reporting needs are a good thing \u2014 they mean that countries are expanding their climate policy efforts and need to know how they\u2019re doing. However, these new requirements also place new demands on the institutions and processes countries use for measurement, reporting, and verification.<\/p>\n

In a new report<\/a>, CPI identifies what these developments will mean for domestic measurement, reporting, and verification systems in four countries \u2014 China, Germany, Italy, and the United States \u2014 and identifies priority areas for improvement.\u00a0We focus on these four countries because they face different international obligations and have all made significant \u2014 though varied \u2014 domestic commitments to climate change mitigation; they are also countries where CPI has on-the-ground expertise.<\/p>\n

Some of our key findings are:<\/p>\n

International reporting\u00a0<\/strong>under the UNFCCC is expanding for all countries.<\/p>\n