In 2015 world leaders adopted the Paris Agreement with goals to limit global temperature rise, strengthen resilience to climate impacts and align financial flows. In the years leading up to and following this milestone, CCXG has supported dialogue on key elements of the Agreement and subsequent negotiations to finalise the Paris rulebook. CCXG work has helped to advance understanding, and lay the groundwork for agreement among countries on key issues – contributing to concrete outcomes at pivotal moments in the international climate process.
Supporting the Paris Agreement through the CCXG
OECD-IEA Climate Change Expert Group (CCXG) work to inform discussions among countries has helped to shape the Paris Agreement and later decisions at annual UN climate conferences, supporting more ambitious climate efforts at the global level.
Background
Julio Cordano
Director of the Department of Climate Change and Sustainable Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chile, and current Chair of the CCXG
"In times of an increasing need for more collective climate action, the CCXG has a unique role to play, bringing together negotiators and practitioners, with the aim of contributing to clear multilateral rules and to inspire collaboration. The Paris Agreement is in full implementation and the CCXG is the platform for well-informed discussions on how to make the most of it, including on critical issues such as finance, markets, adaptation and ambition."
Helen Plume
Former Principal Analyst, Ministry for the Environment, New Zealand, and CCXG Chair (2018-2021)
“The CCXG played a critical part in the development of the modalities, procedures and guidelines for the Paris Agreement’s transparency framework, providing analytical thinking and a safe place to build trust and explore new ideas. The transparency framework sits at the heart of the Paris Agreement and the CCXG should be proud of its role in helping to bring the transparency framework to life.”
Key CCXG areas of focus related to the Paris Agreement
Transparency is a crucial pillar of the Paris Agreement as understanding trends in climate action is a key ingredient for advancing climate ambition and building trust among countries. CCXG work has influenced several transparency-related outcomes over the past years, including the final guidance for the enhanced transparency framework (ETF). Analysis of options to reflect and operationalise flexibility provisions discussed in CCXG papers on reporting tables for GHG inventories and reporting tools, as well as at dedicated workshops in 2021, are reflected in the guidance adopted at COP26. Similarly key issues and options to report on financial support provided, mobilised and received, which benefited from CCXG and broader OECD work on climate finance (see above), are reflected in some elements of the final set of reporting tables.
Early CCXG analysis highlighting gaps in the existing reporting framework under the UNFCCC helped to generate momentum and agreement amongst countries to strengthen reporting provisions under the Paris Agreement. Subsequent analysis on unpacking transparency provisions on mitigation and support, on accounting for diverse mitigation contributions, and on the possible structure of reporting on mitigation elements, informed negotiations to develop modalities, procedures and guidelines (MPGs) for the ETF.
Article 6 of the Paris Agreement establishes principles for voluntary co-operation among countries and provides flexibility to achieve and go beyond their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The final rules under Article 6 adopted at COP29 reflect numerous elements drawn from CCXG’s work, particularly on authorisation under Article 6. Previous work by CCXG on advancing Article 6 negotiations, on operationalising the Article 6.4 mechanism, on Article 6.4 baseline approaches and on reporting and review under Articles 6 and 13 directly informed key decisions adopted at COP26. Notably, CCXG analyses provided technical guidance on the design of the Article 6.4 mechanism, building on lessons from the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), that were subsequently reflected in the COP26 decision.
Early work by CCXG on unpacking the design and governance of carbon market mechanisms, on tracking and trading GHG units and options for emissions accounting under the UNFCCC helped inform discussions amongst countries on carbon markets and shape provisions in the Paris Agreement, including on the avoidance of double counting under Article 6.
The global stocktake (GST) is an exercise, undertaken every five years, to assess progress towards the goals in the Paris Agreement. Beyond taking stock of efforts, the GST also informs countries’ nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and strengthens international co-operation. The first GST was launched in 2021 at COP26 and concluded in 2023 at COP28.
A series of CCXG analytical papers on the first GST and related discussions at global forum events in 2021-2023 were influential in shaping the process and its final outcomes. CCXG analysis on how to translate GST outputs into action and on delivering its mandate on adaptation helped advance and steer inform negotiations between countries. Several options identified in CCXG analysis as useful ways forward, including establishing a troika of COP Presidencies to maintain political momentum and leveraging linkages with relevant parallel processes, were reflected in the GST decision adopted at COP28.
Beyond supporting the negotiations, CCXG has also been focusing on implementation of the Paris Agreement. This includes in-depth analysis of countries net-zero targets and work on aligning short-term climate action with long-term climate goals which helped inform discussions on the framing and approach to national climate commitments. Recent CCXG analysis on NDCs focusing on the design of mitigation elements, on taking forward the first GST and insights from biennial transparency reports (BTRs) has provided timely practical insights to support countries in preparing their 2025 round of NDCs. CCXG technical analysis on NDCs has also informed wider OECD and IEA work, including a 2025 OECD-UNDP report on the case for enhanced NDCs, the 2023 update of the IEA Net Zero Roadmap and the IEA Climate Pledges Explorer, among others.
Jo Tyndall
Director, OECD Environment Directorate
“CCXG provides an invaluable platform for a wide range of countries to advance technical discussions on key issues under the international climate process in a neutral space. As New Zealand’s former Climate Change Ambassador and Head of Delegation to the UNFCCC and in my current role at the OECD, I have seen CCXG’s work from both sides now. I can attest to its direct relevance to the UNFCCC processes and the constructive spirit it fosters amongst delegates.”
Laura Cozzi
Director, Sustainability, Technology and Outlooks, IEA
"The work of the CCXG has been instrumental in bridging technical complexity with policy relevance. At the IEA, we greatly value CCXG’s role in driving policy action anchored in evidence-based analysis and multilateral technical dialogues."
Related CCXG publications
Read more about the OECD-IEA Climate Change Expert Group (CCXG)
