13 July 2012: The UNFCCC Secretariat has published the report of the in-depth review of Australia’s fifth national communication (NC5) (FCCC/IDR.5/AUS). The report covers the review of the NC5 coordinated by the UNFCCC Secretariat, in accordance with the guidelines for review under Article 8 of the Kyoto Protocol (decision 22/CMP.1).

The expert review team (ERT) notes that Australia’s NC5 complies mostly with the Guidelines for the preparation of Annex I national communications, Part II: UNFCCC reporting guidelines on national communications, and contains supplementary information required under Protocol Article 7.2 (submission of information to demonstrate compliance with Protocol commitments). The ERT commends Australia for considering most of the recommendations provided in the fourth national communication in-depth review report. The ERT concludes that the NC5 provides a good overview of the national climate policy of Australia and that the information provided in the NC5 includes most mandatory information required by the UNFCCC reporting guidelines and most elements of the supplementary information under Protocol Article 7, with the exception of some elements, where transparency could be improved. During the in-country review, Australia provided additional information on the missing elements.

In the course of the review, the ERT recommended that Australia improve the completeness and transparency of reporting by including in the next national communication some specific information, including on technology transfer, and research and systematic observation. [Publication: Report of the In-depth Review of the Fifth National Communication of Australia]