Countries most vulnerable to climate change are to receive support in the run up to COP31 and the approaching deadline for the submission ion new climate targets.

The International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) has launched a new toolkit to support the governments of least developed countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to include loss and damage and adaptation information in key climate reports.

To achieve international climate goals, countries must report on their plans and progress, but the reporting requirements can be onerous for LDCs and SIDS, which have limited resources and technical expertise.

The toolkit is designed for national focal points and technical experts. It provides an overview of the reporting mechanisms and requirements for two key instruments of the Paris Agreement: nationally determined contributions (NDCs) and biennial transparency reports (BTRs).

Ambassador Adão Soares Barbosa, chair of the LDC Group within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), welcomed the toolkit.

“This toolkit shows NDCs and BTRs are not just an administrative exercise but a strategic opportunity for LDCs to communicate our priorities and mobilise support,” he added. “I warmly welcome this practical guide. It is a valuable contribution to the LDC Group’s efforts to keep adaptation and loss and damage at the centre of the global climate negotiations.”

The 38-page document provides practical suggestions for how to include loss and damage and adaptation in national reports without creating additional burdens, including by starting with existing, easily accessible information. It will help governments to communicate key priorities, plans and goals, and report on implementation and support needs.

“It is designed to help them measure progress towards objectives, identify gaps where further support may be needed and note where goals may be conditional on finance, capacity and/or technology support, highlighting the international funding support they need,” an IIED spokesperson added. “For LDCs and SIDS, communicating their national priorities through NDCs and BTRs is not just an administrative exercise; it is a strategic opportunity. While certain elements of NDCs and BTRs – such as mitigation contributions and greenhouse gas inventories – are mandatory, countries can choose whether to include information related to adaptation, loss and damage and support needs.”

The study said effective reporting can also feed into global processes such as the Global Stocktake, the Paris Agreement’s formal process for reviewing progress toward meeting climate goals, by improving political visibility and increasing the international community’s focus on adapting to the inevitable impacts of climate change and addressing resulting loss and damage.

One of the authors, Lina Yassin, IIED senior researcher and adaptation advisor to the LDC Group, said climate negotiations must reflect the realities of the most vulnerable states.

“The strength of the climate process depends on whether countries’ lived realities shape the decisions it makes,” she said. “The LDC Group has shown leadership in this: despite limited funding and capacity, countries are documenting climate impacts, adaptation efforts and the support they need.”

Yassin added the toolkit is firmly grounded in existing climate reporting, noting: We developed this toolkit by drawing on examples from countries’ own reports, showing how practitioners can build on information they already have.

“As the next round of reporting approaches, we hope it helps more LDCs bring their experiences into the evidence that guides negotiations, and turn that evidence into stronger action and support,” she said.

The Paris Agreement sets out three overarching goals: limiting temperature increase to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels; increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and fostering climate resilience; and making finance flows consistent with low-emission, climate-resilient development. To achieve these goals, countries must join global efforts and report on their progress.

Parties to the Paris Agreement are due to submit their second BTRs by the end of 2026. LDCs and SIDS are given flexibility due to their special national circumstances.