EUROSAI Audit on Climate Change

Report ID: 22

The aim of the audit was to assess the actions taken in the States of the Cooperating SAIs to implement the provisions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Kyoto Protocol to this Convention, Directive 2003/87/EC establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and the requirements of the national legislation, in the scope of:

• the performance of observations on climate change and its effects,
• actions taken to mitigate climate change,
• forecasts and assessments of the actual anthropogenic greenhouse gas emission and absorption levels,
• reporting on the scope of the actions taken and planned to be taken in order to mitigate climate change and the achieved effects of these actions.

The audit demonstrated that in the period 2006 – 2008 in all the States of the Cooperating SAIs climate change observations were performed, covering climate variables and including analysis and interpretation of the research results. The scope and frequency of the research carried out in the individual States was different, but in all of them the basic climate variables were tested. The observation results were published in the reports of government agencies and statistical reports and they were also placed on the websites of the competent government institutions or meteorological services. All the States were involved in international cooperation in the scope of research and an exchange of observation data, e.g. through their participation in international networks and research projects, their work at the technical commissions of the World Meteorological Organisation and training courses. Climate change observations were funded with financial resources from the state budget, national, other than budget resources and international funds.

In all the States of the Cooperating SAIs, measures were taken to mitigate climate change through the limitation of their greenhouse gas emissions and the enhancement of the capacity of the sinks and reservoirs of these gases. Bodies responsible for taking measures to mitigate climate change were established. In 8 States, national and sectoral strategies, programmes or action plans necessary to stabilise and limit greenhouse gas emissions were prepared and in 2 States their preparation began. In 7 States the greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 30% - 53% with respect to the base year (under the Kyoto Protocol: 1988, 1990, 1995 or 2000, depending on the State) and in 1 State the emissions grew by 85.3%. The per capita levels of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions varied between 5.1 – 16.4 Mg CO2e.

In the EU Member States, the provisions of the Emissions Trading Scheme Directive were implemented. National emission allowance allocation plans were developed, an emission allowance trading scheme was established and the required registries were kept. Among the 6 States of the Cooperating SAIs which were not EU Member States, emission allowances were traded pursuant to the Kyoto Protocol only in 1 country.

6 States of the Cooperating SAIs – Azerbaijan, Cyprus, Denmark, Israel, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and Switzerland – were involved in the implementation of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects, whereas 5 of them – Denmark, Estonia, Poland, Russia and Ukraine – participated in Joint Implementation (JI) projects. The international cooperation in the field of the mitigation of climate change effects also included the implementation of educational projects, support for legislative activities and participation in the working groups of international agencies. The activities within the framework of international cooperation were funded with national resources and those from international financial institutions, such as the World Bank and UNDP.

In all the States of the Cooperating SAIs, the measures to mitigate climate change were monitored.

The required reports were prepared and submitted to the UNFCCC Secretariat and the European Commission. Certain reports were submitted with a delay.

WGEA Coordinated International Audit on Climate Change

Report ID: 257

In June 2007, the INTOSAI Working Group on Environmental Audit embarked on a coordinated audit because of the economic, social, and environmental significance of governments’ work to address climate change challenges. The project involved 14 SAIs—from developed countries, countries with economies in transition, and developing countries—and included Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Indonesia, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

For this project, the SAIs cooperated in the design  and undertaking of national audits of their respective governments’ climate change programs and performance. Each SAI undertook one or more audits (in some cases, studies and reviews) in the fields of greenhouse gas emissions mitigation and/or climate change adaptation to determine whether their governments were doing what they said they would do. During this period, 10 SAIs of the European Organisation of Supreme Audit Institutions (EUROSAI), a regional working group of INTOSAI, also undertook joint audit work focused on climate change. The findings of the 33 national audits and the EUROSAI audit work are included in Appendix A and Appendix B, respectively.

The report draws on the findings of the 33 audits of national implementation of climate change programs. It summarizes the key findings from this work and aims to:

• report on whether governments are (or are not) doing what they said they would do;

• encourage governments to take, improve, and/ or strengthen proper and effective actions;

• assist legislatures in holding governments to account;

• inspire other SAIs to undertake audits of climate change and coordinated audits and to help them by raising awareness of appropriate audit techniques; raise awareness of the important role that supreme audit institutions play in bringing accountability to governments that are implementing policies and actions related to greenhouse gas mitigation and climate change adaptation.

Source: WGEA website http://www.environmental‐auditing.org.

INTOSAI WGEA Coordinated audit of climate change

Report ID: 290

In June 2007, the INTOSAI Working Group on Environmental Audit embarked on a coordinated audit of climate change programs. The project involved 14 SAIs: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Indonesia, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

For this project, from 2007 to 2010, the SAIs cooperated in the design  and undertaking of national audits of their respective governments’ climate change programs and performance. Each SAI undertook one or more audits (in some cases, studies and reviews) in the fields of greenhouse gas emissions mitigation and/or climate change adaptation to determine whether their governments were doing what they said they would do. As a result, a joint summary report—Coordinated International Audit on Climate Change: Key Implications for Governments and their Auditors was issued.

In addition, considering that the cooperative audit was the first of its kind for the WGEA and for several of the participating SAIs, as well as their diverse experience in auditing climate change programs, the mix of audit mandates, practices and ideas on how to audit such programs, a  Process Chronicle and Lessons Learned report was prepared by the SAI of Canada (Project Leader).

The purpose of the report is to capture the process used and the lessons learned in executing the coordinated international audit on climate change.

It is divided into three sections:

• a chronicle of the process used to plan and guide the project

• lessons learned from the perspectives of the individual participant

• perspectives of the Project Leader

Source: https://www.environmental-auditing.org/media/2509/15220-e_wgea-coordinated-international-audit-on-climate-change-lessons-learned.pdf

International Cooperation Audit Report "Environmental Management for the Protection of Natural Resources in the Amazon Region"

Report ID: 335

The Amazon Basin is equivalent to 41% of the South American Continental space, in which participate Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, Venezuela and French Guiana, so that enables find a high number of thermic floors; hence, the diversity of endemic species of flora and fauna. In the Amazonia there are 1150 rivers of different magnitude that carry more than 20% of world’s freshwater.  All this richness is being in danger by the destructive combination created by the Global Warming and Deforestation

The singular importance of the Amazon Basin  motivated the Comptroller General's Offices of Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, and the Court of Accounts of Brazil to sign a Cooperation Agreement to conduct a coordinated audit to evaluate the management carried out by their respective governments regarding the policies of conservation and management of the natural and cultural heritage of the Amazon region.

Thi cooperative audit was performed under the framework of the activities of OLACEFS  Environment Special Technical Commission. The audit in cooperation included a selective evaluation of the principal public institutions of each country, in charge of implementing the Amazon Cooperation Treaty, in order to establish the proper level of compliance
with the commitments arising from said Treaty and the management executed by government entities.

The objectives of the audit were:

• To assess the management conducted by the governments of the countries of the Amazon Region, about meeting the goals and commitments established in the framework of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty, with the aim to elaborate a report that contributes to the conservation and sustainable use of the natural and cultural resources of the region.

• To assess the management developed by government agencies and entities responsible for the conservation, management of natural and cultural heritage of the Amazon region, aimed at finding sustainable development and social cohesion.

The audit was supported by In Went – Capacity Building International of Germany that accepted the initiative to develop the audit, through the regional office for the Andean countries, and also financed important aspects for the execution of this work.

Source: https://www.contraloria.gob.ec/Informativo/InformesAuditoriaAmbiental/AuditoriaAmbiental

Informe Internacional de la Auditoría Cooperativa de Gestión Ambiental para la protección de los recursos naturales en la región Amazónica

Report ID: 337

La Cuenca Amazónica equivale al 41% del espacio continental sudamericano, en el que participan Brasil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Perú, Surinam, Venezuela y Guayana Francesa, por lo que permite encontrar un alto número de pisos térmicos; de ahí la diversidad de especies endémicas de flora y fauna. En la Amazonia hay 1150 ríos de diferente magnitud que transportan más del 20% del agua dulce del mundo.  Toda esta riqueza está en peligro por la combinación destructiva creada por el Calentamiento Global y la Deforestación.

La singular importancia de la cuenca del Amazonas motivó a las Contralorías Generales de Colombia, el Ecuador y el Perú, y al Tribunal de Cuentas del Brasil a firmar un Acuerdo de Cooperación para realizar una auditoría coordinada que evaluara la gestión realizada por sus respectivos gobiernos en relación con las políticas de conservación y gestión del patrimonio natural y cultural de la región amazónica.

Esta auditoría cooperativa se realizó en el marco de las actividades de la Comisión Técnica Especial de Medio Ambiente de la OLACEFS. La auditoría en cooperación incluyó una evaluación selectiva de las principales instituciones públicas de cada país, encargadas de aplicar el Tratado de Cooperación Amazónica, a fin de establecer el nivel de cumplimiento adecuado con los compromisos derivados de dicho Tratado y la gestión ejecutada por las entidades gubernamentales.

Los objetivos de la auditoría fueron:
- Evaluar la gestión llevada a cabo por los gobiernos de los países de la Región Amazónica, sobre el cumplimiento de las metas y compromisos establecidos en el marco del Tratado de Cooperación Amazónica, con el fin de elaborar un informe que contribuya a la conservación y al uso sostenible de los recursos naturales y culturales de la región.
- Evaluar la gestión desarrollada por los organismos gubernamentales y las entidades responsables de la conservación, la gestión del patrimonio natural y cultural de la región amazónica, con el fin de encontrar el desarrollo sostenible y la cohesión social.

La auditoría contó con el apoyo de In Went - Capacity Building International de Alemania, que aceptó la iniciativa de desarrollar la auditoría, a través de la oficina regional para los países andinos, y también financió aspectos importantes para la ejecución de esta labor.

Fuente: https://www.contraloria.gob.ec/Informativo/InformesAuditoriaAmbiental/AuditoriaAmbiental