Cote d'Ivoire -Strengthening mandatory environmental reporting and consideration of SLCPs by the private sector

RATIONALE

The project responds to a request made by the Ministry of Environment, Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition of Côte d’Ivoire to strengthen the mandatory reporting framework for companies (transport, oil & gas, agriculture, waste management, and food & beverage industries sectors) in Côte d’Ivoire to account for SLCP emissions and to engage the private sector in the NDC implementation and progress reporting.  

The Ministry of Environment, Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition of Côte d’Ivoire plays a role in enforcing recently updated national environmental laws and regulations . This responsibility includes establishing a legal framework that mandates compliance with environmental standards, as well as overseeing the implementation of various initiatives aimed at resource management, conservation, and pollution control. Relevant authorities, such as the Centre Ivoirien Antipollution (CIAPOL) under the Ministry of Environment, Sustainable Development and Ecological Transition, are tasked with monitoring activities that may impact the environment and promoting awareness about the necessity of compliance among the private sector.  

In Côte d’Ivoire, the regulatory framework governing environmental protection requires that the private sector secure environmental permits which include the submission of environmental impacts assessment (EIES) every three (3) years to ensure compliance with national and international standards. These impacts assessments as well as yearly auditing by CIAPOL are essential for any undertaking that may impact the environment. At the same time, the private sector is subject to a set of stringent reporting standards and compliance obligations aimed at environmental protection. These regulations are designed to ensure that the private sector operates in a manner that minimizes environmental impact while adhering to the established legal framework. Companies are required to submit environmental impact assessments that provide critical information on their environmental practices, thereby contributing to the overall sustainability efforts in the region.

As part of the environmental compliance standards, the private sector (transport, oil & gas, agriculture, waste management, and food & beverage industries sectors) must report emissions but this does not include all GHG and SLCP emissions and there is limited capacity at the national level and at the industry level to report effectively.

This project will enable a co-creation process between the Government of Côte d’Ivoire and the private sector to strengthen the environmental compliance reporting standards and to enhance the engagement of the private sector in climate commitments and reporting in the revised NDC. The project will consider the CCAC supported Practical Guide For Business: Air Pollutant Emission Assessment to inform the reporting requirements.  

This project should align with and contribute to the implementation of the following policies:  

• NDC (2.0)
• National SLCP Action Plan 

Activities

Outcome 1. The Government of Côte d’Ivoire has a demonstrated increased capacity on including SLCPs into mandatory reporting requirements for the private sector across their value chains by the end of the project.

Indicator: Number of government entities with a demonstrated improved capacity for SLCP action  

• Output 1.1: Assessment of the current environmental compliance legal framework and reporting requirements for private sector, identification of gaps and recommendations for strengthening SLCP emission reporting.
• Output 1.2: Workshop with environmental compliance regulatory bodies and the private sector to build capacity with a focus on:  
  • Application of the CCAC supported Practical Guide For Business: Air Pollutant Emission Assessment across value chains
  • Assessment and integration of SLCP and air pollutant emissions into existing GHG inventories
  • Addition of SLCP and air pollutant emissions to their annual sustainability reporting
  • Integration of SLCPs and air pollutants mitigation into their planning.  
• Output 1.3: Workshop with environmental compliance regulatory bodies and targeted companies to build capacity to:  
  • assess mitigation options
  • develop SLCP emissions reduction plans
  • develop integrated SLCP, GHG and air pollutant emissions reduction targets
  • investigate the potential for spatial allocation of emission and assessment of health, agriculture and climate impacts of emissions  
  • assess engagement with national climate commitments and reporting under the NDC update.  
• Output 1.4: Recommendations for the integration of SLCPs into Côte d’Ivoire’s environmental compliance legal framework for the private sector.

Outcome 2: The Government of Côte d’Ivoire adopts strengthened environmental compliance regulations with the integration of SLCP reporting requirements for the private sector by the end of the project  

Indicator: Number of laws, regulations, or other policy mechanisms with SLCP targets or mitigation measures formally adopted, endorsed, and/or implemented 

• Output 2.1: Co-creation workshop between the Government of Côte d’Ivoire and the private sector to develop SLCP emission reporting standards for the environmental compliance legal framework.
• Output 2.2: Develop guidance for the regulators on the enforcement of GHG and SLCP emissions reporting standards
• Output 2.3: Develop guidance for the private sector on the requirements for GHG and SLCP emissions reporting based on the results from outputs 1.2 and 1.3.
• Output 2.4: Strengthen the requirements for GHG and SLCP emissions reporting for mandatory environmental impacts assessments.   

Reference number: [CI-25-007] Côte d'Ivoire -Strengthening mandatory environmental reporting and consideration of SLCPs by the private sector