Since December 1, ClimateScanner has been presented at the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28), held in Dubai, UAE. The president of the Brazilian Federal Court of Accounts (TCU) and chair of the International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions (INTOSAI), Minister Bruno Dantas, and the vice-president of TCU, Minister Vital do Rêgo, took part in panels and meetings with the aim of presenting the tool and seeking financial support for training the SAIs that will use it. 

ClimateScanner will allow Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs) to evaluate and monitor government actions to tackle the climate crisis. The project is a global initiative that will collect, consolidate and publicize data on government actions related to climate change. The tool is structured around three thematic areas: financing, governance and public policies. The design of the methodology was finalized in November by the Executive Group made up of 18 SAIs. As chair of INTOSAI, TCU is coordinating the initiative. 

On December 1, Minister Bruno Dantas took part in the panels "ClimateScanner: an innovative assessment of national governments' actions in relation to climate change", in the Brazilian government pavilion, and "Impact of climate action - the Supreme Audit Institutions acting for the effective implementation of climate-related policies", in the SAI UAE pavilion. 

Dantas pointed out the shared responsibility for tackling climate change and reinforced the fundamental role of Supreme Audit Institutions in monitoring government actions. With the data collected with ClimateScanner, SAIs will be able to identify the sectors that require more in-depth analysis in their respective countries. "By independently evaluating climate initiatives, ClimateScanner promotes accountability and transparency, ensuring the responsible use of public resources. In addition, the tool facilitates evidence-based decision-making by analyzing government data and providing recommendations to strengthen climate governance," he said. 

President Dantas explained that the tool has been developed in such a way that it can be adapted to different national contexts. "The methodology has proved viable for this flexibility and the developing team has worked hard to create a robust assessment tool. It is important to note that SAIs applying the tool will be offered specific training during the next year in order to guarantee consistent and standardized assessments in each country," he said. 

TCU participates in panels and meetings on the climate crisis

Over the weekend, TCU's vice-president, Minister Vital do Rêgo, represented the TCU and the chair of INTOSAI at the debates "Green technologies, H2 and carbon capture (CCUS)", at the National Confederation of Industry pavilion, and "Effective spending? Auditors for accountability and effective climate spending", in the Finnish pavilion. He pointed out that ClimateScanner could contribute to the transparency of resources earmarked for actions to fight climate crisis and to the organization and structuring of these resources. 

"Each country sets its own commitments, defines its targets and reports according to its own metrics and methodologies. What guarantees do we have that this information is reliable? As SAIs, we act as guardians of government and can contribute to improving government transparency, empowering society to demand more effective action from their governments," he said. 

On Monday (4/12), President Dantas spoke on the panel "Integrating national and sub-national efforts to tackle the climate emergency", in the pavilion of the Interstate Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Legal Amazon. He emphasized the need for coordination between different levels of government - federal, state and municipal - and other institutions to address the climate crisis in a sustainable and collective manner. The main goal, he said, " involves the implementation of environmental policies, adaptation and mitigation strategies, as well as the financing needed to face climate challenges". 

The president recalled that SAIs can support actions to fight climate crisis by guiding governments and driving change through independent audits. "ClimateScanner will also be very useful for action by governors, after all, we have to think globally and act locally. Diagnostics will be provided to make it easier to identify the climate-related issues that need to be prioritized," he added.  

The following panel, "ClimateScanner: an innovative tool for climate finance", held in the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) pavilion, was attended by TCU auditors Dashiell da Costa, ClimateScanner coordinator, and Carlos Lustosa, ClimateScanner supervisor. 

On December 10, they participated in the panel "ClimateScanner: audit institutions as central actors to leverage climate finance and policies"  

Participation

The panels on ClimateScanner were attended by high-level officials and experts from different parts of the world, such as the secretary general of the INTOSAI Working Group on Environmental Auditing (WGEA), Vivi Niemenma, the director general of the Climate Finance Group for Latin America and the Caribbean (GFLAC), Sandra Guzmán, the climate policy coordinator at the Sustainable Futures Collaborative, Easwaran Narassimhan, the senior auditor of the European Court of Auditors Joanna Kokot, the Secretary of Environment and Sustainability of Pará, Mauro O' de Almeida, the Undersecretary of the SAI UAE, Mohamed AlZaabi, the Deputy Director General of the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI), Archana Shirsat, among others. 

Watch the video about ClimateScannner.