Chapter 06 · Governance & regulationRegulation & International Instruments
Biennial assessment and overview of climate finance flows (BA)
Definition
A technical report prepared every two years by the UNFCCC's Standing Committee on Finance (SCF) under a mandate from COP 17 (2011), providing an overview of climate finance flows — including their geographical and thematic balance — and an assessment of their adequacy against needs. It supports the COP's function of measuring, reporting and verifying support provided to developing countries.
References
Supports definition and framing.
Overview
What it means
The BA is the climate regime's most comprehensive official mapping of climate finance: it aggregates data from sources such as the OECD, multilateral development banks, and initiatives like the Climate Policy Initiative, covering flows from developed to developing countries and South–South cooperation.
The seventh edition (2026) for the first time draws on biennial transparency reports (BTRs) for data on support provided and received, and reflects on the new collective quantified goal on finance (NCQG).
How it is used
Negotiators, researchers and advocates use BA figures to argue over whether the USD 100 billion goal was met, the balance between mitigation and adaptation finance, grant versus loan composition, and progress toward the NCQG agreed at COP29.
Why it matters
Climate finance disputes run on numbers, and the BA is the agreed reference point: its findings shape trust between developed and developing countries and the credibility of the finance track at each COP.