Palau’s Office of Climate Change (OCC) is investing in a national greenhouse gas emissions data management system, including the country’s first interactive emissions dashboard. The initiative is part of a broader effort by the OCC to build sustainable country data systems that inform policy and international reporting requirements.
The OCC’s data and reporting capabilities has grown from a team of 3 to 7 people, reflecting a commitment to quality data collection, management and reporting. It is also a strategic decision to move more expertise in-house, complementing support provided by external agencies.
In 2024, the New Zealand Climate Finance Capacity Support Programme (CFCSP) supported the placement of Data Analyst, Steve Moruri, within the OCC. The new role is an embedded one and has boosted the department’s capabilities, allowing Data and Reporting Officer, Micki Etpison, to focus on reporting rather than juggling day-day data collection and management.
“We’re now better able to manage data ourselves and strengthen our relationships with other agencies. It has also meant that I have been able to shift my focus to my data and reporting role rather than getting caught up in data collection and management.”
Over the past 6 months, Micki, Steve and their OCC team have laid the foundations for collecting, analysing and visualising emissions data. The new interactive dashboard allows users to explore emissions trends from 2006 onward, compare data across sectors and years, and gain a clearer picture of Palau’s emissions profile. It is set to go live on the OCC website following the 2025 round of data collection.
Meanwhile, the improved data system has been used to inform Palau’s most recent Third National Communication to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and will play a key role in the upcoming Biennial Transparency Report.
Steve said the dashboard is a powerful tool but what matters most is the system behind it.
“Having the dashboard and visualising the data and making it easier for everyone to access is pretty cool, but what’s really exciting is building the engine behind it and knowing that we now have a sustainable system to ingest, analyse and visualise the data going forward.”
As the dashboard nears its public release, the OCC’s work – supported through the CFCSP – is already improving the quality and accessibility of Palau’s climate data. The streamlined systems are strengthening collaboration across agencies and stakeholders, and paving the way for more transparent, data-driven climate action.
_______________________
Feature image: Micki Etpison (left), Data and Reporting Officer and Steve Moruri (right), Data Analyst from Palau’s Office of Climate Change.