Climate technology experts representing developed and developing countries met virtually last week and discussed how governments can more effectively green their economies and prepare for the inevitable impacts of climate change.
The virtual meeting was of the UNFCCC’s Technology Executive Committee (TEC), which plays a key role in helping countries identify climate technology policies that support them in achieving the objectives of the Paris Agreement.
The 19 experts on the committee agreed on two technology policy briefs: A brief on Enhancing implementation of the results of the technology needs assessment, highlighting experiences, good practices and lessons learned in conducting the assessment and implementing their results.
Good practices outlined in the brief range from pilot projects in Lebanon that have been developed by the national government for harvesting rainwater from greenhouse tops to the uptake of biomass-based technologies for electricity production in Senegal.
A second joint policy brief agreed at the meeting was on technologies for averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage in coastal zones – a joint work between the TEC and the Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage, highlighting available technologies that can be deployed by countries to address risks of impacts of climate change faced by coastal areas.
This brief covers issues ranging from how to best safeguard coastal fisheries in Africa from the impacts of climate change to better protecting coastlines from impacts of typhoons in Asia.
The TEC provided further guidance to continue its work in implementing the Technology framework and outcomes of the UN Climate Change Conference Katowice, in support of implementation of Paris Climate Change Agreement. The guidance included:
- Identifying international partnerships and initiatives working on Research, Development and Demonstration of innovation on climate technologies
- Promoting innovative approaches on adaptation technologies through an in-session Technology Day
- Stimulating the uptake of existing climate technologies through innovative approaches
- Soliciting views from countries domestic policy makers on gaps, needs, challenges and enablers to build their own technologies’
- Continuing collaboration with the Green Climate Fund and the Climate Technology Centre and Network on climate technology incubators and accelerators, including on the operationalization of a Climate Innovation Initiative to support climate technology innovations and start-ups from developing countries
- Enhancing public awareness of role of climate technologies and expanding TEC’s reach to broader audience through targeted communication and outreach strategy
The Technology Executive Committee elected its new Chair and Vice Chair: Mareer Mohamed Husny from Maldives and Stephen Minas from Greece. And it appointed its first-ever Gender Focal Point, Kinga Csontos, to lead the committee’s efforts in mainstreaming gender consideration into the work of the TEC.
“This was a TEC meeting like no other. In this time when global pandemic is raging around us, it is vital that cooperation on climate change continues, and countries’ action on climate does not stop. The Technology Executive Committee has been part of that effort to push its work towards a more sustainable society forward, regardless of the circumstances.”
The meeting was hosted by VOICE, a Virtual Online and In-person Conferencing Experience, developed by UNFCCC, with the financial support of the German government, to support remote participation in official Multi-lateral meetings so to increase participation and reduce emissions from meetings.
The feature includes a support of formal structures of UN multilateral meetings with requesting the floor as well as open discussion mode, a chat function, and VOICE Broadcasts that can be followed live by general public and available on-demand after the meeting.
Social media users could follow the meeting with the hashtag #ClimateTech
Source: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), 07 April 2020