A central focus of a side event on the UNFCCC’s Technology Mechanism held 7 June in Bonn was on the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN). The CTCN promotes the accelerated transfer of environmentally sound technologies for climate change mitigation and adaptation in developing countries. The CTCN is fully up and running and has attracted its first eight requests from six countries this year.
Congratulating the CTCN, UNFCCC Executive Secretary Christiana Figueres said:
“As countries move towards the 2015 global climate agreement, it is comforting to know that the ‘scaffolding’ that needs to be technological basis for the agreement is there.”
She also said that whilst six customer countries is a good start, this number is not yet the critical mass that will send the right message to the top level.
“I challenge you all to very quickly scale up the number of countries seeking services, so that when we arrive in Paris, we can point to such a critical mass of countries that is making use of the CTCN. That’s the demand side. On the supply side, I challenge countries to provide the necessary support to make this work and grow”
, she said.
The CTCN is hosted by UNEP in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and 11 independent, regional organizations with expertise in climate technologies. Providing an overview of the CTCN, Jukka Uosukainen, Director of CTCN, said that more institutions need to come on board as part of an expanded network, and that especially adaptation-oriented institutions are encouraged to apply.
Presentations
- Implementation of the Technology Mechanism: Ensuring coherence and synergy
Mr. Matthew Kennedy, Vice-Chair of the Advisory Board of the CTCN, and Mr. Kunihiko Shimada, Vice-Chair of the TEC; - Technology Executive Committee: Recent deliverables and rolling workplan for 2014-2015, including key expected outcomes
Mr. Gabriel Blanco, Chair of the TEC; - New features of the technology information platform TT:CLEAR
Mr. Asher Lessels, UNFCCC secretariat; - Introduction to the Climate Technology Centre and Network
Mr. Fred Onduri, Chair of the Advisory Board of the CTCN, and Mr. Jukka Uosukainen, Director of the CTCN; - Experience of Colombia with requests for technical assistance from the Climate Technology Centre and Network
H.E. Mr. Pablo Vieira Samper, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Environmental and Sustainable Development of Colombia.