TECHNOLOGY FRAMEWORK Collaboration and stakeholder engagement
Collaboration among a diverse array of stakeholders is instrumental to successful technology planning and implementation. The CTCN’s collaborations with NDEs, Network members, the private sector, women, men, youth, indigenous people, and local communities are fundamental to its success.
Engagement with National Designated Entities
To support the work of the NDEs, the CTCN organizes regional forums that bring together diverse stakeholders from across the region as part of the UNFCCC Regional Climate Weeks. The LAC NDE forum was held in May, followed by the Asia Pacific forum in July. The open forums were followed by closed NDE sessions from the region. These closed sessions allow for more in-depth discussions among NDEs, including experience sharing on priority climate technology needs and areas where CTCN technical assistance can accelerate countries’ climate action.
Due to restrictions imposed by COVID-19, both forums were held as virtual events which attracted 455 participants (203 male; 195 female). The Africa NDE forum is taking place on the margins of the Africa Climate Week.
To raise awareness about CTCN services across the Latin American and Caribbean regions, dedicated webinars were held in February 2021 in collaboration with UNFCCC-Regional Collaboration Centres in St. George and Panama and addressed how to request technical assistance from the CTCN.
Enhanced engagement with Network members, including the private sector
Between September 2020 and August 2021, the CTCN welcomed 72 new members (of which 50 were from developing countries), bringing the total number of Network Members to 663. Application numbers continue to grow steadily.
Private sector organizations represent half of members (50%), followed by research and academic institutions (20%) and non-governmental organizations (7%). Fifty-four percent of network members come from non-Annex 1 country Parties, compared to 46% from Annex 1 country Parties. Their largest sectoral areas of expertise include the following: renewable energy, energy efficiency, water, industry, infrastructure and urban planning, waste management and early warning and environmental assessment. Network members co-developed eight webinars and trainings with the CTCN, attracting over 850 participants.
Gender-responsive engagement
The CTCN strives to generate greater awareness of the important relationship between gender, climate change and technology among the broader climate change community. Implementers of CTCN technical assistance and capacity building are required to address gender dimensions, including considerations for women’s specific needs and their active participation in the design of proposed activities.
A dedicated gender and technology library can be accessed on the CTCN website for gender-related publications, partners, CTCN technical assistance, technologies, and other information for exploring the topic of gender and climate change solutions further.
The CTCN, led by its Gender Focal Point, continues to engage with the WGC and other relevant organisations to ensure the representation of women’s voices, experiences, needs and capacities throughout CTCN activities.
Collaboration with youth
The CTCN has increasingly engaged young people in its technology work over the last few years, with the dual goals of offering technology services to youth and providing young people with a platform from which to share their insights and experience in climate change technology development and use. The CTCN has continued to engage with the UNFCCC youth constituency, YOUNGO, on enhanced collaboration through participation at CTCN Advisory Board meetings, hosting of joint events, learning workshops and webinars with a focus on youth, climate, and innovation.
This year, in partnership with YOUNGO, the CTCN launched a Youth Knowledge Exchange programme. Through an open call for applications, two young people from Colombia and Germany were selected to collaborate with the CTCN over a four-month period to conduct research, analysis, and implementation at the nexus of technology, gender, and youth.
Collaboration with other stakeholders
The CTCN is working in collaboration with the West African Development Bank (BOAD) on the development of a GCF concept note on enhancing climate information, knowledge services and climate resilient infrastructure to build resilient livelihoods amongst agricultural communities in 5-6 countries in the Sahel region.
The CTCN also expanded its partnership with UNDP to collaborate at country level on technical assistance implementation. The CTCN met with several UNDP Africa Resident Representatives to discuss opportunities for collaboration. One result is the agreement to jointly develop the second edition of the Africa Innovates Magazine, showcasing 50 stories on the use of technology for climate solutions with a focus on African climate champions.
While many technical assistance cases are still ongoing, in Latin America, the National Circular Economy Roadmaps developed by the CTCN have now been adopted by the Governments of Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Uruguay. In addition, the collaboration resulted in the launch of the Regional Coalition on Circular Economy for Latin America and the Caribbean at the XXII Meeting of the Forum of Ministers of Environment of the region in February 2021. The new Coalition, composed of several Latin American countries and eight strategic partners (CTCN, UNIDO, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, the Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy Coalition, the World Economic Forum and UNEP) was launched in February 2021 and aims to implement a circular economy approach through collaborative work between governments, businesses, and society as a whole. It will also support access to financing by governments and the private sector with a particular emphasis on SMEs.
Promoting greater private sector participation in NDC implementation in the Dominican Republic
The private sector plays an important role in supporting the implementation of NDCs, by creating sustainable supply chains, driving investment in low-carbon, climate-resilient infrastructure, and developing clean technologies. The Dominican Republic is therefore promoting greater private sector participation in climate action, and more specifically in GHG emissions reduction initiatives, but persistent barriers include a continued lack of incentives and the absence of enabling conditions, such as capacity and strong supporting institutions.
The CTCN is helping to map the GHG reduction targets and adaptation needs of the private, academic, non-governmental and financial sectors, and to define the challenges and barriers to seizing opportunities for cooperation and synergies between stakeholders, as identified through consultations with banks, companies, corporate groups and producer associations. The deliverables include concept notes on both mitigation and adaptation for projects in priority sectors. It is envisioned that all targeted stakeholders will be more actively involved in climate-action initiatives and increase their contributions on innovation, science, and technology.
This technology assistance advances:
The Dominican Republic’s Nationally Determined Contribution
This technical assistance is aligned with the provisions of the NDC and the guidelines used for development of the NDC Action Plan, specifically regarding the private sector’s contributions to reducing GHG emissions and developing annual GHG emissions reports. The NDC set a target of reducing emissions by 25% below 2010 levels in 2030, which is conditional upon support from various sectors, viable climate funding mechanisms, and the corrections of existing market failures. Therefore, the participation of the private sector is crucial for attainment of this target.
Sustainable Development Goals:
