2020 was a year of great achievements for the Global Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) project. Despite the pandemic circumstances, countries involved in the TNA process made great progress, and the year was marked by a number of online events and publication launches that generated great interest from policy-makers, academia, businesses and NGOs worldwide.
2020: Strengthened linkages between TNAs and NDCs
In 2020, 22 countries completed their Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) reports. Through national expert and stakeholder consultations and with support from TNA Regional Centres, countries short-listed 3 to 4 climate technologies per sector for climate change adaptation purposes and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. The short-listed technologies were selected based on a set of criteria with indicators that reflect social, economic, and environmental aspects. Ukraine, Liberia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Guinea and Sao Tome e Principe submitted their reports outlining challenges and opportunities for transfer and implementation of their priority technologies and are currently working on their Technology Action Plans. (Find all the reports here)
As a country-driven process, TNAs build upon and contribute to national sustainable development and, not least, the implementation of countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement of the UN Climate Convention. This was clearly showcased in the beginning of 2020, with Suriname using the results of their first TNA report for the development of their NDC. Suriname was the second country to have submitted a revised version of their NDC in 2020. (Read full story here)
Mr Kumarsingh, National TNA Coordinator for Trinidad and Tobago underlines that the TNA process adds value to the existing NDC: “The TNA process delves in more detail as to the specific technological applications and technologies that could be employed using further MCA analysis. The prioritised technologies would fast-track facilitate decision making at the policy and practical levels, and implementation at the ground level,” Kishan Kumarsingh says. (Read full story here)
2020: The TNA project going virtual
In 2020, the TNA project reinforced its digital presence with the organization of 6 webinars. The series of webinars “Climate technologies and Technology Needs Assessments” generated great interest from governments, academia, businesses and NGOs worldwide, with more than 1300 participants. Launched together with “Regional Technology Briefs”, these online events created a momentum for the uptake of climate technologies, towards the achievement of the Paris Agreement goals. (Read full story here)
On the global project management level, an emphasis on virtual meetings, workshops and training also arose due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which enhanced flexibility, allowing for a more inclusive process that demands fewer resources for participants to join training and workshops. During the second half of the year, online workshops were successfully organized in collaboration with TNA Regional Centres with countries across all regions focusing on the development of Technology Action Plans.
Finally, 2020 constituted a rich year in terms of TNA publications. Along with the 3 “Regional Technology Briefs”, a new TNA guidebook was launched providing information on how to develop a business case for interventions that are inclusive of climate change mitigation and adaptation technologies. (Read full story here) To end the year, the TNA team and the Green Technology Centre- Korea (GTC – K) published the fruit of their long collaboration, a report focusing on the development of a taxonomy for adaptation technologies in the TNA context. (Read full story here)
2020: 17 SIDS and LDCs joining the TNA project
In October 2020, 17 countries started on their TNA process under the fourth round of the global TNA project. This fourth round supports Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in carrying out new or improved Technology Needs Assessments, from 2020 to 2023 in:
- Africa (Comoros Union; Ethiopia; Guinea Bissau; Lesotho; Somalia; South Soudan)
- Asia-Pacific (Kiribati; Maldives; Niue; Papa New Guinea; Solomon Islands; Timor-Leste; Tonga; Tuvalu; Yemen)
- The Caribbean (Bahamas; St Kitts and Nevis).
To support countries in starting the TNA process and developing their first reports (Technology Needs Assessment reports), countries take part in multiple online meetings with country coordinators from UNEP DTU Partnership. Regional training workshops will be organized in collaboration with TNA Regional Centres in spring 2021. (Read full story here)
2021: Moving forward with the TAPs and TNA IV kick-off
We look forward to supporting countries involved in the third round of the TNA in preparing their project concept notes and in building partnerships for technology implementation, and helping countries involved in the fourth round to prioritize technologies for climate change adaptation and mitigation purposes, as the first step of their TNA process.