UNFCCC Body Meets to Accelerate Innovative Climate Technologies
The upcoming meeting of the UNFCCC’s Technology Executive Committee (TEC) from 17 to 20 November (TEC21) will focus on key areas of the development and transfer of low-emission and climate-resilient technologies to support countries in achieving the objectives of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
At the meeting, organized with the support of the UNFCCC secretariat, the TEC will consider recommendations to governments in areas such as climate-smart cooling solutions for sustainable buildings and technologies for coastal zones, as well as the important issue of conducting Technology Needs Assessments (TNAs) that determine countries’ climate technology priorities. The meeting is open to the public (details of how to join are at the end of the article).
Fostering innovative technologies
Fostering and accelerating innovative climate technology is critical to an effective, long-term global response to climate change and for promoting economic growth and sustainable development. The meeting will examine how this can be achieved through international collaboration on climate technology RD&D – the first steps of the technology development cycle when new technologies are conceptualized and prototypes built and tested in lab and field conditions.
To this end, the TEC will discuss a compilation of international technology RD&D partnerships and initiatives that analyses a set of representative case studies and draws some lessons and good practices. The compilation will be made public at a virtual meeting planned for early 2021.
Furthermore, the TEC has mapped key emerging technologies in sectors with potential for climate mitigation and adaptation, such as energy supply, transport and agriculture, as well as technologies relevant to multiple sectors such as carbon removal and digital technologies.
In collaboration with the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the TEC has also undertaken a number of activities to enhance understanding on how climate technology start-ups and entrepreneurs in developing countries could be supported most effectively through climate technology incubators and accelerators. At the meeting, the TEC will consider follow-up actions to assist the GCF in operationalizing support for these incubators and accelerators.
Recommended actions following Technical Expert Meetings on mitigation in 2020
In 2020, the TEC participated in four regional virtual TEM-Ms and one global TEM-M on climate smart cooling solutions for sustainable buildings. Based on the outcomes of the TEMs, the TEC will make recommendations for governments and organizations on necessary actions to be taken to promote climate-smart cooling solutions, including financial incentives schemes, capacity building and awareness raising.
Technologies for addressing loss and damage in coastal zones
Various technologies are currently available to assess and manage climate change-related risks, as well as to identify recovery and rehabilitation measures to address climate-related impacts in coastal zones. These range from technologies to assess the global risk of collapse for mangrove forests and coral reefs, a mechanism that funds risk-informed early warning services for Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States, to a data collection toolbox that can assist during recovery when communication systems are affected by a disaster.
The TEC will encourage countries to consider these technologies in their national adaptation plans and disaster risk reduction strategies.
As well as taking stock of activities implemented in 2020, the TEC will adopt its 2020 annual report to be considered at the next UN Climate Change Conference, COP26, in Glasgow next year.
How to join
More information about the TEC21 meeting, all links to the broadcasts, for the public and observers, as well as the schedule, annotated outline and meeting documents can be found here.