Issues of Technology Needs Assessment for Climate Change

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Issues of Technology Needs Assessment for Climate
Change

• Kishan Kumarsingh
• UNFCCC Adaptation Technology Seminar
• Tobago Hilton
• 14 June 2005

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Outline of Presentation

• What is TNA ?
• Generic activities involved in TNA
• Overview of sectors
• Priority setting and criteria for technology
  assessment
• Barrier analysis and policy needs
• Stakeholder consultation
• Synthesis report

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What is TNA?

• Technology ..piece of equipment, technique,
  practical knowledge or skills for performing a
  particular activity1
• Needs assessment evaluation of adequacy of
  requirements suited for a particular purpose
• TNA identification and evaluation of equipment,
  techniques, practical knowledge or skills for
  addressing a particular purpose or activity
• (operational definition)
• Purpose/activity climate change response
  (adaptation) and mitigation
• 1 IPCC 2000. Methodological and Technological
  Issues in Technology Transfer. Cambridge
  University Press

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What is TNA?

• TNA is not a stand alone activity continuation
  of work carried out or identified in Initial
  National Communications
• Not isolated to climate change objectives
• Can be considered as an approach by which
  development and climate change response needs and
  technology opportunities are integrated

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Generic activities involved in TNA

• Overview of sectors
• Preliminary assessment of current status
• Drawn from existing data and information e.g.
  nat.comms., national and sectoral development
  plans etc.
• Prioritize Sectors
• May be based on various criteria e.g. extent of
  vulnerability, contribution to GDP,
  socio-cultural value etc.

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Generic activities involved in TNA

• Prioritize Sectors
• Should be limited to three or four sectors for
  initial action
• Three related but distinct components
• Potential to benefit from technology development
  and transfer
• Technology options and resources available
• Ability to assess the relative merits of policies
  that would support adoption of technologies
  identified

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Generic activities involved in TNA

• Identification of criteria for technology
  assessment
• May depend on
• Contribution to developmental goals based on
  sectoral policy etc.
• Contribution to climate change mitigation and
  adaptation how effective is technology?

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Generic activities involved in TNA

• Identification of criteria for technology
  assessment
• More detail analysis depending on country,
  sector and technology in question e.g.
  contribution to overall developmental goals,
  results of vulnerability analyses, environmental
  technology impact assessment etc.

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Generic activities involved in TNA

• Identification of barriers and policy needs
• Integrated and cross-cutting
• Should be done at each step of the TNA process
• Various forms and complexities
• Important to engage stakeholders in barrier
  analysis

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Generic activities involved in TNA

• Definition and selection of actions
• Stakeholder consultation undertaken to define
  preliminary actions to enhance technology
  transfer

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Generic activities involved in TNA

• Stakeholder consultation
• Important for effective decision making
• Requires a structured approach involving all
  relevant parties
• Important benefits such as
• Access to insights that can address a broader
  range of options, sectors, opportunities etc.
• Facilitation in the buy-in process

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Generic activities involved in TNA

• Stakeholder consultation
• Important benefits such as
• Enhancement of the potential of learning by doing
  as experience and awareness of the role of
  technology to address climate change related
  issues evolve
• NB Stakeholder engagement does not guarantee
  equity, fairness or buy-in

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Generic activities involved in TNA

• Stakeholder consultation
• Engagement process generally involves 5 major
  steps
• Identifying stakeholders
• Important that as many types of stakeholders be
  engaged at an early stage e.g. govt departments,
  pvt. And pub. Sector industries, associations and
  distributors
• Organisations, households, farmers etc.

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Generic activities involved in TNA

• Stakeholder consultation
• Engagement process generally involves 5 major
  steps
• Identifying stakeholders
• NGOs, CBOs, BINGOs
• Institutions
• Labour unions, consumer groups, media,

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Generic activities involved in TNA

• Stakeholder consultation
• Engagement process generally involves 5 major
  steps
• Defining objectives and scope
• Setting up a transparent process in which
  expectations and privileges of stakeholder
  involvement is discussed and agreed upon
• Clarifying stakeholder roles
• Direct participants and wider group of interested
  and affected parties

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Generic activities involved in TNA

• Barrier analysis
• Main categories
• Policy based barriers
• Market structure
• Consumer framework
• Social and cultural acceptability

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TNA Methodology- Mitigation
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TNA Methodology- Adaptation

• What is adaptation technology?
• Definition of adaptation
• ..adjustment in natural or human systems in
  response to actual or expected climatic stimuli
  or their effects, that moderates harm and
  exploits beneficial opportunities..

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TNA Methodology- Adaptation

• What is adaptation technology?
• Operational definition of adaptation technology
• Any application of equipment, techniques,
  practical knowledge or skills that would allow
  natural or human systems to adjust to actual or
  expected climatic stimuli or their effects, by
  moderating harm or exploiting beneficial
  opportunities..

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TNA Methodology- Environmental Technology Impact
Assessment (EnTA)

• Examine the reason for the proposed technology
• Describe the technology
• Alternative analysis
• Examine the longevity of the technology
• Stakeholder participation
• Evaluate potential impacts
• Identify key decision makers

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TNA Methodology- Environmental Technology Impact
Assessment (EnTA)

• Identify action options for the framework that
  supports decision-making
• Draw conclusions
• Make recommendations