national climate change awareness-raising workshop - UNDPCC.org

• More national studies, e.g. national communications. Private sector also does modelling – in mining,
which may have looked at climate change impacts
• Strengthen institutional coordination. This would bring in policy makers to support stakeholders.
• Capitalise on national competitive advantages and add value, e.g. fisheries, beef, create markets for
game meat
For all adaptation measures, participants stressed the need for improved awareness raising efforts. Climate
change messages must relate to people in terms that are relevant to them and increased extension efforts are
needed to reach people.
Some efforts to reduce poverty are also linked to adaptation. For example, efforts to spread the risk of
income loss by diversifying livelihoods options into sustenance crops, market crops and other sectors can
lower vulnerability risks to climate change and decrease poverty.
Technology
Presentation by Mr. William Kojo Agyemang-Bonsu, UNFCCC/DNA Focal Point, Ghana
Combating climate change will require improvements in all aspects of technology transfer—research,
development, deployment, demonstration and diffusion. While investments in clean energy are growing fast,
including new financial products and markets, there is a substantial financing gap for the required scaling up
needed to address climate change. The most favoured technologies in recent years including: wind, solar,
biofuels (renewables increasingly relevant), cleaner fossil fuels generation and (especially for Africa) energy
efficient building and appliances. Carbon markets (including the CDM) can play important role for
developing countries, although smaller and lower-income countries have yet to see benefits. Technology is a
key modality for mitigation and adaptation, and is gaining momentum in the international negotiations.
Developed countries are obligated to support transfer of technologies to developing countries under the
Convention. The extent to which they can undertake both mitigation and adaptation will depend on this.
Important aspects of the current discussion include the dissemination of technology information and
networking, as well as strengthened research and capacity building. Key barriers can be financing, intellectual
property rights and tariffs. A key future concern would be to consider not only developed country action, but
also improvement to cooperative action so that countries can work together.
Plenary discussion on technology
Participants discussed possible problems with the sectoral approach to developing mitigation targets,
particularly with regard to market restrictions. Some viewed this as a means of hindering development that
could turn into a trade barrier, as it implies an international standard and their companies may not be able to
compete in the market. Speakers stressed that technology transfer will require more training. Some thought a
training component should be obligatory with any transfers. The discussion also focused on Namibia’s
technology needs assessment (TNA), completed in 2005. The TNA identified priority technologies, including
water and energy efficiency, as well as solar water heaters. Key barriers included insufficient awareness,
social/cultural barriers and financial barriers. There was also a lack of institutional awareness on the CDM.
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