Enhancing ambition levels in nationally determined contributions—Learning from Technology Needs Assessments

Abstract

Under the Paris Agreement, countries are to develop nationally determined contributions (NDCs) every 5 years, outlining their climate targets and plans. In order to ease this task, countries may use the experiences with the Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) program. In this paper, lessons with TNAs since 2001 are described, and it is analyzed how countries, with a focus on developing countries, may use these lessons in strengthening and implementing their successive NDCs. While some developing countries have already used the results of their TNA process in their NDC development, countries could benefit from following the TNA process, its stakeholder involvement, and the multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methodology, to strengthen their NDCs. Countries face challenges in their NDC with regard to the embedding of the contribution into the national development strategy, getting from plans to implementation, and the mobilization of finance. Through the positive and negative experiences with TNAs, countries can overcome these challenges. It is argued that all countries can use the TNA or parts thereof in their NDC process. For developing countries (mainly Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States) the TNA is useful for capacity building, strategy development, and the preparation of projects for investment with international support. Emerging markets and newly-industrialized countries can use the TNA as a participatory approach for strategy development. Developed countries generally do not need the entire TNA process, but the participatory approaches and MCDA can be used to fine-tune modeled strategies.

Inter-sectoral prioritization of climate technologies: insights from a Technology Needs Assessment for mitigation in Brazil

“…Technology Needs Assessments (TNAs) can be defined as a group of country-driven activities which aims to the identification, prioritization, and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies in terms of climate change mitigation and/or adaptation (de Coninck and Puig 2015 ; UNEP DTU 2020 ). It is a long-standing multilateral effort aimed at promoting technology transfer: since 2001, more than 80 countries published their reports in the official TNA database, and there are some 60 that specifically address the identification and prioritization of climate change mitigation technologies (Puig et al 2018 ; Hofman and van der Gaast 2019 ; UNEP DTU 2020 ).…”

“…The first step results in the so-called TNA reports. It contains significant information on the country’s climate and development priorities, which is obtained from the inputs of the engagement of relevant local stakeholders (de Coninck and Puig 2015 ; Puig et al 2018 ; Hofman and van der Gaast 2019 ). Hofman and van der Gaast ( 2019 ) argue that a country can use the results from a TNA project on its national climate strategy, in particular its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).…”

“…It contains significant information on the country’s climate and development priorities, which is obtained from the inputs of the engagement of relevant local stakeholders (de Coninck and Puig 2015 ; Puig et al 2018 ; Hofman and van der Gaast 2019 ). Hofman and van der Gaast ( 2019 ) argue that a country can use the results from a TNA project on its national climate strategy, in particular its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). The authors claim that the degree to which the TNA results could contribute to the country’s NDC is essentially related to its climate NSI strength: for least developed countries and small island developing states, the TNA is helpful for capacity building, strategy development, and the preparation of projects for investment with international support; for emerging markets and newly-industrialized countries, the TNA can serve as a participatory approach for climate strategy development; for developed countries, the whole TNA process is unnecessary since they generally rely on strong databases and modelling capacities, but the participatory approaches and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) can be used to fine-tune modelled strategies.…”

“…Thus, lessons learned from a TNA report for Brazil can provide valuable insights not only for the elaboration of TNAs in other developing countries but also for complementing results from IAM scenarios for developed countries with a participatory MCDA which considers other aspects than greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction potentials and costs. Yet, a critical discussion on the methodology of identification and prioritization of climate technologies applied to a TNA case study does not exist in the current literature, despite the alleged potential contributions of this process in terms of structuring national climate strategies (Hofman and van der Gaast 2019 ) and strengthening NSI through the engagement of relevant stakeholders (de Coninck and Sagar 2015b ). Furthermore, while there is agreement on the need for a country-driven approach for TNAs (Boldt et al 2012 ; Ockwell and Byrne 2016 ; Puig et al 2018 ; Hofman and van der Gaast 2019 ), the literature lacks discussions on country-specificity to the TNA process.…”

“…Yet, a critical discussion on the methodology of identification and prioritization of climate technologies applied to a TNA case study does not exist in the current literature, despite the alleged potential contributions of this process in terms of structuring national climate strategies (Hofman and van der Gaast 2019 ) and strengthening NSI through the engagement of relevant stakeholders (de Coninck and Sagar 2015b ). Furthermore, while there is agreement on the need for a country-driven approach for TNAs (Boldt et al 2012 ; Ockwell and Byrne 2016 ; Puig et al 2018 ; Hofman and van der Gaast 2019 ), the literature lacks discussions on country-specificity to the TNA process.…”