Climate Change and Environmentally Sound Technology

Transfer:Relevant Activities of UNESCAP

Hongpeng Liu Environment and Sustainable Development Division United Nations Economic and Social Commission for

Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)

UNFCCC Workshop on best practices with conducting TNAs27-29 June 2007, Bangkok, Thailand

Outline of the presentation

About UNESCAP

Facts of the region

ESCAP Activities related to climate change

UCDM & publicly founded ESTs transfer

About UNESCAP

Regional Arm of UN Secretariat for Asia-Pacific

62 member governments

Hub for regional cooperation and coordination

Multidisciplinary capacity and services

Key priorities: Poverty reduction; managing

globalization; and addressing emerging social

issues

A Few Facts about the Region 3.8 billion people, 62% of the world’s population Population density: 1.5 times the global average AP developing economies accounting for more than one-third of

global growth in 2006

2/3 of the world poor (670 million living on less than U$ 1 per day)

600 million people without safe drinking water 800 million people without access to electricity

GHG emission increased by about 30% for last decade Average emission (per capital) of developing countries –

up to 18 times lower than developed countries

Environment and Sustainable Development Programme

Mandated to promote Environmentally sustainable economic growth – Green Growth

Three subprogramme areas: Environment, Energy Resources, Sustainable Development and Water Resources

Working partners: • Government ministries and agencies (economic

policy, development and planning; environment, energy, water resources etc. )

• Other UN and inter-governmental agencies, international and regional organizations, NGOs and private sectors

UNESCAP’s Activities Related to Climate Change

Promotion of a regional approach to achieving “climate-friendly and climate change-resilient society” • Workshops and seminars

Providing assistance to Asian and Pacific developing countries in the global GHG emission reduction in connection with national and regional initiatives• Guidebook• Projects

Study and proposal of innovative mechanisms for future climate change regime • Unilateral CDM & CER discounting scheme

CDM - Market Instrument

Proved success with evolving experience• Providing Annex I countries flexibility in

meeting their KP commitments• Stimulating investment to non-Annex I

countries through CDM

CDM Concept

Annex I country (Industrialized country)

Obligation to reduce GHG

Non Annex I country (Developing

country)No Obligation to

reduce GHG

Finance + technology

Carbon Credits / CERsBilateral Activities

CDM in Reality

Annex I country (Industrialized country)

Obligation to reduce GHG

Non Annex I country (Developing

country)No Obligation to

reduce GHG

Finance (payment)

Carbon Credits / CERs

Buyer Seller

Unilateral CDM Concept

Non-Annex I countries initiate CDM projects with domestic financing or purchasing agreement with Annex I countries or intermediaries

Non-Annex I countries could take more active actions to control GHG emission with the income as incentive through selling CERs

UCDM – from an idea to a tool

proposed by Korea at COP 6 in Hague, 2000

officially approved in 23 April 2005 by CDM Executive Board when tested by the first UCDM Cuyamapa Hydro Project from Honduras.

Status of UCDM

As of 1 May 2007 , about 1000 unilateral CDM out of 1885 CDM projects in the pipeline (from the validation stage)

Country No. of CDM Project

UCDM

India 616 498

China 454 79

Brazil 269 134

Mexico 156 96

Malaysia 48 7

Advantages of Unilateral CDM

More independent and small scale projects by host countries

Non-Annex 1 countries do not have to wait for investment from investors of Annex 1 countries

Uneven distribution of CDM could be balanced Project risk born by Non-Annex 1 countries Annex 1 countries: just BUY, not INVEST –

less risks

Publicly Funded ESTs

The ESTs are held or owned by Governments

and public institutions or results from publicly

funded research and development

Publicly Funded ESTs + UCDM

UCDM Projects

Public Institutes

ESTsEntity

Share revenue of selling CERs will be the incentives to work together for TT

Technology transfer + Finance

Carbon credits / CERs

Promotion of Publicly Funded ESTs Transfer through UCDM

Objective – enhancing publicly funded ESTs transfer Outcome – identifying opportunities and developing

national strategies

Main activities• Regional study focusing on publicly funded ESTs

transfer and UCDM• Case studies and best practices• Results dissemination

Period: 2007-2009

Thank you for your attention!

Contact Information

Environment and Sustainable Development DivisionUnited Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

(UNESCAP)The United Nations Building, Rajadamnern Nok AvenueBangkok 10200, Thailand

Tel: +66 2 288 1543 Fax: +66 2 288 1059Email: liu4@un.orghttp://www.unescap.orghttp://www.greengrowth.org