We all know that strong NDCs require strong support, including technology development and transfer.
Given the capacity gaps in many developing countries, matching national needs and NDC priorities and assessing the often complex technological choices and trade-offs can be a challenge. With rapid changes in technologies, developing countries will need more timely and suitable support to fully implement their NDCs at the scope and scale necessary to be able to limit temperature increases to 1.5ºC.
Countries need to ask their representatives at the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) and Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) to embrace the Technology Assessment and Horizon-Scanning.
It all starts with the recognition that all technologies are not equal when it comes to safety, impacts and efficacy. So before countries make their technology choices, there must be solid Technology Assessments to help them fully understand the risks, costs and benefits of the decisions they are making. That alone is a good start, but if we want to further increase ambition, we must do more.
The purpose of Horizon-scanning is to mine relevant existing data to predict future climate technology advances, scales, needs and potential impacts, and then to identify the most promising mitigation, adaptation, and loss-and-damage remediation technologies to find environmentally sound, socially acceptable, gender responsive, and effective options on which countries can rely. For climate technologies, Horizon Scanning should be based on knowledge of the existing and predicted needs and demands, and could help guide investments into future public and private research and development for climate technologies. Horizon Scanning needs to take into account all relevant data and information, from the UNFCCC and beyond.
And finally, to support NDC implementation, funding for the CTCN must be sufficient to match the scope and scale necessary for the 1.5ºC goal. ECO hopes to see developing countries demand this support, to make sure the technologies change in step with the times.
