Networking to spread climate technologies

By Audrey Chenevoy.

Workshop group photo

The Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) of the UN Climate Change agency recently held a workshop of National Designated Entities (NDEs) from Anglophone African countries. World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) hosted the workshop (5-7 March 2014) at its Nairobi headquarters.

The 21 participants from 20 countries shared perspectives and discussed their roles, especially on how to build the NDEs’ capacity to serve as ‘climate technology champions’ and focal points for the Network’s activities.

The NDEs will support the CTCN’s functions by:

• Leading and coordinating the formulation, selection and submission of requests for CTCN technical assistance from their countries
• Facilitating and monitoring the implementation of CTCN response in-country
• Fostering collaboration and access to information and knowledge to accelerate climate technology transfer in their country, and
• Strengthening networks, partnerships and capacity for climate technology transfer in the country.

As Manfredi Caltagirone, Programme Officer at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and Henry Neufeldt, head of the Climate Change program at ICRAF emphasized, the success of the CTCN greatly depends on NDEs.

“I believe the CTCN will be a very important delivery instrument in the years to come,” said Neufeldt.

“Technologies that can help farmers adapt to unpredictable weather events are sorely needed,” said Maxwell Onapa, the NDE representing Uganda.

CTCN is a consortium of 13 institutions led by UNEP and UNIDO. It was launched in December 2013 with the mandate to provide developing countries with technical assistance; information and knowledge; and networking and collaboration opportunities in the area of climate change mitigation and adaptation.

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Magamase Mange of South Africa shares her thoughts about the role of her institution as an NDE, and the training.

For further information on CTCN, see http://www.unep.org/climatechange/ctcn/