FCCC/SBSTA/1996/4 English (b) Comparing data. The secretariat has not attempted to develop a structure for synthesizing qualitative information, a common format for assessing technologies, or a means of comparing data on specific technologies. Each of these aspects represents a different level of complexity that should reflect the needs of the Parties; (c) Presenting information. The information collected and synthesized by the secretariat must be presented in a clear and comprehensible manner and meet the needs of all Parties. In so far as this is a new activity, the secretariat has not yet developed a structure or format for presenting information; (d) Collecting information from non-governmental institutions. The initial letter from the secretariat requesting information on technology and practices was addressed to Parties and intergovernmental organizations. The secretariat encouraged Parties to identify information from other sources, such as universities, environmental organizations, and private sector laboratories. Although relatively little information was transmitted from non-governmental institutions to the secretariat in response to its initial letter, the secretariat nevertheless routinely receives some information directly from such sources; (e) Adaptation technologies and practices. Little specific information has been collected on adaptation technologies and practice although the subject is treated broadly in the IPCC Second Assessment Report. This may be due to a lack of awareness in many organizations as to what constitutes an adaptation technology or practice. IV. ISSUES THAT THE SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR SCIENTIFIC 19. This initial attempt by the secretariat to inventory information on technologies and know-how conducive to mitigating and adapting to climate change demonstrates that a great deal of information is available from Parties, intergovernmental institutions, and the private sector. As discussed earlier, the current information ranges from data on specific products and vendors to case studies describing the introduction of a new technology in a country. 20. Decision 13/CP.1, while recalling the provisions of chapter 34 of Agenda 21 and the relevant provisions of the Convention, provides only broad guidance concerning the scope of such technology assessments to be undertaken by the secretariat. In order to offer more focused guidance, the SBSTA may consider several issues. A. Objectives 21. What should be the objective(s) of future technology assessments? For example, should assessments provide information to assist developing countries in formulating and implementing national programmes to mitigate and adapt to climate change? Should assessments provide information to inform Annex I Parties about technologies that could FCCC/SBSTA/1996/4 English support a process of developing policies and measures? Or should both, and or others, be considered? In this regard, the SBSTA may wish to refer to the note prepared by the secretariat on policies and measures (FCCC/AGBM/1996/2). B. Use of information 22. How will the information be used and by whom? Table 2 provides examples, as taken in modified form from the 1995 Second Assessment Report of the IPCC Working Group II, chapter 27, of the different levels of decision-making and typical questions that may be addressed. In this regard, it is apparent that the type of information that would be useful in preparing a request for tenders to build a 200 megawatt electricity plant in a specific location would be very different from the information needed to prepare a national communication. Project Senior Corporate Which particular projects or facilities will provide the Executive/Municipal Official highest return for an investment? Facility Plant Manager What motors should be purchased and from which vendor? 23. C. Types of reports Should any particular sectors, as, for example, energy, industry, transport, agriculture, forestry, or waste management, be given priority in future assessments? Should the reports be of a particular type, for example, case studies? Given the request of the COP to the Convention secretariat to prepare documents for consideration at regular intervals (each interval not to exceed a year), should these reports be very broad or should a series of reports that focus on specific topics be developed over the next several years? 24. This report and the note prepared by the secretariat on transfer of technology (FCCC/SBI/1996/5) contain relatively little information on adaptation technologies. This may be partially due to a lack of understanding over what constitutes an ada, *ation` technology or process and as such is a fundamental problem that may be solved if categories of adaptation technologies and processes could be developed and elaborated upon. The SBSTA may wish to consider whether this aspect of the request to the secretariat under decision 13/CP.1 would initially benefit from consideration by the intergovernmental technical advisory panel, should one be established, or the IPCC. The SBSTA may also wish to refer to the provisional tasks identified in FCCC/SBSTA/1996/2. E. Research and development 25. Technologies that are in the research and development (R&D) stage represent one form of "innovative" technology, although other technologies may also fall into this category. Information on technologies that may emerge from R&D laboratories could be useful for a number of purposes, for example, in mathematical models that develop national scenarios of future emissions or to guide international R&D priorities. In some cases, however, information on technologies in the R&D stage may be difficult to obtain because it is considered proprietary or simply has not been published in the literature available to the public. Nevertheless, considerable information could be assembled, and Parties may wish to consider whether this aspect of the technology assessment should be undertaken by either the intergovernmental technical advisory panel, should one be established, or the IPCC. 26. V. FURTHER WORK There was relatively little time for many Parties and intergovernmental organizations to respond to the request by the secretariat for information on technology. The secretariat believes that many other valuable reports and information sources exist and could be made available to the Parties, given additional time. It therefore encourages Parties or intergovernmental organizations to forward existing materials to the secretariat as well as providing new information as it becomes available. (It would be desirable for the secretariat to receive technology information routinely to serve as a basis for future reports.) The secretariat will revise its technology database, improve the presentation, provide a regularly updated compilation of information to the SBSTA, and draw up a long-term work FCCC/SBSTA/1996/4 English 27. The secretariat notes that considerable interest exists in finding approaches to promote the diffusion and commercialization of innovative and environmentally sound technologies. A number of approaches are identified in the note by the secretariat on policies and measures (FCCC/AGBM/1996/2). Since technology penetrates the market at different rates due to many factors, it may be useful for the Parties to have information on specific technologies to support future consideration of this issue. 28. In the future, the work of the secretariat in inventorying and assessing technologies would be related to the tasks undertaken by an intergovernmental technical advisory panel dealing with technologies, once established. Indeed, some aspects of the inventory and assessment process as has been indicated above, may benefit from groundwork by such a panel. In other cases, reports prepared by the secretariat could be sent to the panel for technical comments. 29. Currently, the secretariat provides information on the World Wide Web (at the address http://www.unep.ch/iucc.html), including access to official UNFCCC documents that have been developed by the secretariat, and other relevant reports. The "home page" of the secretariat on the World Wide Web also provides direct links to other organizations that have World Wide Web sites. For example, it provides a direct link to the GREENTIE technology database of the IEA. These activities are currently supplementing the more usual transfer of information through documents prepared for sessions of the bodies of the Convention. This facility will be improved during 1996 as part of an overall upgrading of the information outreach activities of the secretariat. The secretariat will make its technology inventory database available through this means, as well as in hard copy, and will develop direct links, as time permits, with other "web sites" to assist Parties to obtain technology information as rapidly as possible. 30. The secretariat has not yet addressed the issue of "elaboration of the terms" referred to in decision 13/CP.1. An initial treatment of this issue will be undertaken in a future report. The secretariat has begun to collect information on global financing requirements for key sectors over the next few decades and options to meet these needs. |