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. 25. E. Research and development 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 å 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 Page 12 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. |