4 September 2017: This Update focuses on individual nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs) by developing countries and related support, events and activities for the month of August 2017. During this period, Sri Lanka secured US$1.8 million in multilateral support for a NAMA targeting energy sector emissions. Also, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and Uganda released a NAMA for climate-smart dairy value chains, and the NAMA Facility explored ways to cooperate with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) on finance.
NAMAs, first introduced in the UNFCCC Cancun Agreements, are actions that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions relative to business-as-usual (BAU) emissions in 2020 in developing countries. They are prepared under the umbrella of a governmental initiative aligned with the country’s national development goals, and are supported by finance, technology and capacity building.
NAMAs are becoming an increasingly important vehicle supporting implementation of the Paris Agreement, with significant co-benefits for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development due to their alignment with national development strategies. Increasing attention is also being paid to bridging the existing gap between support requested by developing countries and that received. The NAMA-related activities reported in this Update contribute to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13 (climate action) and SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy), among others.
NAMA Update: Sri Lanka Receives GEF Support for Energy Framework NAMA
During the month of August, no new NAMAs seeking support or new sources of NAMA support were submitted to the UNFCCC Registry. However, an energy NAMA submitted by Sri Lanka in July 2017 secured support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). A total of US$1.8 million, provided under GEF Cycle 5, will go towards developing a “robust, transparent and functional NAMA framework targeting energy generation and end use sectors.” The framework will comprise a measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) system for quantifying GHG emissions and benefits of mitigation interventions in the energy sector, and will include a host of supporting institutions, including a secretariat and an MRV committee. The framework will be tested through pilot projects, which will include 1,000 bio-digesters, 1,300 high-efficiency motors in tea factories and 205 solar photovoltaic (PV) net metering systems. [UNFCCC NAMA Registry] [UNFCCC Registry Entry on Sri Lanka] [SDG Knowledge Hub July 2017 NAMA Update] [Mitigation and Transparency Exchange Story]
Uganda and UNDP Develop NAMA on Climate-Smart Dairy Value Chains
The UNDP announced a NAMA on climate-smart dairy livestock value chains in Uganda, developed with the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries. The NAMA, which is estimated to require US$530,000 in policy and regulatory support, will include interventions related to policy development, access to finance and technical assistance. Technical assistance will consist of “train-the-trainers” activities aimed at local farmers’ organizations and cooperatives. Measures under the NAMA will target emissions from enteric fermentation and animal manure management with the ultimate aim of making the Ugandan dairy sector more low-carbon and climate-resilient. [UNDP Press Release]
Viet Nam Explores Mitigation Actions in Rice Production
Following the development of a rice NAMA in Thailand, expert organizations have been exploring mitigation potential in this sector in Viet Nam. Currently, Viet Nam has the highest GHG emissions from rice production in Southeast Asia. A stakeholder workshop organized in Hanoi by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in collaboration with two local institutions, focused on NAMA formulation in the rice sector in support of the implementation of Viet Nam’s nationally determined contribution (NDC). The workshop explored mitigation potential, policy gaps, constraints to planning and implementation, and steps required from the government, among other issues. [CCAFS Story] [SDG Knowledge Hub July 2017 NAMA Update]
GCF, NAMA Facility Discuss Collaboration
Members of the secretariats of the UK-German NAMA Facility and the GCF held a workshop in Songdo, Republic of Korea, to explore opportunities for cooperation in areas, including project preparation, pipeline development, and monitoring and evaluation. The meeting agreed on future cooperation around both ad hoc exchanges on specific projects and a regularly occurring strategic dialogue. [NAMA Facility Press Release on GCF]
The NAMA Facility also reported that 2,433 Costa Rican coffee producers were trained on “good agricultural practices” over a total of eight workshops offered in June and July 2017, which included training modules offered by the NAMA Facility-supported ‘NAMA Café.’ [NAMA Facility Press Release on Costa Rica]
Sectoral Initiatives Explore Mitigation Potential
On transport, the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB) reported on results achieved through its Transfer of Climate-Friendly Transport Technologies and Measures (TRANSfer) initiative, which has been running since 2010. Activities implemented under the initiative have included public transport vehicle substitution in the Philippines, a new cycling infrastructure in Colombia and an investment promotion programme for sustainable urban transport in Peru. [BMUB Project Update]
According to CCAFS, for women and girls, reliance on wood translates into high labor and energy demands and increased health costs.
On buildings, UN Environment (UNEP) and the UNFCCC organized a workshop on mitigation in this sector, which sought to identify areas for collaboration and coordination of support. The workshop also explored lessons from NAMA development in the building sector in Latin America and Southeast Asia. [Mitigation and Transparency Exchange Story] [UNFCCC Workshop Presentations]
On energy, Kenya’s dairy NAMA and the CCAFS conducted a study aimed at understanding biogas adoption patterns amongst women and men in a country where 75% of rural households depend on wood for energy. According to CCAFS, “for women and girls, this reliance on wood translates into high labor and energy demands and increased health costs.” At the same time, men are more likely to make household-level decisions on energy given their higher access to income and credit. In order to promote the adoption of biogas, which remains low despite its climate, productivity and health-related benefits, the study proposes mainstreaming gender into biogas promotion strategies. [CCAFS Story]