4 December 2014: The Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) and Indonesia’s National Council on Climate Change (DNPI) hosted a side event at the Lima Climate Change Conference showcasing the value of climate change knowledge networks, specifically the Southeast Asia Knowledge Network of Climate Change Offices (SEAN-CC) and the Regional Gateway for Technology Transfer and Climate Change Action in Latin America and the Caribbean (REGATTA).

The Indonesia Pavilion hosted the event, ‘From International Climate Change Negotiations to National Implementation: The Value of Regional Networks of Climate Change Offices.’ Panelists highlighted that climate knowledge networks enhance country-ownership and commitment, trust building, South-South cooperation and technology transfer.

Participants shared various outcomes of the networks’ training initiatives, such as a REGATTA course on identifying the opportunities for climate finance in Latin America and the Caribbean, through which 70 practitioners earned diplomas. Speakers lauded the UN Environment Programme’s (UNEP) work in organizing workshops on issues such as loss and damage to prepare Southeast Asia participants for the climate change negotiations. Participants also highlighted a Southeast Asian workshop on measurement, reporting and verification (MRV), during which participants applied lessons learned to the preparation of national MRV frameworks.

Sum Thy, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Cambodia, noted that the success of the SEAN-CC network lies in the strength of the institutional connections created at national and regional levels. Noting that Cambodia is in the early stages of developing its Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs), he called for implementation support from SEAN-CC and other partners.

Ana Fornells, Spanish Office for Climate Change, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, Spain, stressed the importance of experience exchange to enhance learning. She lauded REGATTA’s web platform as a “one-stop-shop” for information on climate change actors and actions in the region.

Matti Nummelin, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Finland, called for replicating best practices from the Montreal Protocol to strengthen the engagement of regional networks dealing with climate change.

During the discussion, participants inquired about, inter alia: the informal nature of the networks; the work of REGATTA in the English-speaking Caribbean; and ways to link these networks with other established networks dealing with climate change. [IISD RS ENBOTS Coverage] [IISD RS Coverage of Lima Climate Change Conference] [CTCN Website] [Event Announcement] [DNPI Website]