14 February 2016: This update provides information about individual nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs) by developing countries, and related support, publications and events for the period from December 2015 to mid-February 2016. During this period, NAMAs registered as seeking support included ones on rural electrification in the Gambia and efficient use of biomass in Georgia. NAMAs in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR), Vanuatu, Peru, Colombia, Kenya and China received support. Several reports, guides and other publications on NAMAs were also launched during this period.
Based on the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) DTU Partnership pipeline, as of 1 February 2016, the total number of NAMAs, stood at 124. Total support requested for NAMAs was US$8.0 billion and support offered US$158 million (up by US$21 million since 1 November 2015), which equalled to 2% of the total support requested. [UNEP DTU NAMA Pipeline]
On 14 February 2016, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) NAMA Registry displayed a total of: 60 NAMAs seeking support for preparation (up by two from 27 November 2015); 58 NAMAs seeking support for implementation (up by four); eight NAMAs for recognition (up by one); 18 entries on support for NAMAs; and 16 supported NAMAs (up by two). The registry is aimed at facilitating the matching of finance, technology and capacity-building support with NAMAs seeking international support, and at recognizing other NAMAs. [UNFCCC NAMA Registry]
On NAMAs seeking support for implementation, the Gambia submitted a NAMA for rural electrification with renewable energy. In a country with a national electrification rate of 40%, and with electricity access as low as 6% in some areas, the NAMA will aim to: increase rural access to sustainable electricity; encourage increase in rural income generation and improved livelihoods; contribute to the increase in the share of renewables in the power mix; and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the power generation sector. The estimated cost of the first phase of the 15-year NAMA is US$23.1 million, with an expected international contribution of US$9.9 million in grants. [UNFCCC Registry Gambian NAMA]
Georgia submitted a NAMA for ‘efficient use of biomass for equitable, climate proof and sustainable rural development’ that is seeking support for implementation. The country currently has 400,000 households using firewood for heating, cooking and hot water. The NAMA aims to promote the use and up-scaling of solar water heaters, fuel-efficient woodstoves and energy-efficient insulation in buildings, and sustainable forest management. A total of 11,500 households will be targeted over a period of six years. The NAMA has an estimated cost of US$16.4 million, of which Georgia is seeking US$3.5 million for human resources and US$3.0 million for technology subsidies and support to the private sector. [UNFCCC Registry Georgian NAMA]
On NAMAs seeking recognition, Malaysia submitted a NAMA that has seen the establishment of a feed-in tariff scheme (in 2011) aimed at increasing the share of renewables in the power generation mix to 11% by 2020, and creating long-term employment and a skilled workforce in the renewable energy industry. [UNFCCC Registry Malaysian NAMA]
Two rural electrification NAMAs, in the Lao PDR and Vanuatu, received preparation support. Funding of US$70,000 for the completion of the Lao PDR’s NAMA design document, from the Australian-funded UN Development Programme (UNDP) MDG Carbon programme, was registered by the UNFCCC in December 2015. The IIDS RS reported on the support in November 2015. [IISD RS October-November 2015 NAMA Update] [UNFCCC Registry Lao PDR NAMA]
Funding of US$81,000 for Vanuatu’s NAMA from UNDP MDG Carbon was registered by the UNFCCC in January 2016. The NAMA is aimed at ensuring energy access to all households in the country through the establishment of micro grids and the extension of existing grids. The NAMA, which has a total cost of US$5.5 million and is seeking support for implementation, will receive capacity development support over a period of five years. [UNFCCC Registry on Vanuatu’s NAMA]
In addition, a NAMA aimed at achieving a sustainable, low-carbon urban transport sector in Lima, Peru, through the provision of high-quality public transport and optimisation of the vehicle fleet, received a €5 million grant and low-interest loans totalling €40 million from the NAMA Facility. The NAMA, entitled ‘TRANSPerú,’ will be co-financed by the Government of Peru and several development banks. [UNFCCC Registry on Peruvian NAMA]
The NAMA Facility, funded by Germany, the UK, Denmark and the European Commission, announced support for NAMAs in Colombia, Kenya and China. The Colombian NAMA aims to transform the domestic refrigeration sector through improved appliances and their recycling. The project in Kenya will support the country’s first mass rapid transport NAMA. In China, the NAMA Facility will provide technical support for the establishment of an integrated waste management system in three municipalities. [NAMA Facility Press Release] [NAMA News Press Release]
Several NAMA-related publications were launched in December 2015-February 2016.
The MitigationMomentum project, a German initiative, published a study titled ‘NAMAs and INDCs: Interactions and Opportunities,’ which explores the links between NAMAs (specific actions) and intended nationally determined contributions (INDCs, often comprising broader targets) in the areas of: access to finance; stakeholder engagement; sustainable development impacts; measurement, reporting and verification (MRV); and institutional frameworks. The study on NAMAs and INDCs concludes that, inter alia: NAMAs will be an important tool for implementing the Paris Agreement for many countries; NAMAs can and should be linked to post-2020 targets; the visibility of INDCs can increase domestic buy-in for sectoral NAMAs; and governments need to take the lead in implementing NAMAs to achieve INDC-related targets. [MitigationMomentum Publication on NAMAs and INDCs]
MitigationMomentum also released the ‘Annual Status Report on Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) 2015,’ which concludes that NAMAs will continue to play a key role in “delivering transformational change and sustainable development” post-Paris. Noting that more than one-third of INDCs contain reference to NAMAs, the study stresses a strong link between the two. The study also identifies a need for larger scale, ‘bankable’ NAMAs. [MitigationMomentum Report on NAMAs]
The UNEP DTU Partnership (UDP) and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) launched a study titled ‘Framework for Measuring Sustainable Development in NAMAs,’ which aims to improve the quantitative and qualitative measurement of the sustainable development outcomes of NAMAs to enhance understanding of how NAMAs can contribute to achieving national development goals. [UDP-IISD Publication on Sustainable Development in NAMAs]
UDP also launched a study on the use of ‘multi criteria decision analysis’ for NAMAs, aimed at enabling national stakeholders to understand the process for developing and applying a framework for NAMA prioritization. [UDP Publication on MDCA]
The NAMA Facility published two guides: the NAMA Facility Monitoring and Evaluation Framework; and Monitoring and Evaluation Guidance for NAMA Support Projects. The Facility also released an introductory leaflet and a factsheet on the sustainable development co-benefits of the NAMA Facility. [NAMA Facility Monitoring and Evaluation Framework] [NAMA Facility Guidance for NAMA Support Projects] [NAMA Facility Leaflet] [NAMA Facility Factsheet]
The Mexican-German Programme for NAMAs (ProNAMA) published a Spanish-language report on the lessons learned, results and impacts of the four-year programme. A number of reports and studies prepared as part of the programme were also made public. [Mitigation Partnership Press Release] [ProNAMA Factsheet (English)]
Sectorally-oriented NAMA publications included: the ‘Transport NAMA Monitor 2015’, the second edition of ‘Navigating Transport NAMAs’ and the TRANSfer News newsletter for September-November 2015, all by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ); a learning tool on NAMAs in the agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector, by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO); and a guidebook for the development of NAMAs on sustainable municipal waste management, by UDP. [GIZ Transport NAMA Monitor] [GIZ Publication on Navigating Transport NAMAs] [GIZ TRANSfer News September-November 2015] [FAO Learning Tool] [UDP Guidebook on Waste Management NAMAs]
On NAMA-relevant events, during the Paris UN Climate Change Conference, in December 2015, the UNFCCC Secretariat organized a side event on ‘making the best use of the NAMA registry’ and a ‘NAMA Fair’ event aimed at showcasing the contribution of NAMAs to low-emissions development and inspiring further action. [UNFCCC NAMA Side Event Materials] [UNFCCC NAMA Fair Webpage]
The NAMA Facility hosted a monitoring and evaluation workshop for the project managers of the 12 projects it supports. [NAMA Facility Press Release]
The International Partnership on Mitigation and MRV and the UNDP Low Emission Capacity Building (LECB) Programme launched a webinar series on the ‘Global Good Practice Analysis 2.0 on INDCs, LEDS, NAMAs and MRV Systems.’ The seven-part series, which started on 26 January 2016, will run through the summer of 2016. [Mitigation Partnership Press Release]
NAMAs are actions that reduce GHG emissions relative to business-as-usual (BAU) emissions in developing countries and are prepared under the umbrella of a governmental initiative. The UNFCCC distinguishes between NAMAs at the national level, communicated by parties through a formal submission, and individual NAMAs that range from projects to sectoral programmes or policies. The UNFCCC further differentiates between individual NAMAs in preparation and those in implementation. NAMAs are supported by finance, technology and capacity building.