November 2012: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Risoe Centre on Energy, Climate and Sustainable Development (URC) has released the fifth volume of its Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) Newsletter, which features articles on: TNA activities; a global experience-sharing workshops; and country experiences from Mauritius, Viet Nam, Georgia and Ecuador.

The TNA project is implemented by UNEP and the URC on behalf of the Global Environment Facility (GEF). It provides targeted technical and methodological support to 36 countries in conducting TNAs.

The newsletter includes a TNA status update, which indicates that seven countries have completed Technology Action Plans (TAPs), with a further 18 expected to complete their TAPs by the end of 2012.

It also notes that a global workshop on experience-sharing and investment-focused knowledge dissemination targeting potential funders was held in Bangkok, Thailand from 10-12 September 2012. Participants included representatives from all TNA countries as well as donors. According to the newsletter, meeting participants called on the Technical Executive Committee to work with them to create synergies between international mitigation and adaptation policy actions such as Low Emission Development Strategies (LEDS) and nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs), so that future TNAs are integrated, as opposed to stand-alone initiatives. [TNA Newsletter, Volume 5]