Distr.
GENERAL
FCCC/SBSTA/1996/4
2 February 1996
Original: ENGLISH
SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE
Second session
Geneva, 27 February - 4 March 1996
Item 7 of the provisional agenda
Paragraphs Page
I. INTRODUCTION 1 - 8 3
A. Mandate 1- 4 3
B. Scope of the note 5 - 7 3
C. Action by the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and
Technological Advice 8 4
II. STEPS IN THE PREPARATION OF THE PRESENT
REPORT 9 - 12 4
III. GENERAL RESULTS CONCERNING SOURCES OF
INFORMATION 13 - 18 5
GE.96-
Paragraphs Page
IV. ISSUES THAT THE SUBSIDIARY BODY FOR SCIENTIFIC
AND TECHNOLOGICAL ADVICE MAY CONSIDER 19 - 29 9
A. Objectives 21 9
B. Use of information 22 10
C. Type of reports 23 10
D. Adaptation technologies 24 11
E. Research and development 25 11
V. FURTHER WORK 26 - 30 11
1. At its first session, the Conference of the Parties (COP) by
its decision 13/CP.1 on transfer of technology, requested the
Convention secretariat "to prepare an inventory and assessment of
environmentally sound and economically viable technologies and
know-how conducive to mitigating and adapting to climate change. This
inventory should also include an elaboration of the terms under which
transfers of such technologies and know-how could take place"
(FCCC/CP/1995/7/Add.1).
2. The COP further requested the secretariat "to submit the
documents ... through the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and
Technological Advice, to the Conference of the Parties at its second
session, and to update them at regular intervals (each interval not
to exceed a year) for consideration by the Conference of the Parties
at each of its sessions; [and] to take the advice of the Subsidiary
Body for Scientific and Technological Advice ... in implementing
these responsibilities and to coordinate this matter with the
relevant United Nations agencies and other organizations and
institutions" (FCCC/CP/1995/7/Add.1).
3. Furthermore, the Ad Hoc Group on the Berlin Mandate (AGBM), at
its first session, requested the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and
Technological Advice (SBSTA) "to provide, for consideration at its
third session (4-8 March 1996), a report on innovative, efficient and
state-of-the-art technologies and know-how that could advance the
implementation of the Berlin Mandate. This should be periodically
updated" (FCCC/AGBM/1995/2, para. 19 (l)).
4. The SBSTA took note of the requests for inputs from the AGBM
and requested the secretariat "to prepare ... an initial progress
report relating to technology identification, assessment and
development, as well as an inventory of state-of-the-art,
environmentally sound and economically viable technologies and
know-how conducive to mitigating and adapting to climate change, in
implementation of decision 13/CP.1" (FCCC/SBSTA/1995/3, para.
26).
5. This note contains information on the action taken so far by
the secretariat to prepare an inventory and assessment of
technologies. It identifies the main question, "What type of
information on technologies and know-how would be most useful to the
Parties?", and seeks guidance on a number of issues related to this
question, as well as describing further work to be undertaken. The
term "technologies and know-how", as used in this report, encompasses
'soft technologies' and 'hard technologies'. Examples of 'soft'
technologies include capacity building, information networks,
training, and research, while examples of 'hard' technologies include
equipment and products to control, reduce or prevent anthropogenic
emissions of greenhouse gases in the energy, transportation,
forestry, agriculture, and industry sectors, to enhance removals by
sinks, and facilitate adaptation.
6. In this context, the secretariat notes that the language in
decision 13/CP.1 and the request of the AGBM differ: the former uses
the words "environmentally sound and economically viable" and the
latter uses the words "innovative, efficient, and state-of-the-art".
This initial report has been prepared to address both
requests.
7. A discussion of the transfer of technology by Annex II Parties
may be found in FCCC/1996/SBI/5 and a discussion of the guidelines
for the preparation of first communications may be found in
FCCC/1996/SBSTA/3.
8. The SBSTA may wish to note the activities of the secretariat
and consider the issues raised in this report, particularly the
priority for future work. It may also wish to transmit its
conclusions to the AGBM.
9. As its first step, the secretariat sent a letter to the 145 Parties to the Convention
and 42 relevant United Nations bodies and intergovernmental organizations on
13 November 1995, requesting copies of reports summarizing
information on mitigation and adaptation technologies by sectors or
categories rather than detailed reports on specific technologies. As
a guide, the letters contained a list of mitigation technologies
provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in
its Second Assessment Report, chapter 28, "Inventory of technologies,
methods, and practices for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases"
(FCCC/SBSTA/1996/7/Add.2).
10. Secondly, the secretariat drew upon many activities already under way in relevant United Nations agencies and other bodies. For example, it utilized the "Survey of information systems related to environmentally sound technologies" prepared by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in April 1995. The survey identifies 51 institutions that operate information systems on environmentally sound technologies, many related to climate change issues. Thirty-three of the institutions that were likely to have information on mitigation and adaptation technologies and know-how, as referred to in decision 13/CP.1, were contacted. In addition, the secretariat expanded collaboration with
the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)
which has an information system and experience with industrial
processes in developing countries. The secretariat also used the
Internet(1) to begin searching for
additional on-line information sources.
11. Finally, the secretariat designed a database to organize the
information received from contributing Parties, specialized agencies
and other bodies of the United Nations system, intergovernmental
organizations, and other institutions and organizations. It contains
written materials, technical reports, journal articles, books, and
reports on conferences and workshops. In addition, information is
available on institutions, information centres, databases, and "web
sites" which disseminate information on mitigation and adaptation
technologies.
12. For illustrative purposes, the contents of the database are
reproduced in the addendum to this document (see
FCCC/SBSTA/1996/Add.1) and arranged according to the contributing
entity, that is, contributing Parties, United Nations Secretariat
units and other bodies, specialized agencies and other organizations
of the United Nations system, intergovernmental organizations, and
other institutions and organizations. The structure comprises the
report title, issuing organization, an abstract of the content,
intended users, types of technologies considered, access, and price.
The database is still in a preliminary stage and can be expanded and
adapted to meet specific needs. In the future, records could be
sorted by different categories and searches undertaken.
13. The secretariat received 31 responses from Parties and intergovernmental organizations to its request for information by 15 January 1996. In addition, it received seven responses to inquiries made via electronic means. Four Parties acknowledged the letter, but did not provide specific information and are therefore not represented in the database.
14. The information forwarded to the secretariat revealed that a
large number of technologies are either currently being developed or
are in use. This information is available via:
(a) Written materials. Journal articles, technical reports,
books, and newsletters (such as the International Energy
Agency/Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
(IEA/OECD)) study "Energy and environmental technologies to respond
to global climate change concerns");
(b) Databases. Information stored in computerized
databases, which can be obtained on diskette or accessed on-line. In
addition, a hard copy of information contained in the database is
often available upon request (for example, The Greenhouse Gas
Technology Information Exchange (GREENTIE) Directory listing
3000 research institutions and technology suppliers);
(c) Workshops and training courses. Some institutions
conduct workshops and training programmes on specific technologies
(for example, the training courses on environmental information
services conducted by the Environmental Systems Information Centre
(ENSIC), Bangkok.).
15. The type of information available on technologies varies
considerably. For illustrative purposes, table 1 below gives selected
examples of different types of reports. However, in many cases it is
difficult to categorize a report since the contents address several
subject areas.
|
|
|
Research and development projects |
A description of laboratory, bench scale or other experiments |
"Solar thermal power and solar chemical systems", SolarPACES, IEA, 1994 |
Demonstration projects |
A description of technology or practices tested on a small or limited scale |
"Photovoltaics provide electricity to rural communities in the Philippines", Centre for the Analysis and Dissemination of Demonstrated Energy Technologies (CADDET), 1995 |
Product description |
A catalogue of technical information and prices for specific products |
"The Australian renewable energy industry", Department of Primary Industries and Energy, Australia, 1993 |
Multiple technology assessment |
A comparative analysis of the performance, environmental impacts, and cost of several technologies or practices |
"Options for reducing methane emissions internationally, vol. 1: technology options", United States Environmental Protection Agency, 1993 |
Programme report |
The results of a programme conducted over a number of years to develop or introduce a technology or process in a country or region |
"Implementation programme: reduction of environmental impact from coal in Central/Eastern Europe", United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 1995 |
Case study |
A summary of the technical, financial, institutional, and other aspects associated with deploying a new technology in a country or region |
"Local and regional energy-related environmental issues", World Energy Council (WEC), 1995 |
Cost-effectiveness study |
A study of the costs of different technologies |
"Renewable energy technologies: a review of the status and cost of selected technologies", World Bank, 1994 |
Government policy report |
An integrated report on policies, measures, and technologies |
"Energy management in Africa", African Energy Policy Research Network (AFREPREN), 1992 |
Bibliography |
A description and identification of reports, date of issue, and authorship |
"Energy conservation in industry", Industrial and Technological Information Bank (INTIB), United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), 1994 |
Institutional directory |
A list of organizations working on a particular technology |
International Directory of Energy Efficiency Institutions, World Energy Efficiency Association (WEEA), 1995 |
16. Three examples are described below in more
detail:
(a) The "Inventory of technologies, methods, and practices for
reducing emissions of greenhouse gases", chapter 28 of the IPCC
Second Assessment Report provides specific data on 105 mitigation
technology options, such as, technical and environmental
characteristics, cost, implementation requirements, and references.
The major objective of this inventory is to provide a data source on
energy supply and end-use technologies, as well as on industrial,
agricultural and forestry practices. Furthermore, it provides a
common format for documenting and exchanging technical, economic and
operational data on various technology systems. It does not include
adaptation technologies;
(b) The "Survey of information systems related to environmentally
sound technologies" prepared by UNEP in April 1995 identified 51
information systems providing information on environmentally sound
technologies, many of which are applicable to climate change issues.
Expert meetings and a further assessment of user needs will
contribute to a new version of the survey report in April 1996. A
database and catalogue of information systems relating to
environmentally sound technology will become available on diskette
and/or the Internet in the future;
(c) The IEA/OECD Greenhouse Gas Technology Information
Exchange (GREENTIE) Directory is intended to facilitate
the transfer of greenhouse gas technology, in line with the IPCC list
of 105 technologies. It has established and maintains a database of
3,000 sources of expertise on environmentally sound technologies for
greenhouse gas emission reduction. GREENTIE provides an inquiry
service, a printed directory, CD-ROM, and Internet access.
Participating Governments pay the costs of operating the service as
well as identifying national centres of expertise and submitting this
information to the database.
17. The secretariat also found that the transfer of information
electronically is expanding rapidly. Many Governments,
intergovernmental organizations, corporations, and universities use
fax machines, electronic mail (e-mail), and have "web sites" to
transfer data, text, and graphics. For example, the United States
Department of Energy has an Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
"web site" that provides links to over 200 national and international
"web sites". In many cases, these 200 "web sites" lead to additional
sites with unprecedented amounts of information. There are therefore
numerous sources of data, but it is difficult to assess the quality
of the information. The simple steps taken by the secretariat in this
regard are identified later in this report.
18. In preparing this report the secretariat was confronted with
several challenges, including:
(a) Accessing information. As stated previously, there are
many sources of information on technology and practices. In most
cases the challenge is to know where to look and what to ask for. In
a few cases, information was unavailable because it was out of print
or could only be obtained for a fee. Almost all organizations
exhibited a willingness to provide information. Many indicated that
this would be made easier if the Parties decided to narrow the focus
of their requests;
(b) Comparing data. The secretariat has not attempted to
develop a structure for synthesizing qualitative information, a
common format for assessing technologies, or a means of comparing
data on specific technologies. Each of these aspects represents a
different level of complexity that should reflect the needs of the
Parties;
(c) Presenting information. The information collected and
synthesized by the secretariat must be presented in a clear and
comprehensible manner and meet the needs of all Parties. In so far as
this is a new activity, the secretariat has not yet developed a
structure or format for presenting information;
(d) Collecting information from non-governmental
institutions. The initial letter from the secretariat requesting
information on technology and practices was addressed to Parties and
intergovernmental organizations. The secretariat encouraged Parties
to identify information from other sources, such as universities,
environmental organizations, and private sector laboratories.
Although relatively little information was transmitted from
non-governmental institutions to the secretariat in response to its
initial letter, the secretariat nevertheless routinely receives some
information directly from such sources;
(e) Adaptation technologies and practices. Little specific
information has been collected on adaptation technologies and
practice although the subject is treated broadly in the IPCC Second
Assessment Report. This may be due to a lack of awareness in many
organizations as to what constitutes an adaptation technology or
practice.
19. This initial attempt by the secretariat to inventory
information on technologies and know-how conducive to mitigating and
adapting to climate change demonstrates that a great deal of
information is available from Parties, intergovernmental
institutions, and the private sector. As discussed earlier, the
current information ranges from data on specific products and vendors
to case studies describing the introduction of a new technology in a
country.
20. Decision 13/CP.1, while recalling the provisions of chapter 34
of Agenda 21 and the relevant provisions of the Convention, provides
only broad guidance concerning the scope of such technology
assessments to be undertaken by the secretariat. In order to offer
more focused guidance, the SBSTA may consider several
issues.
21. What should be the objective(s) of future technology
assessments? For example, should assessments provide information to
assist developing countries in formulating and implementing national
programmes to mitigate and adapt to climate change? Should
assessments provide information to inform Annex I Parties about
technologies that could support a process of developing policies and
measures? Or should both, and or others, be considered? In this
regard, the SBSTA may wish to refer to the note prepared by the
secretariat on policies and measures (FCCC/AGBM/1996/2).
22. How will the information be used and by whom? Table 2 provides
examples, as taken in modified form from the 1995 Second Assessment
Report of the IPCC Working Group II, chapter 27, of the different
levels of decision-making and typical questions that may be
addressed. In this regard, it is apparent that the type of
information that would be useful in preparing a request for tenders
to build a 200 megawatt electricity plant in a specific location
would be very different from the information needed to prepare a
national communication.
|
|
|
Cross-sectoral/ regional |
Interministerial Committee |
What should be the national expenditure for energy and agriculture? |
Sectoral |
Minister |
Which policies and technologies are needed to achieve national goals? |
Programme |
Deputy Minister/Regional Administrator/ Senior Corporate Executive |
What technologies are available to achieve regional or corporate objectives? |
Project |
Senior Corporate Executive/Municipal Official |
Which particular projects or facilities will provide the highest return for an investment? |
Facility |
Plant Manager |
What motors should be purchased and from which vendor? |
23. Should any particular sectors, as, for example, energy,
industry, transport, agriculture, forestry, or waste management, be
given priority in future assessments? Should the reports be of a
particular type, for example, case studies? Given the request of the
COP to the Convention secretariat to prepare documents for
consideration at regular intervals (each interval not to exceed a
year), should these reports be very broad or should a series of
reports that focus on specific topics be developed over the next
several years?
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 adaptation
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. 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 a 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. 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 programme. (See also FCCC/SBI/1996/4).
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.
1. * The Internet was developed to enable researchers to transfer information electronically. Since then it has become a world-wide network through which texts, images and personal messages are exchanged electronically over long distances almost immediately. It is growing rapidly and now has some 40 million users in the world of which about half are in North America. The World Wide Web, one service of the Internet, is a tool to make information publicly available. Organizations, institutions, companies, and individuals establish "home pages" and "web sites" to enable users to access information (some free of charge and others for a fee). In some countries, the high cost to users of being connected to the Internet, insufficient telecommunication infrastructure and other factors, may currently limit access to Internet.