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9 - 15 November
CONTENTS:
CTI / Industry Seminar on Technology Diffusion in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
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CTI / Industry Joint Seminar on Technology Diffusion in Eastern Europe and Central Asia
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Climate change is considered one of the most serious threats to the world's environment, with negative impacts expected on human health, food security, economic activity, water and other natural resources, and physical infrastructure. Global climate varies naturally, but scientists agree that rising concentrations of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the earth’s atmosphere, brought about by human activities, are leading to changes in the climate. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the effects of climate change have already been observed. Despite some lingering uncertainties, the majority of climate scientists believe that prompt and precautionary action is necessary.
The international political response to climate change began with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Adopted in 1992, the UNFCCC sets out a framework for action aimed at stabilizing atmospheric concentrations of GHGs to avoid "dangerous anthropogenic interference" with the climate system. The GHGs to be limited include methane, nitrous oxide, and, in particular, carbon dioxide. The UNFCCC entered into force on 21 March 1994. It currently has 188 Parties.
Technology transfer is considered a key element in combating climate change under the UNFCCC. Technology transfer activities have been on the agenda of every session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and the Conference of the Parties (COP). UNFCCC Article 4.5, which addresses the need for technology transfer, states that "developed country Parties … shall take all practicable steps to promote, facilitate and finance, as appropriate, the transfer of, or access to, environmentally-sound technologies and know-how to other Parties, particularly developing country Parties, to enable them to implement the provisions of the Convention," adding that "in this process, the developed country Parties shall support the development and enhancement of endogenous capacities and technologies of developing country Parties."
Two climate change meetings targeting countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia were held in Vienna, Austria between October 27th and 31st 2003. The first meeting, the CTI / Industry Joint Seminar on Technology Diffusion in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, 28 - 29 October, was organized by the Climate Technology Initiative (CTI) with the co-operation of the Austrian Ministry of Economy and Labour and UNIDO. The second meeting 30 - 31 October, was an Expert Group Meeting (EGM) on Energy Efficiency in the Context of Carbon Financing, organized jointly by UNIDO and the Austrian Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management.
This week we present an overview of the first meeting, the CTI / Industry Joint Seminar on Technology Diffusion in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, attended by 105 representatives of governments, intergovernmental organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), business and industry groups, and academic institutions. The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)Sustainable Developments report on the meeting is available at www.iisd.ca/download/pdf/sd/sdvol92num1e.pdf . CTI Seminar proceedings are under preparation. The final report, conclusions and recommendations will be accessible via UNIDO's CTI Seminar Proceedings pagewww.unido.org/en/doc/18424. For the time being, the presentations made at the meeting are there for viewing or downloading.
The objectives of the seminar were to increase participants’ awareness of climate change and technology transfer issues, review experiences in Central and Eastern Europe and in Central Asia, and promote the development of environmentally-sound projects by encouraging collaboration between policymakers, technology transfer specialists, financial institutions, and the private sector.
On Tuesday, 28 October, participants met in two plenary sessions to hear presentations and engage in discussions on the status of technology transfer under the UNFCCC, and on technology transfer under the Kyoto Protocol. A panel discussion on the role of OECD countries in diffusing technology in the target regions was also convened. Two regional presentation sessions, focusing on experiences in OECD countries and in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, were held on Tuesday morning and afternoon, and on Wednesday morning. On Wednesday afternoon, participants convened in a panel discussion on financial barriers and the role of multilateral and financial organizations. The meeting is expected to result in further dialogue and cooperation among key stakeholders on the diffusion of environmentally-sound technologies in Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Since all the presentations are available on UNIDO's CTI Seminar Proceedings page, I have assembled the following list of sessions and speakers to whet your appetite:
SESSION ONE: STATUS OF TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER UNDER THE UNFCCC, chaired by Shigetaka Seki, two presentations on the status of technology transfer under the UNFCCC: Daniele Violetti, Programme Officer, UNFCCC, Vute Wangwacharakul, (UNFCCC Expert Group on Technology Transfer (EGTT)).
SESSION TWO: TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND THE KYOTO PROTOCOL, chaired by Vute Wangwacharakul, EGTT. Five presentations, by: Morihiro Kurushima, Programme Manager, CTI; Herwig Dürr, Director of Foreign Economic Policy and European Integration with Austria’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Labor; Peter Pembleton, Multilateral Environmental Agreements Branch, UNIDO; Cahit Gurkok, Energy and Cleaner Production Branch, UNIDO; Victor Zakharian, Field Coordination and Resource Mobilization Branch, UNIDO; and Ferda Gelegen, UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO) Tokyo, Japan.
SESSION THREE: REGIONAL PRESENTATIONS - OECD, chaired by Morihiro Kurushima, with Helmut Berger (ALLPLAN Austria), acting as rapporteur. Nine presentations on the role of OECD countries in technology transfer: Konrad Autengruber, Head of Business Development, VA Tech Hydro, Austria; John Topper, Managing Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Clean Coal Centre, UK, and IEA Environmental Projects Ltd., France; Daniel Droste, MVV Consultants and Engineers, Germany; Pim Kieskamp, Senior Expert on Sustainable Energy and Climate Change, Climate Business Network, the Netherlands; Jan-Willem van de Ven, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD); Junichi Nakazawa, General Manager of the Moscow Office of Sumimoto Corporation, Japan; Sumie Nakayama, Manager of the Corporate Planning and Administration Department, J-Power, Japan; Naohito Soma, Manager of the Nippon Steel Corporation, Japan; and Aimee McKane, Programme Manager with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in the US.
SESSION FOUR: PANEL DISCUSSION ON THE ROLE OF OECD COUNTRIES IN TECHNOLOGY DIFFUSION IN EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA, chaired by Guillermo Jimenez, Multilateral Environmental Agreements Branch, UNIDO, with Helmut Berger acting as rapporteur. Four panelists: Pim Kieskamp, Senior Expert on Sustainable Energy and Climate Change, Climate Business Network, the Netherlands; Konrad Autengruber, Head of Business Development, VA Tech Hydro, Austria; Daniel Droste, Senior Consultant, MVV Consultants & Engineers, Germany; and George Abulashvili, Director of the Energy Efficiency Centre, Georgia.
SESSION FIVE: REGIONAL PRESENTATIONS – CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE, AND CENTRAL ASIA chaired by Gaudenz Assenza, Senior Lecturer at Palacky University, Czech Republic. Sergei Levchenko, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, acted as rapporteur. CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE PANEL: Gaudenz Assenza, Ukraine; Sergei Levchenko, Belarus; Nikolay Nikolov, Bulgaria; Lidia Trescilo, Moldova; Tatjana Markov, Serbia; Besim Islami, Albania; and Vladimir Laskarevsky, Ukraine. CENTRAL ASIA PANEL: Lyubov Inyutina, Kazakhstan; Ilhomjon Rajabov, Tajikistan; Irina Atamuradova, Turkmenistan; and Tatyana Ososkova, Uzebekistan; TRANSCAUCASIA PANEL: Aram Gabrielyan and Diana Harutyunyan, Armenia; and Marina Shvangiradze, Georgia.
SESSION SIX: PANEL DISCUSSION ON OVERCOMING FINANCIAL BARRIERS AND THE ROLE OF MULTILATERAL AND FINANCIAL ORGANIZATIONS chaired by Pim Kieskamp, with Sergei Levchenko acting as rapporteur. The four panelists addressing this issue were Jan-Willem van de Ven, Nikolay Nikolov, Marina Shvangiradze and Ferda Gelegen.
Peter Pembleton, Tel: +431 26026 / 3705, E-mail: P.Pembleton@unido.org
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Asia-Africa Regional Seminar on Small Hydro Power, Trivandrum, Kerala, India, 11-15 November 2003. Sponsored by the Government of Kerala, UNIDO Regional Centre for Small Hydro Power, Kerala and the International Centre for Small Hydro Power, Hangzhou, China, the Conference will examine: small hydro power development in South Asia and its potential for the meeting the current and future rural electrification needs; the various models of small hydro power development in the region; the potential for development of Pico, Micro, Mini and Small hydropower development in the countries of the region; the financing options and policies for small hydro power development in the region; opportunities for local user participation from concept to completion of small hydro projects; Action Programs in each of the participating countries and develop a strategy for accelerated development of small hydro power as a means of sustainable development with the involvement of UNIDO, UNDP and bilateral or multilateral agencies. The conference homepage has all the information.
The Ghana Investment Forum in Accra, 18 - 20 November, 2003, will bring together senior government officials, representatives of all stakeholders in investment promotion in Ghana and local and foreign entrepreneurs and institutions concerned with trade and investment issues. The Forum is aimed at members of the Ghanaian business community seeking foreign partners for investment projects, foreign companies seeking investment opportunities in Ghana and agencies and institutions concerned with investment promotion in and for Ghana. www.unido.org/doc/10843
The International Merger & Acquisition Summit Beijing 2003, from 19 - 20 November, 2003. Held by UNIDO's Investment and Technology Promotion Office in China, together with SASAC (the Chinese authoritative organization responsible for the management and supervision of state owned assets) and Bearing Point China. The Summit will serve as a top-level platform to bring together foreign and local companies, governmental institutions and facilitators to exchange experiences, latest news, and plans for future cooperation.The Summit Homepage English | Chinese has all the details.
UNIDO Director- General Carlos Magariños is one of 16 executive heads of specialised agencies and UN Organizations (FAO, IAEA, ICAO, ILO, IMO, ITU, UNCTAD, UNDP, UNEP, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO (see UN System map )) working together on the High-Level Summit Organizing Committee (HLSOC) of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS). WSIS is seen as a unique opportunity for all key stakeholders to assemble at a high-level gathering and to develop a better understanding of the revolution that has given birth to the term "Information Society", and its impact on the international community. The first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), will be hosted by the Government of Switzerland, in Geneva, from 10 to 12 December 2003. It will address the broad range of themes concerning the Information Society and adopt a Declaration of Principles and plan of action, addressing the whole range of issues related to the Information Society.
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