In what looks like the first collaboration of its kind, the Governments of Ghana and Tonga will receive Readiness and Preparatory Support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) for green technology assistance delivered by the Climate Technology Centre & Network (CTCN), thus marking a new engagement between the Finance and Technology Mechanisms of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
“The country parties of the Climate Change Convention have been calling for this type of engagement between the CTCN and the Green Climate Fund. Such collaboration opens a wide range of possibilities to foster integrated implementation of countries’ climate commitments,” said the CTCN Director, Jukka Uosukainen.
Like many small island states, Tonga has depended entirely on imported fossil fuel for its energy. In recent years, the island kingdom has invested significantly in introducing renewable energy sources, such as off-grid solar photovoltaic systems. However, the Tongan government recognises that energy efficiency strategies must also be incorporated in order to achieve continued and sustainable development while further curbing the island’s oil dependency.
Tonga’s government therefore requested the CTCN’s assistance in the development of an energy efficiency plan for power, transport, infrastructure, tourism, education, fisheries and agriculture sectors, which will assist Tonga in meeting its Nationally Determined Contribution to improve energy efficiency.
As part of its technical assistance, the Climate Technology Centre will conduct data collection and a baseline/benchmarking study to measure Tonga’s energy use, energy costs, and greenhouse (GHG) emissions, including gender-focused baseline studies, for key sectors. Based on these findings, the CTCN will propose energy efficiency and GHG targets as well as cost-effective and gender responsive means of achieving these objectives. Initial training for Tongan Energy Department staff and identification of a longer-term capacity building plan will also be delivered.
Due to the limited use of irrigation in Ghana, the majority of its agricultural sector is highly vulnerable to temperature changes and increased frequency of drought, which threatens the country’s food security. Improving resiliency of crops to drought through strengthened early warning capabilities is a priority for the country and was included as part of Ghana’s national climate commitment under the Paris Agreement.
The Climate Technology Centre is providing technology transfer and capacity building to relevant Ghanaian organisations and government agencies for dry season management and planning. The support aims to enhance knowledge of spatially distributed drought issues; increase data accessibility of satellite information; and build capacity for drought forecasting and warning system management in order to enable national and local decision makers, including farmers, to use the transferred knowledge, practices and technologies actively for dry season planning.
The Climate Technology Centre and Green Climate Fund collaboration builds upon existing efforts between the two initiatives, which include organising parallel regional meetings for national designated representatives of both mechanisms.
The CTCN promotes the accelerated development and transfer of technologies for energy-efficient, low-carbon and climate-resilient development. As the implementation arm of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Technology Mechanism, the CTCN is a key institution assisting nations to achieve their commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Hosted and managed by the UN Environment in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), CTCN utilises the expertise of these institutions, as well as a global network of nearly 300 civil society, finance, private sector, and research institutions, to deliver tailored technical assistance and capacity building at the request of developing countries.
