Climate Technology

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Enhancing technology development, transfer, deployment, and dissemination is a key pillar of the international response to climate change. As a result, and to support the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement. Parties to the UNFCCC are engaged in the elaboration of the technology framework to further promote and facilitate enhanced action on technology development and transfer, where the work on Technology Needs Assessments will play a key role in the implementation of environmentally sound technologies for mitigation and adaptation.

In 2010, the COP established the Technology Mechanism with the objective of accelerating and enhancing climate technology development and transfer. It consists of two complementary bodies that work together, – the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN). The mechanism will also serve the Paris Agreement.
Technology Mechanism

The TEC is the Technology Mechanism’s policy arm and analyses policy issues and provides recommendations to support countries in enhancing climate technology efforts. The TEC is an executive committee consisting of 20 technology experts representing both developing and developed countries. The TEC meets multiple times a year and holds climate technology events that support efforts to address key technology policy issues.
Technology Executive Committee

The CTCN is the mechanism’s implementation arm and it supports countries to enhance the implementation of climate technology projects and programmes. It has three core services: providing technical assistance to developing countries; creating access to knowledge on climate technologies; and fostering collaboration among climate technology stakeholders. The Centre facilitates a network of national, regional, sectoral and international technology centres, networks, organizations and private sector entities. Countries have submitted their national designated entities (NDEs) for climate technology and transfer, which are also part of the network. Lesotho Submitted the Department of Science and Technology as the NDE and submit requests for technical assistance to the CTCN.
The Climate Technology Centre and Network

Article 10, paragraph 4, of the Paris Agreement established the Technology Framework. The framework provide overarching guidance to the work of the Technology Mechanism in promoting and facilitating enhanced action on technology development and transfer in order to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement, in pursuit of the long-term vision on technology development and transfer referred to in Article 10, paragraph 1.
Understanding our climate technology needs is the starting point for effective action on climate change. By understanding these needs we can determine how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change. To determine their climate technology priorities, countries undertake technology needs assessments (TNAs).
Technology Framework

The Climate Technology Needs Assessments referenced in the Paris agreement, requests:

The undertaking and updating of climate technology needs assessments, as well as the enhanced implementation of their results, particularly technology action plans and project ideas, through the preparation of bankable projects.
The provision of enhanced financial and technical support for the implementation of the results of the climate technology needs assessments.

Lesotho undertook the development of its first Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) in 2004 to identify, select and prioritise technologies that were needed. The TNA was prepared for Energy and Land Use and Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) as they were found to be the major emitting sectors from the First National Communications.

In 2022, Lesotho started developing her second Technology Needs Assessment (TNA-Adaptation and TNA-Mitigation). The TNA preparation process that includes Barrier Analysis Enabling Framework (BAEF), Technology Action Plan (TAP) and development of a concept note is expected to be finalised in June 2024.

The TNA identified and prioritized through country-driven participatory processes, technologies that can contribute to mitigation and adaptation goals of Lesotho, while meeting national sustainable development goals and priorities and to identify barriers hindering the acquisition, deployment, and diffusion of prioritized technologies; and to develop Technology Action Plans (TAP) specifying activities and enabling frameworks to overcome the barriers and facilitate the transfer, adoption, and diffusion of selected technologies in Lesotho.

The 4^th GHG inventory identified Energy and Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) as the major emitting sectors. Hence, technologies for these two sectors were developed under Mitigation. On the other hand, two most vulnerable sectors in Lesotho, namely Water and Agriculture were considered for Adaptation. See Barrier Analysis Enabling Framework (BAEF) Technology Action Plan (TAP)