While attention turns to week two of UN climate talks in Lima, a key negotiation point from week one offers an opportunity for Australia to build good will and demonstrate its commitment to the negotiations in a way that aligns with both its national interest and the global goal of preventing dangerous climate change.
This opportunity lies in the transfer of clean technologies to developing countries, through the recently operationalised Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN). Technology transfer is necessary to limit emissions in developing countries, and to enable cleaner development pathways, but the CTCN requires further support to achieve its full potential.
As the operational arm of the UN climate regime’s technology mechanism, the CTCN is designed to enhance flows of clean technology and associated skills, knowledge and processes to developing countries. It facilitates emissions reduction projects, as well as adaptation projects that build resilience to the adverse effects of climate change.
Projects are initiated by requests from developing countries for technical support. In its first year of operation, the CTCN received 24 requests for technology from developing countries, including 8 from South-East Asia. In order to be approved, requests must meet strict criteria that are intended to ensure the proposed project will make a tangible contribution to sustainable development in the receiving country.
The CTCN shares these requests with research institutions, NGOs and organisations from the public, private and not-for profit sectors that are capable of meeting the request.
Australia has several options for contributing to the CTCN.
First and foremost, the Australian Government could provide direct funding to the CTCN. The CTCN has already received contributions worth over US$25 million, from developed countries that recognise the dual benefit of supporting sustainable development, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Importantly, the CTCN does not function as a fund. Instead, it is driven by the demonstrated needs of developing countries, and facilitates projects with tangible results. Given that the CTCN has already received 8 requests from countries in South-East Asia, this is a strategic opportunity for Australia to make a concrete contribution to sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.
Further, Australia has a wealth of research institutions and private sector companies that have the capacity to exchange equipment, personnel and information with developing countries. The CTCN could facilitate a partnership between, for example, the CSIRO and research institutions or the public and private sector in developing countries. The CTCN thus represents an exciting opportunity for Australian scientists and their government and corporate patrons to engage in collaborative research and development projects throughout the Asia-Pacific region.
For example, if a low-lying country such as the Philippines or Vietnam requested assistance in developing a flood control system, the CSIRO could partner with a local research institution to develop an engineering solution in accordance with the local environmental context. Local engineers and builders could be instructed on the design, implementation and subsequent management of the system and during this training they would develop the capabilities to then build similar systems in a neighbouring areas. Such partnerships would also contribute to the establishment of national systems of innovation in developing countries and facilitate the development of endogenous (or “home grown”) technologies. By providing seed funding and technological support in the immediate future, Australia can kick start these processes and make a major contribution to long-term regional self-sufficiency.
Finally, from a diplomatic perspective, it is essential that Australia makes a strong contribution to pre-2020 climate action. In the wake of the US-China agreement and a surge of pledges to the Green Climate Fund, Australia’s place at the negotiating table is shrinking. By failing to realign its climate policies with its more progressive trading partners, Australia risks isolating ourselves.
While the “big ticket” item of the Lima negotiations is the attempt to draft a new text be agreed upon in Paris in 2015 (which will come into effect in 2020), developing countries have demonstrated that they are unwilling to commit to ambitious post-2020 targets in the absence of stronger pre-2020 commitments from developed countries. While Australia’s dearth of pre-2020 ambition is currently a sticking point in negotiations, we can swiftly rebuilt trust and end our climate isolation by declaring technology as our number one priority and becoming the cornerstone sponsor of the CTCN.
Australia – it’s time to come to the party. We have so much to offer – and the world is waiting for us.
Sophie Whitehead is a Macquarie University Merit Scholar and a Global Voices delegate currently in Lima for COP20.
