CLEAR WIN FOR CLEAN TECHNOLOGY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN

THE PROBLEM

Although small scale renewable energy technologies, such as photovoltaic systems and solar water heaters (SWH), are considered reliable and competitive, they are still not fully established in the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region due to the high upfront cost for the end-users, and the lack of financing options tailored for this type of investment.

THE SOLUTION

The Mediterranean Investment Facility (MIF) helps to establish innovative financing mechanisms to allow end-users to invest in renewable energies.
The integrated approach is based on:

1. Financing mechanism design, implementation and monitoring
2. Training and capacity building for government officials, financing institutions as well as for technology suppliers and installers
3. Quality control and checking system to select equipment complying with international standards and to check the operation of the systems

THE IMPACTS

• More than 145,100 households now get their hot water exclusively from the sun in Tunisia, thanks to the country’s solar water heater programme for the residential sector – PROSOL – that has created a sustainable market for solar water heaters, with 50 technology suppliers and more than 3,000 direct jobs.
• Since the launch of the photovoltaic project for the residential sector in Tunisia – PROSOL ELEC – in 2011, more than 740 families have installed photovoltaic systems.
• In the tertiary sector, particularly in the hotel sector, 24 collective solar water heaters were installed in Tunisia and Egypt corresponding to more than two million kilowatt-hours of solar energy produced every year.
• Detailed studies are ongoing in Tunisia to set a sound regulatory framework to integrate solar thermal energy in the industrial sector.
• An innovative financing support mechanism in Morocco enables two million households to phase out incandescent lighting and repay the cost of new energy-efficient lamps through their electricity bill over 21 months.
• In Montenegro, free loans to end-users are provided through local commercial banks over a period of seven years to install solar water heaters.

SUPPORT

Italian Ministry of Environment, Land and Sea

WEBSITE

• www.unep.org/energy/Activities/MediterraneanInvestmentFacilityMIF.aspx

SUCCESS STORY

Within the MIF, PROSOL provides financial support to local households through a combination of value added tax exemptions, customs duty reductions and reduced-rate bank loans. The repayment of the loan is included in the regular electricity bill, which lowers the risk for local banks that are then willing to finance SWH projects with reduced interest rates.
An interest rate subsidy was available during the first phase of PROSOL (2005-2006) that reduced the interest rate of the loan to zero per cent for the final end user. The Tunisian government provides a subsidy of 20 per cent of the system cost. This was initially a temporary measure funded by UNEP to “prime” the market, but was later made permanent by the Tunisian government. Thanks to PROSOL more than 80.000m² of solar collectors are installed every year.

Source: Re-blogged from http://www.unep.org

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TROPICAL FOREST PROTECTION MAKES CLIMATE SENSE

THE PROBLEM

Deforestation and forest degradation account for between 15 and 17 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions – making it the second biggest contributor to the build-up of greenhouse gases after the energy sector. However, reducing emissions requires large investments in conservation, sustainable management and the restoration of tropical forests. UNEP’s Green Economy Report estimates that US$40 billion dollars annually will be needed to halve the deforestation rate, and these resources need to be invested strategically.

THE SOLUTION

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD), aims at creating financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. REDD+ goes beyond deforestation, and includes the roles of conservation, sustainable management of forests and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks. The UN-REDD Programme was launched in 2008 and builds on the convening role and technical expertise of FAO, UNDP and UNEP.
Although initiated primarily for mitigation purposes, REDD+ holds the promise of multiple benefits for climate, development and conservation in the forest sector at national and global levels. The UN-REDD Programme works with countries to extract benefits from forests through support to national REDD+ programmes, capacity building and technical support. There is also a significant potential for strategies to go beyond reducing deforestation alone and contribute to the larger goals of increasing sustainable development and building the green economy. UNEP is working to identify the types of intervention that add value to the economy, increase revenue, and provide new livelihood opportunities while conserving forests and reducing emissions.

THE IMPACTS

The Programme supports national REDD+ readiness efforts in 44 partner countries, spanning Africa, Asia- Pacific and Latin America and covering 56 per cent of the world’s tropical forests. Currently, 16 of those countries have approved National Programmes with activities structured to facilitate the REDD+ readiness process in those countries. In addition, the UN-REDD Programme provides targeted support to partner countries upon request for specific activities related to readiness including stakeholder engagement; support to a national approach to safeguards; Measurement, Reporting and Verification; and pursuing investment options. The Programme has allocated over US$118 million dollars in support of REDD+ Readiness in partner countries.

SUPPORT

Donors: Denmark, Japan, Norway, Spain
Participating UN Organizations: FAO, UNDP, UNEP

WEBSITE

• www.un-redd.org

SUCCESS STORY

The Government of Indonesia (GoI), with a range of partners including UNEP and the UN-REDD programme, is exploring how REDD+ investments can leverage sustainable change in Central Kalimantan’s vast forested landscapes, so that green development with sustainable, equitable job creation can go hand in hand with climate, conservation and development objectives.
Initial scenarios have been developed that show that a green development pathway, which involves some modification in the way oil palm expansion takes place, can outperform ‘business-as-usual’ in terms of GDP growth rates for the region by as much as 6 per cent, with even greater benefits for the ‘GDP of the Poor’. While these first results will need to be subjected to rigorous peer-review and broad consultation, they provide a scenario for development and economic growth coupled with necessary emissions reductions.

Source : Re-blogged from http://www.unep.org

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SUSTAINABLE ENERGY FOR ALL

THE PROBLEM

Nearly one in five people around the world do not have access to modern energy services. Three billion people, mainly in poor countries, rely on traditional biomass such as wood, coal, charcoal or animal waste for cooking and heating, usually with negative impacts on human health and the natural environment.
In industrialized countries the problem is one of waste, not shortage, due to inefficient energy use. The world currently invests more than one trillion dollars per year in energy, much of it going toward fossil-based energy systems. This excessive dependence on fossil fuel based energy contributes significantly to global warming and climate change. Climate change puts us all at risk, but the poor are the first and worst affected and it is a major barrier to poverty alleviation, in particular for women and local communities.

THE SOLUTION

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched the Sustainable Energy for All Initiative, (SE4ALL) to mobilize action from all sectors of society in support of three interlinked objectives to be achieved by 2030: providing universal access to modern energy services; doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency; and doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
The UN General Assembly declared 2012 the International Year of Sustainable Energy for All, to promote access to modern affordable energy services in developing countries. As part of the year’s activities, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is calling on governments, businesses and civil society to commit to taking concrete actions that will help achieve sustainable energy for all by 2030. These actions will provide significant benefits for all, including strengthened economic growth, expanded social equity and a cleaner environment.
UNEP is actively engaged in two of the 11 action areas identified by SE4ALL – efficient lighting and vehicle fuel efficiency – by registering commitments to promote efficient lighting in 44 developing countries, and to develop efficiency standards for alternative fuel vehicles. UNEP hosted the Africa roll-out of the International Year of SE4All in February 2012 to examine how to achieve the objectives of SE4ALL, and is linking its sustainable energy activities to the initiative.
UNEP is also contributing, together with the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21), to the development of the renewable energy component of the SE4ALL Baseline Report, which will be published in January 2013. This report will enable the tracking of progress, of unrealised potential and of what remains to be done to attain the three objectives.

THE IMPACTS

Thanks to the strong leadership from the Secretary- General and active support by governments, significant momentum continues to build around the initiative:

• More than 50 developing countries are now working with the initiative, with more coming on board
• More than US$50 billion has been mobilized from the private sector and investors
• Tens of billions of dollars have been committed by multi-lateral development banks in Asia, Europe and Latin America
• Hundreds of actions and commitments have been catalyzed in support the three core objectives, with commitments to support energy access providing more than one billion people with access to modern energy during the lifespan of the initiative.

WEBSITES

• www.sustainableenergyforall.org/
• www.unep.org/energy/

Source : Re-blogged from http://www.unep.org

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CLIMATE AND CLEAN AIR COALITION TO REDUCE SHORT-LIVED CLIMATE POLLUTANTS

THE PROBLEM

Short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) are agents that have relatively short lifetime in the atmosphere – a few days to a few decades – and a warming influence on climate. These short-lived climate pollutants are also dangerous air pollutants, responsible for various detrimental impacts on human health, agriculture and ecosystems. Key SLCPs, including methane, black carbon, tropospheric ozone, and many hydrofluorocarbons, are responsible for a substantial fraction of near term climate change, with a particularly large impact in sensitive regions of the world. Science has built a powerful case for action to reduce SLCPs. A UNEP 2011 report shows that fast action to reduce these pollutants could slow down the warming expected by 2050 by as much as 0.5°C. It is estimated this would prevent over two million premature deaths annually and avoid annual crop losses of over 30 million tons. While fast action to mitigate SLCPs could help slow the rate of global warming and avoid exceeding the 2°C target in the near-term, long-term climate protection will only be possible if deep and sustained cuts in carbon dioxide emissions are made quickly.

THE SOLUTION

In February 2012, UNEP together with the governments of Bangladesh, Canada, Ghana, Mexico, Sweden and the United States, launched the Climate and Clean Air Coalition to Reduce Short-Lived Climate Pollutants (CCAC): the first global effort to treat SLCPs as an urgent and collective challenge.
Through this voluntary effort, governments, intergovernmental organizations, NGOs and civil society are working together to accelerate and scale-up action, catalyze new actions as well as highlight and bolster existing efforts to address SLCPs. All CCAC Partners, which now number over thirty,recognize that the work of the Coalition is complementary to global action to reduce carbon dioxide, in particular efforts under the UNFCCC.

THE IMPACTS

The CCAC Partners have identified seven initiatives for rapid implementation by the Coalition that will ensure fast delivery of scaled-up climate and clean air benefits, including: Reducing Black Carbon Emissions from Heavy Duty Diesel Vehicles and Engines; Mitigating Black Carbon and Other Pollutants from Brick Production; Mitigating SLCPs from the Municipal Solid Waste Sector; Promoting HFC Alternative Technology and Standards; Accelerating Methane and Black Carbon Reductions from Oil and Natural Gas Production; Promoting SLCP National Action Planning (NAPs); and Financing Mitigation of SLCPs. First actions under these initiatives are underway, with the first results expected in March 2013.

SUPPORT

The Coalition is growing rapidly. As of November 2012, it had 36 Partners. Financial support for the Coalition comes from Canada, Germany, the European Commission, Norway, Sweden and the United States of America.

WEBSITE

• www.unep.org/ccac

SUCCESS STORY

Mitigating black carbon from brick production
The CCAC identified traditional brick production as an area where substantial emissions reductions can be achieved for black carbon, toxics and other pollutants. Recent studies show that implementing more efficient technologies can result in reductions in pollutant emissions of 10 – 50 per cent, depending on the process, scale and fuel used. In a pilot phase to be completed by March 2013, the Coalition is focusing on raising the profile of emissions of SLCPs from inefficient brick production on national governments’ agendas to catalyze political engagement and action. Public policies to reduce the environmental impacts of artisanal brick production will be examined, and the characteristics of current brick production will be determined for Africa, Asia, and Latin America, covering the technology, fuels, practices and socio-economic conditions.

Source : Re-blogged from http://www.unep.org

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Cleaner cars with the Global Fuel Economy Initiative

THE PROBLEM

The global vehicle fleet is set to grow from less than one billion to 2.5 billion or more by 2050. Ninety per cent of this growth is taking place in non-OECD countries. At the same time the average vehicle efficiency of non-OECD countries is getting worse and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per vehicle are increasing. Even though vehicles in OECD countries are, in contrast getting more efficient, CO2 emissions of the global fleet are increasing and are set to increase even more sharply in the years to come.

Cleaner cars with the Global Fuel Economy Initiative

Improving fuel economy has many co-benefits for human health, the natural environment and the economy. These include the reduction of black carbon emissions and the subsequent improvement of urban air quality, a reduction in a country’s dependence on oil and cheaper transport for consumers.
Many countries have put policies in place that promote cleaner and more efficient vehicles and have adopted ambitious long-term targets. Cost effective cleaner technologies such as smaller engines (with more power), lighter cars and low resistance tyres have improved vehicle efficiency. Hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles are now entering many markets.
The policies that have been successful are a mix of fiscal measures (taxes for polluting cars and tax breaks for cleaner cars), communication (such as labeling showing the efficiency of the car) and standards (for example restricting the importation of used vehicles). Regrettably very few developing countries and economies in transition have put in place these policies and thus there is an urgent need to transfer knowledge and technologies in this area.

THE SOLUTION

UNEP, the FIA Foundation, the International Transport Forum, the International Energy Agency and the International Council for Clean Transportation launched the Global Fuel Economy Initiative (GFEI) in 2008. The GFEI promotes and supports automotive fuel economy aiming at a doubling of automotive fuel economy by 2050 (roughly going from 8l/100 km to 4l/100 km). The GFEI has started promoting the issue of fuel efficiency globally and is supporting more than 20 countries around the world in establishing policies.

THE IMPACTS

Over the coming decades over US$400 trillion is expected to be invested in fuels and vehicles. By putting in place fuel economy policies in all countries, more than a gigatonne of CO2 emissions per year can be avoided by 2030 and over two gigatonnes by 2050. By saving six billion barrels of oil per year in 2050, with an oil price of US$125/ barrel this would come close to US$800 billion.
Over the past years the GFEI has started 13 country projects. For example in Kenya UNEP has established the fuel efficiency baseline of the existing fleet, allowing the government to develop fuel economy strategies. In Ethiopia UNEP is working with the Government to develop fuel economy policies. In Chile, the Congress just adopted new labeling requirements showing the fuel efficiency of vehicles. The GFEI is in talks with another 18 countries that are keen to also develop national automotive fuel economy policies.

SUPPORT

Five GFEI partners; EU and Global Environment Facility Trust Funds; Experts and representatives from oil and vehicles industry; NGOs.

WEBSITE

• www.globalfueleconomy.org

SUCCESS STORY

In Chile, transport is one of the most rapidly growing end-use energy sectors, and emits about one-third of Chile’s energy related GHG emissions. In the context of the GFEI initiative, the Congress just adopted new labeling requirements showing the fuel efficiency of vehicles. With UNEP’s support, Chile is also preparing a system of incentives for low emission and fuel efficient vehicles, and disincentives for inefficient vehicles to promote a vehicle fleet transformation towards more efficient vehicles that present less local and global pollutant emissions. It is estimated that the incentive and disincentive system will imply a 5 per cent reduction of CO2 emissions from the total national vehicle fleet in 2014, obtaining a total CO2 reduction of 2.15 million tons in 5 years.

Source : Re-blogged from http://www.unep.org

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PHASE-OUT OF OZONE-DEPLETING GAS IN DEVELOPING NATIONS

THE PROBLEM

Many ozone-depleting substances (ODS) and the fluorocarbon gases used to replace them (such as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are potent greenhouse gases and are between 90 to 12,200 times more powerful than C02 in causing climate change.
In 2007, the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer decided to accelerate the phaseout of hyrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), which are mainly used in the air-conditioning and refrigeration sectors and in the manufacture of foam. Because of their lower ozone depletion potential, HCFCs were promoted as transitional replacements for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) to enable the latter gases to be quickly phased-out.
This accelerated phase-out of HCFCs presents developing countries with an unprecedented opportunity to adopt ozone and climate-friendly technologies and policies. However, achieving these potential climate benefits depends on the replacement technologies adopted and can only be attained if low – or zero – energy efficient alternatives are selected. Together with improved servicing practices, these actions will reduce direct and indirect emissions through increased energy efficiency.

THE SOLUTION

UNEP, through its OzonAction Programme, is assisting key stakeholders in developing countries make informed decisions about technologies and policies to replace HCFCs, with a particular emphasis on achieving additional environmental and climate benefits. Around 100 countries are being helped by OzonAction to prepare and implement HCFC phaseout management plans with a focus on: establishing accurate and comprehensive baseline data; creating awareness about technology options and co-benefits with climate; developing and implementing legislation and standards; and enforcing trade controls. These plans encourage the adoption of low to zero GWP energy efficient alternatives.
OzonAction is also working with governments and the private sector to address rapidly growing HFC emissions through the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC).

THE IMPACTS

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Montreal Protocol’s Technology and Economic Assessment Panel (TEAP) estimated in a joint study that the climate benefits of phasing-out HCFCs would be equivalent to about 18 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide over the 2015-2050 period. If we consider further possible benefits due to improved energy efficiency of equipment using HCFC alternatives and recovery and destruction of old equipment, the emission reductions could be equivalent to about 38 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide over the same period.
Overall the actions under the Montreal Protocol in phasing-out ozone depleting substances have had significant impact. Since 1990 these have had the additional benefit of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by about the equivalent of 11 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide per year – five to six times the reduction target of the Kyoto Protocol between 2008 and 2012.

SUPPORT

The OzonAction Programme is funded by the Multilateral Fund for the Implementation of the Montreal Protocol.

WEBSITE

• www.unep.org/ozonaction/

SUCCESS STORY

UNEP, as the lead implementing agency for the HCFCs phase-out in the Maldives, is supporting the country to achieve a complete phase-out of HCFCs by 2020, ten years ahead of schedule. The country is determined to lead the race in carbon neutrality and HCFC phase-out is a part of this goal.

Source : Re-blogged from http://www.unep.org

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Planning and scaling-up technologies

THE PROBLEM

Climate technologies have significant adaptation and mitigation potential. Developing countries need access to advanced climate technologies in order to adapt to the impacts of climate change and to move onto low emission development pathways. There is a need to identify which technology can best be adapted to their local circumstances, as well as to remove barriers preventing the widespread diffusion of climate technologies in national markets. These barriers include high cost, import and export restrictions, inadequate government policies and regulations, and lack of experience and knowledge to operate and maintain these technologies. Hence developing country parties are encouraged to undertake assessments of country specific technology needs and to identify capacity gaps and barriers.
Technology transfer is a complex process involving a broad range of interests. It requires mechanisms that actively engage the multitude of stakeholders involved such as government agencies, businesses, donors, technology institutions, research organizations, and NGOs. Collaborative networks for technology transfer bring together these different actors and contribute to finding solutions to specific technology problems.

THE SOLUTION

UNEP is helping countries in undertaking assessments of country-specific development needs that involve analysis and prioritization of technologies, analysis of potential barriers hindering the uptake of prioritized technologies, and identification of market opportunities at the national level. This work is carried out in collaboration with international and regional organizations and centers of excellence.
UNEP is currently assisting 36 developing countries in performing country-led Technology Needs Assessments (TNAs) to identify technologies and options that are likely to have the highest impact on climate change mitigation and adaptation, given national circumstances. Furthermore, building on the TNAs, UNEP and its partners support the TNA countries in formulating national Technology Action Plans (TAPs) that help remove the barriers to technology transfer by prioritizing technology needs. TAPs enable countries to mainstream technology needs into broader development strategies (such as national and sectoral strategies and related investment plans) and to implement identified technologies.
Also, UNEP technology initiatives include knowledge management components supported by centers of excellence and networks that complement national capacity-building activities. UNEP has developed, in collaboration with national governments and internationally recognized organizations, numerous knowledge platforms and networking initiatives aimed at engaging various stakeholders in sharing knowledge and best practices, disseminating the wide range of available tools, methodologies and approaches to effectively and efficiently foster technology transfer, and encouraging peer-learning activities, synergies and collaboration for technical innovation, technology adaptation, diffusion and deployment.

THE IMPACTS

With UNEP’s assistance, 20 countries have completed TNA reports whose results are expected to inform highlevel policy decision and governmental implementation, as well as to establish baselines for specifying national mitigation and adaptation targets. Another eight countries have completed TAPs. UNEP is to date managing 5 regional climate networks in the frame of initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean (REGATTA project) Southeast Asia (Southeast Asia Network of Climate Change Offices project), Central Asia (Central Asia Climate Change Network project), and the wider Asia Pacific region (Asia Pacific Adaptation Network project, and pilot Climate Technology Network and Finance Center project). The networking of key actors, among them the national Climate Change coordination structures or offices contribute decisively to Climate Technology innovation, adaptation, diffusion and deployment in those countries.

SUPPORT

Global Environment Facility Trust Funds, national governments of Denmark, Finland, Japan, Norway, Spain and Sweden;

WEBSITE

TNA website:

• www.tech-action.org

SEAN-CC website:

• www.sean-cc.org

REGATTA website:

• www.cambioclimatico-regatta.org
• www.climatechange-regatta.org

SUCCESS STORY

In Costa Rica, the TAP will be used to design and structure sectoral Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA) in transport and energy, and to support the country’s National Climate Change Strategy. In Indonesia emission reduction measures and technologies identified in the TAP will help define an enabling framework for the development of a domestic solar PV (photovoltaic) panel manufacturing sector.

Source : Re-blogged from http://www.unep.org

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