Technology Information

Background The technology information component of the framework defines the means, including hardware, software and networking, to facilitate the flow of information between the different stakeholders to enhance the development and transfer of environmentally sound technologies. This technology information component of the framework could provide information on technical parameters, economic and environmental aspects of environmentally sound technologies and the identified technology needs of Parties not included in Annex II, particularly developing country Parties, as well as information on the availability of environmentally sound technologies from developed countries and opportunities for technology transfer.

Purpose The technology information component serves to establish an efficient information system in support of technology transfer and to improve the generation and flow of, access to, and quality of technical, economic, environmental and regulatory information relating to the development and transfer of ESTs under the Convention.

Implementation The Convention secretariat is requested: (a) To build on the success of the current work, including that undertaken by the secretariat, in cooperation with the Climate Technology Initiative and other relevant organizations, inter alia, to develop a new search engine on the Internet that will allow for quick access to existing inventories of environmentally sound and economically viable technologies and know-how, including those conducive to mitigating and adapting to climate change; (b) To identify, in collaboration with regional centres and other institutions, gaps in existing EST inventories, and update and develop inventories, as needed; (c)To organize an expert workshop on technology information, including options for the establishment of an information clearing house and enhancement of information centres and networks, and to further define user needs, criteria for quality control, technical specifications and the role and contribution of the Parties; (d) To accelerate its work on the development of a technology transfer information clearing house by coordinating with Parties and relevant United Nations agencies and other international organizations and institutions, and developing options for implementation, in particular, networking of an international technology information clearing house under the Convention, and enhancement of technology information centres and networks. A report on the options and recommendations should be provided to the SBSTA at its sixteenth session. An information clearing house, including a network of technology information centres, should be established under the auspices of the secretariat, by the time of the eighth session of the Conference of the Parties, taking into consideration the conclusions of the SBSTA, at its sixteenth session, on the above-mentioned report.

Progress The secretariat implemented its pilot project on the establishment of a technology information system, later renamed the technology information clearing house, in September 2001. During the testing period only the 600 registered users could access TT:CLEAR. Following a request under this theme of the framework, the secretariat organized an expert workshop in Beijing, China, in April 2002, on technology information in order to review the feedback from Parties on testing TT:CLEAR, and to further define user needs for information, criteria for information quality control, technical specifications of the system and submissions from Parties. The above-mentioned submissions from Parties, the conclusions and recommendations of the workshop on technology information, and the testing of TT:CLEAR resulted in feedback and guidance for improving the system. Because the number of users registered during the testing period was considered inadequate to draw conclusions with regard to the usefulness of the system, the SBSTA, at its eighteenth session, requested the secretariat to conduct a survey to assess the effectiveness of the use of TT:CLEAR, including identification of users’ needs for information on climate friendly technologies, and of information gaps and ways to bridge them. The testing of the system was completed by the eighteenth session of the SBSTA in June 2003 and the system was opened to public access. At present, TT:CLEAR acts as a gateway to technology information that enables users, including practitioners and private sector users, to find information on technology transfer projects and programmes; on case studies of successful technology transfer; ESTs and sources of know-how; on organizations and experts; methods, models, and tools to assess mitigation and adaptation options and strategies; on relevant Internet sites for technology transfer; and on ongoing work of the Parties and the EGTT, relating to issues under negotiation, documents and meetings, and the implementation of the technology framework. A pilot information sharing network between TT:CLEAR and national and regional technology centres was established to test the feasibility of exchanging information on climate friendly technologies and to provide a clear understanding of the technical and cost implications of strengthening such technology centres in developing countries through enhancing their capabilities to access and exchange information on climate friendly technologies. The network includes TT:CLEAR, the UNEP Sustainable Alternatives Network (SANet), the Clean Energy Portal (CEP), Canada, and the Climate Technology Cooperation Gateway of the United States of America (US-CTC Gateway). Three new technology centres in developing countries are working with the UNFCCC secretariat to link their websites to the pilot network. These centres are the International Technology Trader Centre (ITTC) of Tsinghua University, China; the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre; the Tunisia International Centre for Environmental Technologies (CITET) and the Sahara Sahel Observatory (OSS), Tunisia. Three other centres, one in Africa, one in Latin America and the Caribbean and one in Asia and the Pacific, may join this activity, resources permitting. An expert meeting was organized and held in Bonn, Germany on 12 - 13 March 2007. The objective of the meeting is to discuss the lessons learned from the pilot exercise, to address issues relating to organizing and managing the network, and to discuss resource requirements and options for further development of the pilot network. Future work on technology information could focus on increasing the number of users and maintaining and further enhancing TT:CLEAR, as well as on developing the above-mentioned pilot network for sharing technology information.  source : http://unfccc.int