Transcript Peter Zhou (Africa)

Outcome of the African Regional
Workshop on Transfer
of Technology
Arusha, Tanzania
Dr. Peter P. Zhou
EECG Consultants Pty
Box 402339 GABORONE. Botswana
Tel/fax 267-326575: mail [email protected]
Africa
Regional Workshop on Transfer of Technology
Arusha, Tanzania, 16-18 August 1999
Workshop Objectives:
• Share views/experiences among Parties on past
transfer of technology in the African Region.
• Advance the understanding of technology needs
& special situations of the African countries.
• Generate information and ideas on practical steps
to enhance the transfer of technology to Africa.
• Consider elements of a framework for meaningful
and effective actions to enhance implementation
of Article 4.5 of the Convention.
Key Themes of Arusha:
Issues and Questions
• Technology needs- What & How
• Barriers & Opportunities to the transfer of technology
• Capacity building to enhance tech. transfer_ Specific
priorities & Strategies
• Technology information needs
• Transfer of Technology Mechanisms
• Stakeholder Interactions- public-private-MLI, BLI, NGO,
Civil (roles and potential)
Themes of the Arusha Workshop
• Technology needs
– What are the technology needs of African countries?
What are the priorities?
– Africa to increase Energy-Qty & Quality--Move away
from unssustainable traditional biomass- to new and
benign sources
– Consider Sociological disparities- industrial complex
Versus social upliftment-poverty alleviation
– Africa;s diverse socio-economic/political/resource
endowments disparities
– Public Domain Techs- need not most sophisticated
Themes of the Arusha Workshop
• Barriers to the development and transfer of
technologies
– Barriers?
– NO CC Policies & Legal- regulatory, Institutional
weakness;
– access to finance (local & international); no ready
markets, poorly equipped SMMES
– Poorly informed consumer
– political corruption & macroeconomic status;Poor
Response to investor enquiry; Battling with ESAPS
Themes of the Arusha Workshop
• Capacity-building for technology transfer
– Focus For capacity-building,?
– Best to learn by doing- engage in EST trial projects- GEF but
missed out in AIJ!
– Equip with business skills- part SMMEs
– Empower socioecological groups
– Policy analysis; project development- a think tank idea
– Establish strong legal and regulatory institutions
– Change African notions-rationale & competitive edge
– Matching needs with capacity
Themes of the Arusha Workshop
• Technology information
– What information on technology is needed?
– Most technologies public domain- source &
application
– Tracking technology developments
– CC information In hands of govt, NGO but PVT
sector lacking- sharing among stakeholders
– Sharing and replication of Experiences In-counytry;
S-S and S-N.
– General awareness rationale of CC activities.
Themes of the Arusha Workshop
• Transfer of technology mechanisms
– Other ML and BL have conditionalities and no EST
facility
– UNFCCC important jump start for EST
– GEF operative in Africa- no AIJ- Bias towards
mitigation and more needed in adaptation
– Sectorally limited to energy
– What are key elements of appropriate technology
transfer mechanisms under Article 4.5?- prepare both
launching and landing pads
Themes of the Arusha Workshop
• Stakeholder Involvement
– Govt, NGO and RI actively involved
– Limited Pvt sector role- too much risk in new
venture- to be involved from project development
– Govt to promote pvt sector confidence in TT as new
venture.
– Govt to buy down risks- but current project
preferences not conducive to sustainability.
– Informed society
– Int Organizations- promote existing opportunities
Three Key Observations
from Africa:
• The synergy between development and climate change
policies has been under exploited. Success in RETS.
• Actions to address climate change must simultaneously
address development objectives. Past CC taken as technical
Fixes/passing phase- even distorted markets
• Success with awareness/skills/information/Fiscal policies
• Development and implementation of actions & initiatives
must involve all key stakeholders:
– e.g., intergovernmental and multilateral organizations,
national and local governments, private sector, NGOs &
public society.
Significant Outcomes
from Arusha:
• Require concerted effort to identify and prioritized
technology needs- Public Domain for suitability- expanding
sectoral scope
• General barriers to technology transfer are known and
practical actions to overcomethem should be initiated.
• Agreement on meaningful and effective actions and a
framework for actions under the UNFCCC requires
continued consultations
• Capacity Building in Africa is of paramount importance
but specific priorities and strategies need to be mapped.
Further Significant Outcomes
from Arusha:
• Require strategic partnerships between governments,
private sector and other stakeholders on technology
transfer.
• Require partnerships among African countries as an
important and potentially effective mechanism for
technology transfer.
• Require multilateral & bilateral donors who play
greaterrole in coordination of EST activities
Next steps for African countries...
Development of meaningful
and effective actions under the framework
of the UNFCCC may be best achieved by:
• Undertaking technology needs assessments to identify priority
technology needs
• Further identification and analysis of the barriers to the
transfer of priority technologies
• Need a think tank to lead the debate
• Need easier access to financing EST and local tech. dev’t
• Consultation among stakeholders to identify practical actions to
overcome barriers & enhance implementation of Article 4.5 &
bring climate change on Development Agenda
Next steps for African countries...
Development of meaningful
and effective actions under the framework
of the UNFCCC may be best achieved by:
• Building commercial interest for PVT sector/Civil
society participation
• Information base & Networking at
National/Regional/International
• Advocating for easier windows of EST Financing
• Build skills to support Decision making