Climate tech demands from developing countries up by 240 percent: UN Report

The report was presented by Climate Technology Center and Network (CTCN) on the first day of the UN Climate Change Conference 2019 (COP 25) in Madrid on Monday, November 2, 2019.

Showing a ray of hope in the time of widespread despair on climate emergency, a report by the United Nation's (UN) Climate Technology Center and Network (CTCN) on Monday revealed 240 percent increase in requests by developing countries for technology assistance over the 12-month period. The CTCN has received 240 technology requests from 93 countries.

"Taking into account that requests were often submitted jointly by several countries at once, the growth in demand for technology support can be considered even higher," said the report. It is presently providing technical assistance to 83 countries out of which maximum 38 countries are in Africa followed by 32 in Asia Pacific, 10 in Latin America and Caribbean and three in Europe. According to the report, 52 percent of requests focus on mitigation, while 27 percent are related to adaptation with a strong emphasis on agriculture and forestry. There are about 21 percent of requests which impact both adaptation and mitigation.

Technology support is crucial for developing countries to take #ClimateAction. News that demonstrates that countries are scaling up such action: @UNFCCC_CTCN reports record requests for technology assistance in 2019➡️ https://t.co/pOqFZVl1Po #TimeforAction #COP25 pic.twitter.com/wed9F4JGsC

— UN Climate Change (@UNFCCC) December 2, 2019

However, maximum requests are from small and vulnerable countries, the CTCN has now started working in big economies like India and Brazil. In India, CTCN Network member Naireeta Services (NS) is sharing its Bhungroo water harvesting technology with rural farmers to protect their crops from increasingly harsh weather, highlights the report as its major achievement. The NS has a greater emphasis on participation of women in village governance and land ownership. "This technology and its empowering implementation model are now being used across India, Bangladesh, Ghana, and Vietnam," said the report. Besides, a joint project for Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Uruguay is in planning state.

Patricia Espinosa, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate (UNFCC) expressed hope that the 'continued deployment of technology expertise will be vital to scaling up the level of ambition required to meet the objectives of the Paris Agreement'. The CTCN and the Technology Executive Committee together form the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Technology Mechanism.