Low emission development

Spreading know-how, building capacity

Promoting the transfer of clean energy technology is one of the aims of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). UN Environment supports this in many ways – for instance through the Technology Needs Assessments (TNAs), UN Environment assists countries to identify technologies and options that are likely to have the highest impact on climate change mitigation and adaptation, given national circumstances. Building on the TNAs, the FIRM project (Facilitating Implementation and Readiness for Mitigation), implemented in collaboration with the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre (UNEP-CCC). Partnership, aims at building the capacity of countries for low-carbon strategies, Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMAs),and quantifying uncertainty of GHG emission reduction baselines and on Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) preparedness.

Providing direct support to countries to meet their commitments under the UNFCCC

UN Environment is also supporting, with support from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), 76 developing countries to prepare both their national communications (NCs) and their Biennial Update Reports under the convention, with most of these countries preparing their third NCs. Pre-Paris COP21, UN Environment was engaged in the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution landscape through a number of activities, including through expert support from the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre (UNEP-CCC), and comprising: direct country support, participation and support to multilateral dialogues and events, as well as an INDC assessment. As from 2016, these have folded into and are continuing as part of UN Environment’s NDC Implementation Support Programme, which is also embedding our thematic energy-related activities.

Measuring and reporting emissions reductions

The 1 Gigaton Coalition is a voluntary international framework of almost 100 partners coordinated by UNEP to increase efforts to measure and report reduced GHG emissions resulting from renewable-energy and energy-efficiency initiatives and programmes.