The Technology Needs Assessments Project
What technologies are best suited to a country’s specific context and climate change challenges? Understanding technology needs is the starting point for effective climate action. Before investing in technologies for climate change mitigation and adaptation, it is essential to assess and analyse a country’s specific needs, circumstances, and development priorities. This information can then be used to establish priorities and identify the most appropriate technologies, as well as the enabling frameworks needed to support their transfer, uptake, and long-term deployment.
Technology Needs Assessments (TNAs) are designed to provide this in-depth analysis. Using Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and national development strategies as a starting point, TNAs strengthen countries’ capacity to identify, assess, and prioritize climate technologies, helping to accelerate their implementation and support the achievement of the goals of the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Recognising the critical role of technology in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and stabilising atmospheric GHG concentrations, TNAs are explicitly referenced in the Paris Agreement. Supporting developing countries in undertaking effective TNAs and implementing Technology Action Plans (TAPs) has therefore become an important component of the UNFCCC process.
Through the TNA Project, UNEP and the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre support developing countries in identifying and prioritising technologies for climate change mitigation and adaptation. The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented in close collaboration with the UNFCCC Technology Mechanism, comprising the Technology Executive Committee (TEC) and the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN).
The TNA Project follows a country-driven approach. A designated national institution leads the process, engaging a broad range of stakeholders throughout the assessment. Working closely with regional centres of excellence in climate change mitigation and adaptation, the project supports participating countries through national, regional, and global capacity-building workshops, technical support missions, and ongoing technical backstopping delivered through electronic means.
The TNA methodology is a mature and well-established process that has evolved over more than 15 years of application in developing countries. By providing information on the potential, suitability, and deployment requirements of climate technologies, TNAs play a unique role in supporting the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). The actions identified through Technology Action Plans highlight the measures needed to establish robust market systems and enabling environments for technology transfer, diffusion, and uptake. These actions can, in turn, strengthen longer-term strategies contained in NDCs and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), while potentially increasing ambition by making implementation pathways more concrete and actionable.
Since its inception, the TNA Project has supported more than 100 developing countries, including a significant number of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), in identifying and prioritising climate technologies for mitigation and adaptation. Currently 17 countries are actively engaged.
To support project implementation, the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre works closely with regional partners to strengthen awareness of countries' technology needs and priorities at the regional level. In close collaboration with the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre, these regional partners provide technical guidance and support to national TNA teams throughout the assessment process, helping to ensure high-quality outputs and effective stakeholder engagement.
