The NAMA registry is a public online platform, developed by the UNFCCC secretariat in 2013, which aims at expediting implementation of actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Is the registry meeting its objectives? What all feasible measures are being undertaken and need to be taken to make the registry a success? An annual technical briefing on the NAMA registry to be organized in conjunction with Bonn Sessions in June will try exploring answers to these questions.
The NAMA registry was established to meet three basic objectives: to provide a platform for recognizing domestically supported NAMAs, to record nationally appropriate mitigation actions (NAMAs) seeking international support and support available for them, and to facilitate the matching of NAMAs with support.
The participation in the registry is purely on voluntary basis and only information that has been specifically requested for recording in the NAMA registry is found in this platform. The recording of information in the registry does not imply any commitment for undertaking actions and providing and receiving support.
How successful has the registry been?
Despite the voluntary nature of the registry, Parties and entities have shown a great interest to use the registry. The number of entries in the registry is rapidly growing since the registry deployed in October 2013.
As of today the registry contains information on 87 NAMAs, helping individual nations gain visibility as global leaders in terms of climate actions and encouraging others to follow the same suit. These entries demonstrate how climate actions in developing countries in support with international support can lower global emissions, create jobs, improve living conditions and lead the world towards a low emissions development path.
Further, 15 support agencies have recorded entries on support programme for NAMAs. It is worthwhile to mention that the matching of mitigation actions with support in the NAMA registry has started to occur. Nine NAMA entries match with support sources under the registry.
What has been done to make the registry a success?
The NAMA registry is a success as the registry users have realized the potential and usefulness of the registry for sharing best practices, technical tools and information for designing and implementing NAMAs. It is acting as an official source of information, data and knowledge on NAMAs, and support available for NAMAs. Further, it is contributing to improve transparency of mitigation actions and international support for them.
The secretariat is continuing its efforts on raising awareness of the platform to increase use of the registry, encouraging and supporting users to ensure that their entries are accurate, complete and up to date, and reaching out the potential providers of support, including multilateral and bilateral agencies and banks, and the private sector.
The secretariat is regularly organizing NAMA Market Place sessions at various events to provide countries with a platform to present their NAMAs to panel of public and private investors. These sessions provided invaluable feedback and opened avenues for collaboration with the intention of assisting NAMA proponents in the implementation of NAMA presented.
Admirable and promising NAMAs are being featured in NAMA news, NAMA profile and social media to give them visibility and increase the probability for receiving international support.
Under the guidance of COP (Conference of Parties), the secretariat is operating the NAMA registry in accordance with the best technical standards and providing the registry users the support they need to record and access information in the registry. Based on its experience and feedback received from the users, the secretariat has already improved the registry and more improvements are planned by mid-2015 to make it even more user-friendly. The secretariat therefore encourages the users to continue providing their suggestions/feedback for continual improvement of the registry.
The secretariat is utilizing all the available avenues and fora to receive valuable feedback and suggestions from Parties and the users in relation to design, operation and role of the registry. Such suggestions/feedback could help to improve the registry, increase registry use and broaden its roles in shorter and longer term. An annual technical briefing on the NAMA registry is one of such available fora.
Why annual technical briefings?
The secretariat has received a mandate to organize annual technical briefings on the registry in conjunction with the meetings of the subsidiary bodies. The objective of technical briefing is to provide a platform for focused discussion on the operation of the registry and updated information on NAMAs and support for them under the registry, including the extent of matching. But beyond this mandate, such briefings provide an a platform for the countries seeking support for preparation and/or implementation of NAMAs and those providing financial, technical and capacity building support for NAMAs to interact, and exchange views on ways to improve the registry and enhance its role and use in the long run.
Following the mandate of the SBI, the first annual technical briefing is going to be held on 04 June 2015 in Bonn, Germany in conjunction with the forty-second sessions of the subsidiary bodies.
The secretariat looks forward to having highly interactive discussion among Parties and the users to find ways to improve the registry, increase the level of participation in the registry and facilitate matching of NAMAs with support.