UNEP: UN Climate Technology Centre and Network launches Partnership and Liaison Office in Korea

The Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) has opened its Partnership and Liaison Office in Songdo, Incheon City, Republic of Korea. The Office aims to open new avenues of collaboration on technology development and transfer support to combat climate change and build resilient societies.

Officially launched on 21 July, the Partnership and Liaison Office was established in partnership with the Korean Ministry of Science and ICT and Incheon Metropolitan city, following an agreement signed with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) – the CTCN’s host institution – in late 2021.

The main objectives of the Partnership and Liaison Office are to strengthen existing efforts on innovation and collaborative research, development, and demonstration through greater collaboration with various organizations working on climate change issues, and to enhance the linkage between the Technology Mechanism and the Financial Mechanism under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Specifically, the Office will support capacity building activities for National Designated Entities (161 national climate technology focal points selected by their governments to coordinate in-country Technology Mechanism activities) in developing countries; serve as a centre of excellence on research, development, and demonstration on climate technologies; and promote North-South, South-South and triangular collaboration on research, development, and demonstration.

Speaking at the event, Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, stated: “This new Office will build upon the CTCN’s efforts to ensure that countries the world over can access the technologies they need to build energy-efficient, low-carbon and climate-resilient societies. The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is clear: research and development, together with improved international cooperation, can accelerate the diffusion and deployment of climate technologies necessary to reach net-zero by 2050. This in essence, is the goal of the CTCN Partnership and Liaison Office.”

Mr. Jong-Ho Lee, Minister of Science and Information and Communication Technologies of the Republic of Korea, said: “We are pleased to host the world’s first CTCN Partnership and Liaison Office and will fully support the activities of the Office to overcome the global climate crisis through climate technology cooperation. Based on Korea’s excellent climate technology and technology transfer capacity, continuous efforts will be made by the Korean Government to actualize the developed country-developing country climate technology cooperation model”.

At the opening ceremony, Korea also announced the launch of a Committee for Climate Technology Cooperation, which aims to plan and implement best practices of climate technology transfer to developing countries.

Mr. Jeong-Bok Yoo, Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City, stated, “With the opening of the CTCN Partnership and Liaison Office, we expect that Songdo of Incheon City will grow into a centre of cooperation for the response to climate change as well as the platform for the advancement of excellent domestic climate technology industries into overseas markets. We will spare no effort in supporting this new Office by helping its stable settlement and playing a bridging role in enhancing cooperation with the Green Climate Fund.”

Following the official launch of the Partnership and Liaison Office, the CTCN and Green Technology Center (GTC) will, on 22 July, host Korean members of the Climate Technology Network at a networking event on co-creating climate solutions. The event will identify best practices in scaling up technology transfer, and present lessons learned from Korean pro bono technical assistance delivered to developing countries via the CTCN. Four network members will showcase their innovative technology solutions and receive targeted technical feedback from thematic experts and mentors. Participating Korean Network members, who represent the largest group of Climate Technology Network members in any country, will gain insight into implementing CTCN technical assistance and identifying feasible strategies to scale up technology solutions. Participants will also develop ideas to improve technology impact while benefiting from the opportunity to gain visibility by forging connections with Climate Technology Network members, funders, and technical experts.