Background
African least developed countries (LDCs) require affordable climate technologies to implement their nationally determined contributions. Yet, they face debt distress, limited fiscal space, expensive capital, and broader macroeconomic constraints, and technology gaps identified in the UNFCCC Technology Mechanism and its Technology Needs Assessments rarely translate into funded projects, sustained technical assistance, or long-term capacity development. Trade cooperation and climate diplomacy can help enable technology transfer, joint research and innovation, and skills partnerships between local firms and international technology providers.
A growing range of initiatives, including the LDC Green Industrialisation Facility (LDC-GIF), the Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative (AGII), the African Continental Free Trade Area and its industrial policy priorities, and the Belém Technology Implementation Programme, provides useful ground for exploring innovative cooperative approaches. Against this backdrop, APRI and TESS will convene a side event to explore how trade and technology partnerships can better support the transfer, co-development, and deployment of technologies for climate-resilient development.
The Event
APRI, TESS and UNCTAD will convene a 60-minute COP31 side event to explore how trade and technology partnerships can better support the transfer, access, adaptation, co-development, and deployment of technologies for climate-resilient development. With a particular focus on African LDCs, the discussion will examine how partnerships can combine complementary capabilities and move from broad cooperation frameworks to practical delivery around country-defined priorities under UNFCCC processes. The discussion will bring together African and LDC negotiators, trade and technology experts, development partners and private-sector practitioners. The panel will identify practical climate and trade diplomacy priorities that African LDCs can advance in response to their climate-related technology needs.
