On March 12-13, 2025, Dr. Surachai Sathitkunarat, Executive Director of the APEC Center for Technology Foresight (APEC CTF), President of Office of National Higher Education Science Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO), and Thailand’s Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) Coordinator, was invited by the United Nations Environment Programme Copenhagen Climate Centre (UNEP-CCC) to participate in the Global Technology Needs Assessment Workshop at the UNEP Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.

The workshop aimed to exchange experiences and insights on Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) and Technology Action Plans (TAPs) implementation to accelerate achievement of the Paris Agreement targets, focusing particularly on practical implementation of plans and projects.

Participants included representatives from more than 30 countries involved in TNA Phase 4 and TNA Phase 5, along with representatives from major international financial institutions such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), the Global Environment Facility (GEF), and the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Discussions highlighted the crucial roles of financial mechanisms and collaborative technological investments to combat climate change.

Thailand, represented by Dr. Surachai, shared experiences as one of the countries successfully supported by GEF in both TNA Phase 1 and TNA Phase 5. Dr. Surachai outlined key lessons learned from Thailand’s TNA Phase 1 experience, emphasizing the successful identification of essential technologies, integration of TNA outcomes into national planning, and overcoming implementation challenges. He underscored the critical importance of financial mechanisms to unlock investments in technology transfer and scaling-up, necessary for meeting national and global climate commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.

In TNA Phase 5, Thailand will utilize foresight tools in the TNA process to effectively address long-term technological foresight challenges, particularly related to technology disruption. Dr. Srichattra Chaivongvilan, Strategist 1 at APEC CTF, is the fellow associated with this project.

Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) is a nationally-driven process that countries use to identify and prioritize technologies essential for climate change adaptation and mitigation, with budgetary and technical support from international organizations such as UNEP and UNEP-CCC. TNAs also significantly influence international climate negotiations, such as the UN Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP), as countries leverage TNA outcomes to strengthen negotiation positions and secure financial and technological support.

Srichattra Chaivongvilan – Correspondant

More information: https://www.unep.org/events/workshop/global-technology-needs-assessment-workshop