| Overview : 1.1 The Low Emission Capacity Building Programme The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations call for developed countries and international organizations to support developing countries' efforts to address greenhouse gas emissions in alignment with their development priorities. In this context, the Low Emission Capacity Building (LECB) Programme was launched in January 2011 as part of a joint collaboration between the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Trinidad and Tobago is one of twenty-five (25) participating countries in the LECB Programme and in order to facilitate the Programme’s objectives, the Ministry of Planning and Development (MPD), together with the UNDP, has coordinated a National LECB Project that commenced in July 2014. This Project is being executed by a Project Team with the oversight of a Steering Committee comprised of representatives of key organizations across both public and private sectors. In order to reach the potential for low-carbon development in the power generation, transport and industry sectors, the objectives of the LECB Programme in Trinidad and Tobago include the: - Design of sectoral Low-Carbon Development (LCD) Action Plans.
- Identification of Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs).
- Design of systems for Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of proposed mitigation actions.
- Development of an Implementation Plan for Trinidad and Tobago’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC).
For the purpose of the LECB Project, emissions from the selected sectors are defined as follows: - Power Generation – the generation of electricity inside and outside the national grid.
- Transport Sector – the transport of goods and persons via land, sea and air.
- Industry – fossil fuel burning and industrial processes (eg. cement and chemical manufacturing), as well as oil and gas exploration, production and refining.
In addition to preparing the country for monitoring the implementation of the National Climate Change Policy (NCCP), the activities under LECB Programme in Trinidad and Tobago also aim to support and build on the findings from other climate change initiatives being undertaken by the MPD, including the Carbon Reduction Strategy (CRS) Project and the Mainstreaming of Climate Change into National Development and Capacity Building for Participation in Carbon Markets (IDB Project). 1.2 Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) Systems MRV is critical to assessing the efficacy of climate change mitigation actions, including the sectoral LCD Action Plans and NAMAs that are currently being developed as part of the first stage of the LECB Project. As such, on behalf of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago (GORTT), the UNDP is seeking a suitable professional to work with the Ministry of Planning and Development, to develop a MRV System and accompanying Training Programme to support the implementation of Trinidad and Tobago’s NCCP, LCD Action Plans, NAMAs and INDC. While there is minimal formal guidance on MRV, it is recommended that countries build off existing frameworks where possible, such as the Kyoto Protocol, Clean Development Mechanism and the International Standards Organization. Ultimately, a properly designed MRV System will (i) help quantify benefits, impacts and success rates of mitigation actions, (ii) add transparency to mitigation efforts, (iii) act as a management tool to track progress and assess contributions, (iv) attract climate financing options and (v) contribute to the fulfilment of the country’s reporting obligations under the UNFCCC. In addition to the resources available by the global LECB Programme, (http://www.lowemissiondevelopment.org/lecbp/knowledge-center/mrv), other useful tools and resources on MRV include but are not limited to: - Reporting and Verifying Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (Mitigation Momentum, 2013)
- Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (IPCC, 2006)
- MRV Manual for CDM Programme of Activities (KFW and DNV, 2013)
- Innovations in Monitoring and Evaluating Results (UNDP, 2013)
- Measuring, Reporting, Verifying: A Primer on MRV for Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (UNEP Risoe, 2013)
- MRV Tool: How To Set up National MRV Systems (GIZ, 2013)
- Knowledge Product: Institutional Arrangements for MRV (GIZ, 2013)
MRV of NAMAs: Guidance for selecting sustainable development indicators (CCAP, 2012 |
