Regional Centres for a Changing Climate. Institutions to Assist Developing Countries in Adaptation and Technology Transfer

Throughout the past two years of negotiations under the UNFCCC, various countries across country negotiation blocks proposed regional centres to support developing countries. However, little clarity exists with regard to the functions, the locations and other key criteria of such regional centres. It is therefore the aim of this paper to throw light on and discuss the functional and architectural options of regional centres in particular in adaptation, but also in technology transfer and in REDD. The paper provides input into the negotiations which continue after the Copenhagen climate summit, and which will have to determine with more clarity the concept of regional centres.

To achieve this, the work extracts functions in particular from the views and concepts submitted and proposed by Parties to the UNFCCC. On the backdrop of existing institutions and processes, as well as a mapping of potential centre institutions, the work discusses several key principles for the establishment of regional adaptation, technology transfer and REDD centres.