Collaborating to align data, information and mitigation actions
With an economic and development model closely linked to fossil fuel use, Tunisia’s growth in recent decades has led to a marked increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Recognising the need to address climate change, the country has proceeded to pursue various strategies, plans and activities to promote renewable energy and climate protection while at the same time pursuing development goals such as modernising industry, creating jobs, improving quality of life and supporting international climate change mitigation efforts.
This case provides a good example of the development of well-linked national climate change strategy, NAMAs and supporting MRV arrangements. In particular, efforts to collaborate across sectors and government ministries to share data and develop effective use of information to support national inventory, NAMA development and MRV are noteworthy.
- Capacity building: Staff of partner agencies through e.g. attending training courses and information events on the topics of energy balance, MRV of mitigation measures and the development of greenhouse gas inventories has built skills and knowledge necessary to ensure better greenhouse gas management. Staff are increasingly better equipped to undertake MRV related activities and this in turn reduces dependency on external consultants.
- Awareness was raised among decision makers: Across the various ministries and authorities responsible for relevant, high emissions sectors such as energy, industry, agriculture and waste management. This has supported the development of institutional structures necessary to ensure a sustainable inventory system is established.
- National Inventory Working Group: Has built understanding of the need for more comprehensive emissions data and facilitated stronger sharing of this data. Having key data-suppliers/users directly involved ensures better quality of data and fosters more cross-sectoral understanding. Building trust and stronger relationships through this group has also improved collaboration between agencies (e.g. in developing NAMAs which span various sectors such as energy from waste).
- More comprehensive emissions data: When the NCCS was under development, available data was largely limited to energy and industrial processes, with broader sectoral data unavailable. Demand for more comprehensive data (for NAMA and the NCCS) combined with coordinated efforts to develop and share data is resulting in improved availability and granularity of data to support mitigation and MRV efforts.
- Increased engagement from private sector: Through raising awareness of need and benefits of addressing climate change, key private sector actors have been more engaged and willing to share data. For example in the case of the cement mitigation mechanism (NAMA), the 9 key cement processing organisations central to the NAMAs work, now better understand co-benefits, and are more willing to support the process. This has built trust in the process and consequently these organisations have become more willing to share data for use in the national inventory and NAMA development.
- Increased trust and cross-sectoral understanding: Developed through combined efforts to collaborate in data sharing and design of mitigation actions (e.g. NAMA). This has demonstrably enhanced the efficiency of decision-making in some cases. For example, even though the TSP had to be revised to address regulatory and financial barriers, the targets set through the process were never challenged, in large part as a result of a collaborative, bottom-up approach
- Ready to submit first Biennial Update Report: Improvement in the National Emissions Inventory means Tunisia is now in a strong position to submit BUR’s.
- TSP: Ministry of Industry, Energy & Mines/ General Directorate for Energy (DGE)
- National Agency for Energy Conservation (ANME)
- Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG)
- Ministry of Finance
- Ministry of Environment NAMAs: National Agency for Energy Conservation
- National Sanitation Office (ONAS)
- Ministry for Infrastructure and Environment
- City of Sfax
- Ministry of Agriculture