For many stakeholders working on climate mitigation, the emerging concept of NAMA (Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions) remains an enigma. Carbon Market Watch’s upcoming webinar “What are NAMAs and how can civil society organisations benefit from them?” aims to open the door to the many unanswered questions on how NAMAs work and what is the role of public participation in order to empower civil society to contribute and gain from the process.
NAMAs have been the buzzword of many climate negotiations. Although according to Ecofys, while there are already 161 NAMAs in different stages in the pipeline, there is still low public understanding on how this instrument works and how civil society can get involved in the development process.
Lessons from many climate mechanisms showcase that in order to fully enhance capacity of implemented actions, strengthen the governance framework and prevent negative environmental and social impacts, full and effective public participation needs to be at the heart of NAMA development process. This in first line calls for higher awareness and knowledge by the civil society and access to information.
Carbon Market Watch aims to build understanding within civil society and academia on the functioning of NAMAs through a set of capacity building webinars. The first one – What are NAMAs and how can civil society organisations benefit from them? – will reveal the significance of public participation for accountability of NAMA actions. The webinar will include the presentation of two NAMA case studies from Mexico and Georgia – where participants will be able to learn about the opportunities and challenges from civil society engagement on the ground, as well as how civil society can contribute to and benefit from getting involved in the process.
Moreover, civil society can learn more about the NAMA process, finance flows and relevant stakeholders through A Beginner’s Guide to NAMAs – a tool for civil society organizations that want to learn about NAMAs and/or get involved in NAMA development. Increased awareness is a foundation to firstly, facilitate stronger engagement of civil society in relevant NAMA processes, such as NAMA development and implementation as well as monitoring of the implementation at the national level, and secondly, to foster information sharing of good practices.
To join our discussion on NAMAs, click here.