This publication should be cited as IRENA, ‘IRENA Handbook on Renewable Energy Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) – 2nd edition’.
This second edition of IRENA´s Handbook on Renewable Energy Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs) focuses on the role that NAMAs can play in promoting renewable energy for electricity generation in developing countries. The concept of NAMAs was developed during the negotiations carried out under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to denote planned, voluntary greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation actions in developing countries, and has become a prominent climate policy instrument in recent years. In practice, specifying a NAMA entails identifying and communicating to the UNFCCC national development activities with mitigation effects that are consistent with national development priorities and circumstances, and that can be measured, reported and verified. Over the last years, numerous NAMAs have been announced, conceptualised and even implemented – many of which focus on renewables. Renewable energy interventions, due to their low carbon emissions potential, are ideal NAMA candidates, combining development benefits through the provision of energy with greenhouse gas emissions reductions. Renewable energy NAMAs are therefore consistent with strategies to engage countries on a “green growth” path.
NAMAs are voluntary interventions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in developing countries undertaken as part of a country’s sustainable development objectives. A key characteristic of NAMAs is that GHG emission impact is measurable, reportable and verifiable (MRV). NAMAs aim to promote low-carbon development and can range from multi-sector strategies, to specific policy instruments, to single projects.
A wide range of policies promoting renewable energy can be considered NAMAs as these fulfil the dual requirements of contributing to development objectives and, due to the low carbon content of renewable sources, reducing emissions. These policies could involve non-market-based incentives, market mechanisms or regulations.
The implementation of large-scale, policy-based NAMAs can easily cost tens of millions of US dollars or more. In Copenhagen in 2009, industrialised countries pledged to support mitigation action in developing countries, through several initiatives including the provision of financial support for NAMAs. Initially, only NAMA feasibility studies were financed. However, over the last two years, several NAMA support vehicles have been launched and a significant share of international climate finance could flow into NAMAs in the near future. It is hoped that the capitalisation and operationalisation of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) will also provide finance for both NAMA readiness activities and implementation.
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