Capacity building in developing economies: building on the APEC and CSLF experience

Abstract

Developing countries such as China, India, Mexico and Brazil are major energy producers and users, and emitters of CO2, and these countries are becoming aware of both the need to reduce anthropogenic CO2 emissions into the atmosphere and of CO2 capture and storage (CCS) as an enabling technology. One of the challenges faced in the implementation of CCS technologies, particularly in developing countries, is the shortage, sometimes absence, of a skilled technical and scientific workforce, but also a lack of knowledge about, and understanding of this technology among decision makers. The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) initiated in 2004 the development of a capacity building program that consisted of developing training modules and offering training workshops in developing countries around the Pacific Rim that are major CO2 emitters such as China, South Korea and Mexico. At the same time, the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum (CSLF) has established a Task Force on Capacity Building that has similarly developed a program for providing capacity building to the seven CSLF members that are developing economies. A series of capacity building workshops has been offered throughout 2007 and 2008. Based on the experience to date of both initiatives, some of the key learnings for future capacity building workshops are: 1) holding workshops in conjunction with a technical conference or similar event; 2) ensuring participation of key decision makers; 3) ensuring a varied workshop format; 4) ensuring that the workshop material addresses also the specific conditions of the host country; 5) ensuring organization of the material that allows flexible participation; and 6) providing printed material and simultaneous translation.