Lomé Regional Collaboration Center (CRC)

The Lomé Regional Collaboration Center (CRC-Lomé) is the fruit of harmonious collaboration between the UNFCCC Secretariat and the West African Development Bank (BOAD). Created in January 2013, it is the first of six CRCs in existence today and covers twenty-six (26) countries in French-speaking West and Central Africa.

CRC Lome logo

Initially set up to promote the opportunities and benefits offered by the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol, CRC-Lomé broadened its mandate after the Paris Agreement to serve :

  • interface between local and regional climate action and intergovernmental processes;
  • facilitator of the financing framework to mobilize climate finance in the coverage area
  • promoting cooperation (North-South/South-South), information and the sharing of best climate practices;
  • to assist countries with their CDN activities;

and to encourage stakeholders to collaborate and work on climate change and sustainable development activities.

Since its creation, the Lomé CRC has provided support not only to States but also to regional organizations such as ECOWAS and UEMOA, through several instruments such as carbon finance under the CIACA initiative, the mobilization of Climate Finance resources, but also other instruments linked to the preparation of countries for the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and tools for the mobilization of external resources.

Within the framework of the West African Alliance on Carbon Markets and Climate Finance, the Lomé CRC, with the support of the BOAD, has extended its support to all ECOWAS member countries to enable them to collaborate effectively in implementing their commitments under the Paris Agreement. The Lomé CRC also collaborates with States Parties outside its scope of action.

To meet the needs of each country, CRC Lomé has developed solutions tailored to its specific needs. Together with countries, it is developing tools to take greater account of the issue of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in project development, through the implementation of countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions.

From 2013 to date, the Centre has supported over 300 CDM-eligible projects, providing direct support to more than a hundred structures and project leaders. Today, it supports countries in the transition from CDMs to Article 6.4 of the Paris Agreement. It has also led several initiatives to support countries in their efforts to meet their commitments under the Paris Agreement. These include :

  • The West African Alliance for Carbon Markets and Climate Finance

Its main objective is to strengthen the participation of West African states in international financing mechanisms, and in particular through carbon markets, which represent a considerable opportunity for financing the climate action envisaged by the Paris Climate Agreement. The Alliance receives financial support in the form of grants from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Change (BMWK). Through the CRC, BOAD acts as technical entity and fiduciary agent for the financial management of the resources granted to the initiative. The success of this model has led to support for the establishment of an East African Alliance on carbon markets and climate finance.

  • The « Collaborative Instruments for Ambitious Climate Action » (CI-ACA) initiative

Its aim is to promote the introduction of carbon price signal instruments in developing countries. The initiative is currently funded by voluntary contributions from the governments of Germany, Norway, Switzerland and Sweden, and implemented by the UNFCCC Secretariat through CRC Lomé.

The initiative provides countries with an opportunity study for the implementation of carbon pricing instruments. CRC has provided Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Senegal, Nigeria and the WAEMU Commission with a carbon pricing instrument, as well as capacity building for stakeholders in these countries. ECOWAS has also submitted a request to CRC-Lomé to set up a regional carbon market through the CI-ACA initiative.

  • The South-South network on « Measurement, Notification and Verification (MNV) and Transparency in West Africa

The establishment of this network enables us to provide technical support to ECOWAS countries within the framework of the MNV, such as national communications and Biennial Update Reports, with a particular focus on the energy and AFOLU sectors. The network assists countries and regional institutions in facilitating South-North and South-South cooperation, and the exchange of high-quality knowledge between participating countries.

CRC mobilizes substantial resources from partners and countries, especially in the context of capacity building for countries, NGOs and project sponsors, especially those in the private sector. Since 2013, this mobilization has enabled us to organize around a hundred capacity-building activities and events to support countries in their climate change-related needs. The Centre has organized these activities with and/or on behalf of numerous financial institutions (World Bank, ADB, KFW …), multilateral institutions (UNFCCC, UNDP, UNEP …) and volunteer countries, sensitive to the fight against climate change (Germany, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Netherlands, England …).

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